How to Protect Your Family From Coronavirus
We're living in a time of uncertainty given the recent news surrounding Coronavirus and the spread of COVID-19. If you're anything like us, you're probably feeling a little scared, anxious, nervous, and overwhelmed when it comes to protecting your family and keeping you and your kids safe. We're here to help! Below, we've gathered some useful tips and best practices for parents to keep you and your little ones healthy and happy.
You can also read up on the CDC's tips for staying healthy (including tips for pregnant women) and the CDC's advice about "social distancing" to help prevent the spread of the virus.
1. Wash Your Hands Frequently
This might sound obvious and should be a no-brainer, but one of the best and easiest ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is to wash your hands and your children's hands frequently. Take extra care to wash hands after your kiddos have used the restroom, been in public spaces, or before and after eating. The best soap for combatting Coronavirus? Any antibacterial soap should do the trick. Just be sure to use hot water, lather well, and scrub your palms, back of your hands, under your fingernails, and around your wrists for 20-30 seconds before giving your mitts a good rinse. One trick to getting kids to lather their hands long enough is to tell them to sing "Happy Birthday" before they can rinse their hands.
Remind children to avoid touching their faces, sticking their fingers in their mouths, or, ahem, picking their noses... And remember to bring hand-sanitizer in your diaper bag or purse and use it often when you're out and about! We like to use this convenient spray hand sanitizer from our friends at Tubby Todd.
2. Keep Your Surroundings Clean
It's the perfect time to get a jump-start on spring cleaning in your home! Regularly disinfect surfaces like your kitchen and bathroom counters, sinks, toilets, and door handles. We like good old fashioned Clorox wipes to get the job done. Wash your towels and sheets in hot water regularly, too, to help keep germs at bay. And consider using a humidifier or air purifier in your home, as well.
3. Wipe Down Your Diaper Bag
Between milk, juice, snacks, and sticky hands, diaper bags can get super dirty, which is one of the reasons we design Fawn Design bags to be easy to clean. Our premium vegan leather wipes clean and the interior vegan leather lining of most of our bags pulls out for easy cleaning, too! To keep your Fawn Design bag germ-free, wipe down your bag, straps, and hardware with a soft, damp cloth or an alcohol-free wipe. Non-abrasive disinfectants can be used on our bags as long as they don't have bleach.
4. Avoid Visiting Grandparents
Because the elderly and people over the age of 60 with health conditions are most at risk for Coronavirus, it's best to cancel any plans with Grandma and Grandpa for the next few weeks. This will not only help keep them safe, but it will help keep you and your kiddos safe, too. Instead, call them on FaceTime or plan a video chat for some interaction and to keep them from feeling isolated.
5. Use Your Elbows and Toes
Remind your kids to cover their mouths and cough or sneeze into their elbow and arm. When it comes to greeting friends and family members, don't give hugs or shake hands—consider bumping elbows or tapping toes instead. And when it comes to pushing buttons in public places for things like an elevator or cross walk, tell your little ones to use their elbows instead of their fingers.
6. Take Care of Your Body & Mind
With the world around us changing rapidly, it's important to remember to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. Keep calm, take deep breaths, eat healthy foods, drink lots of water, get enough sleep, and spend time focusing on the good in your life. Go for a walk, take a bath, read a book, and gather around the table for family dinner. Practice gratitude for all that you have rather than focusing on what you might be lacking at the moment (toilet paper, anyone?). Write down three things you're grateful for and have your family do the same (a safe home, warm clothes, plenty of food, etc.), and then share your thoughts the next time you eat dinner or before you go to bed tonight.
7. Help Those In Need
Keep in mind people in your family or neighborhood who may need help but who aren't able to leave their homes or are lacking resources. Reach out to elderly neighbors or friends who live alone to see how they're doing and if they need anything. Consider making a donation to local food banks or homeless shelters to help those who may be in extra need at the moment, too. And try to support local businesses by visiting if you're healthy, ordering online or via a delivery app, or purchasing gift cards (you can use them in the future but it helps small businesses now). Above all else, remember we're all in this together and we need the love, support, and kindness of our communities now more than ever.
Photos: Lizzyography