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Staying Home and Healthy in this Time of Covid-19

Family_outside_house_shutterstock_516646390 By Deirdre Imus, June 2020
While we don’t know everything about how COVID-19 will behave, we do know it has changed how we live now and probably for a long time to come.

As we try to understand what our new normal will be, here are some tips that can help ease the stress and keep you and your family healthy.

Healthy Family Time – Stay Positive

The easiest way to stay healthy is to control what you can at home.

Stay positive and let your kids see and feel your positivity. It will ease everyone’s stress.

Try keeping a routine -- regular meal times, school time and of course, play time.

Play time promotes healthy development, even when you're stuck at home.

While it may be tempting to get kids together for play dates, opt instead for virtual play dates for now.

Staying at home and other social distancing recommendations may be inconvenient, but it's the best way to protect our families.

Healthy Diet - Make Mealtimes a Family Affair

This is a perfect time to start a small garden indoors or outside if you can.

You can do this even in small spaces and get the family and kids involved! They will love seeing where food actually comes from and may even help make the salad and prepare a meal. Here are some fun ideas to get you started.

Be prepared, limit junk food, frozen dinners and take out! Unhealthy diets lead to unhealthy kids and adults.

Stock up on nutrition-packed foods that will stay fresh for a week or longer.

The healthiest meals include whole grains, vegetables, and fruits—serve them in the greatest amounts! Click here for healthy recipes!

Practice Gratitude

Do something nice for someone else such as checking in on elderly neighbors or those with health conditions. Could you save them a trip to the grocery store? Just ask!

Encourage your children to write gratitude notes to their friends, teachers, and local first responders.

Positive thinking and faith are a great foundation for staying grounded and for strong, clear thinking.

Exercise and Wellness

One of the best things you can do for yourself and for your family is to exercise. It’s a great stress reducer and a great mood enhancer too.

As with anything, consistency is key. Create a workout schedule for you and the kids and follow it! You can get free subscriptions here and check out these online activities for kids -- yoga, dancing, family indoor recess and play-at-home movement games. Active Schools has also created a list of resources for various age groups to keep kids moving at home.

Exercise your mind too with puzzle games for the whole family and consider trying meditation during quiet time on the free Insight Timer app.

Protecting Yourself and Others

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the best way to prevent illness from COVID-19 is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Everyone should wash hands often, avoid close contact and cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others. Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands!

Cleaning and disinfecting your home

You don’t need to clean your home from top to bottom every day, but you should focus on disinfecting the areas that are touched frequently and become hot-spots for germs at least daily, and at most a few times a day.

Did you know that when cleaning any surface, simply removing dirt and particles is not the same as disinfecting it to kill viruses and bacteria?

It’s important to make sure to always read and follow the directions on the label to ensure safe and effective use.

The EPA advises letting the disinfecting product sit and remain wet on surfaces or objects for 10 minutes, and that will kill 99.9 percent of germs. Click here for a list of EPA-registered household disinfectants that can be used on the surfaces below every day: