COVID-19 BLOG

We appreciate the advice from the Australian Government is being updated everyday around travel and public gatherings, and that guidance around closures of schools, child care centres and workplaces may change quickly as the situation develops. It may be especially difficult for families that rely on grandparents or relatives for care who may need to socially distance themselves. 

Some of you at this time are on the front line, and the support you are providing should not be underestimated. You are caring for someone else's children, so that they can provide care for others, or keep their own businesses alive, thus keeping jobs available for others and our economy. More than that though, you are providing comfort to children who are probably confused at what is happening.  For those of you who are cleaning homes, and ensuring homes are still running smoothly amidst the pandemic, just know that your presence and your services are a vital part of families being able to cope and stay calm. We want you ALL to know that we see you, and that you have our support. 

2. Indoor Activities to do with kids Being in the house doesn't have to be boring at all, although being bored is great for kids to explode their imaginations. There are so many things that you can do indoors with your kiddos, that will make being home a TON of fun!

• Watch a movies and make it movie night (or day) with some homemade popcorn.

• Read books

• Color

• Build a fort

• Have a pillow fight

• Write a story (and illustrate it if you want)

• Draw family portraits

• Have a dance party

• Dress in fancy clothes and make a fancy dinner

• Have an indoor picnic in the living room

• Make ice-cream. There are lots of ways to make ice cream at home 

• Put together a photo album

• Make a scrap book

• Make a family tree

• Make sock puppets

• Build legos

• Paint rocks

• Crossword puzzles. There are many different ones you can grab on Amazon or at your local dollar store. They also make them for all ages

• Learn to juggle - Youtube have some great videos

• Learn to draw something new. My kids love Art For Kids Hub on Youtube, you can learn how to draw different things including a dolphin, an elf and more!

• Have a pizza party. You don't have to order out to have an awesome pizza party. You can make some homemade pizza dough and homemade pizza sauce and add your favourite toppings or make English muffin pizzas lunchables. Get creative and have fun while enjoying tasty pizza!

• Have a tea party

• Make an indoor obstacle course

• Play hangman

• Make potato stamps

• Play dough

• Make apple stamps

• Bake

Backyard activities to do with the kids

• Have a picnic

• Hoola hoop

• Bike ride

• Rollar skate

• Blow bubbles

• Draw with chalk, even better make some homemade sidewalk paint that the kids will love!

• Make a backyard scavenger hunt

• Play tag

• Play hide and seek

• Build a container garden, while doing so you can learn about gardening. There are many things to learn about gardening like how to stop tomato rot and how to grow food in small spaces.There are lots of benefits to having your kids garden with you.

How plants drink water celery science experiment How plants drink water celery science experiment supplies:

• Water

• Glasses

• Food colouring

• Spoon

• Celery with its leaves attached

How plants drink water celery science experiment directions:

• Fill your water so there is an inch to two inches of water in each glass

• Color each glass a different color and stir well

• Place a stack of celery into each glass. Let the celery sit for a day

• Let your child watch as the colored water slowly moves up to the leaves of the celery

3. How to keep our homes clean and free of coronavirus Health experts have recommended a series of practical steps for maintaining good hygiene at home. Households can minimise their exposure if the right procedures are followed. How do we stop COVID-19 spreading to our homes?

• Take your shoes off at the front door

• Wipe down items brought into the house

• Non-porous items like takeaway containers can be wiped down with detergent or soapy water and fresh produce should be washed

• Wipe down doorknobs, switches, and mobile phones twice a day with detergent

• As the virus is commonly transferred by hand-to-face touching, experts recommend wiping down all surfaces that are regularly handled

Cleaning house

• If you just want to clean, then hot, soapy water is generally enough

• If you want to disinfect, clean first, then disinfect with the least toxic, most biodegradable product that does the job

• Make sure that whichever product you use, you don’t damage the surface you’re working on

• Different advice might apply if there’s someone at home with an open wound or a poor immune system

• If possible, clothes and bed sheets – handled with gloves and surgical masks – should be washed more frequently to minimise the risk of transmission

• It’s also always a good idea to try to flush clean air through the house so open the windows and doors

• Keep clothing, cutlery separate

• The clothing and cutlery used by an infected person can also spread the virus so they should be kept separate

• A dishwasher is great, it will kill the virus. But if you don’t have one use hot water – as hot as you can handle it

Technique matters

• Wiping in an ‘S’ shaped pattern prevents re-contamination and will ensure the surface area is well-covered.

• Cleaning techniques can also make a difference to the risk of infection

• Disposable gloves should be worn

• While these measures might not guarantee freedom from infection, they help to ensure the chances of the virus entering a home are minimised

What cleaning products work best? Scientists have shown that COVID-19 can survive outside the body on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for up to 72 hours. They can break through dirt and organic material that’s left on surfaces, so you need to clean that first and then use the disinfectant

• Hand sanitisers and disinfectants are not enough

• Detergents are the key to breaking down the layers of dirt and dust to allow disinfectants to work

Target ‘high touch’ surface areas

• As the virus is commonly transferred by hand-to-face touching, experts recommend wiping down all surfaces that are regularly handled

• Those in a healthy household should be wiping down high-touch surfaces at least twice a day

• Diluted bleach and products with an alcohol content above 70 per cent are also effective

Key points:

• Households are a new frontier in the fight against coronavirus

• Experts advise detergent and disinfectant are needed to clean surfaces

• They say to target high traffic areas like doorknobs, handles and benches

4. How to make your own hand sanitizer  

Recipe take from: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-make-hand-sanitizer

A word of warning Hand sanitizer recipes, including the one below, are intended for use by professionals with the necessary expertise and resources for safe creation and proper utilization.

Only use homemade hand sanitizers in extreme situations when handwashing isn’t available for the foreseeable future.

Don’t use homemade hand sanitizers on children’s skin as they may be more prone to use them improperly, leading to a greater risk of injury.

What ingredients do you need? Making your own hand sanitizer is easy to do and only requires a few ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of isopropyl or rubbing alcohol (99 percent)

• 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel (to help keep your hands smooth and to counteract the harshness of alcohol)

• 10 drops of essential oil, such as lavender oil, or you can use lemon juice instead

Directions:

• Pour all ingredients into a bowl, ideally one with a pouring spout like a glass measuring container.

• Mix with a spoon and then beat with a whisk to turn the sanitizer into a gel.

• Pour the ingredients into an empty bottle for easy use, and label it “hand sanitizer.”

This hand sanitizer formula combines:

• two parts isopropyl alcohol or ethanol (91 percent to 99 percent alcohol)

• one part aloe vera

• a few drops of clove, eucalyptus, peppermint, or other essential oil

If you are making hand sanitizer at home, adhere to these tips:

• Make the hand sanitizer in a clean space. Wipe down counter tops with a diluted bleach solution beforehand

• Wash your hands thoroughly before making the hand sanitizer

• To mix, use a clean spoon and whisk. Wash these items thoroughly before using them

• Make sure the alcohol used for the hand sanitizer is not diluted

• Mix all the ingredients thoroughly until they are well blended

• Do not touch the mixture with your hands until it is ready for use

#advice #nanny #parenting