TOP TIPS & TRICKS

• Make peace with the mess. Usually, our mission is to stay on top of the cleaning, but this could be counter-productive during this time when you want your children to unwind and relax. Keep their toys out where they leave them, it may annoy you a little but it will help keep them engaged day to day.
• Pack away any breakables or valuable items you don’t want to be destroyed. On a daily basis, your kids have their routine to keep them busy and spend a fair amount of time outside the home at school. Now is a good time to pack away any tempting items as they have the time and means to be destructive. 
• Speak to your children in an age-appropriate way about the virus and why the isolation is necessary. Make the shutdown sound fun instead of talking about it as a punishment. Talk about how grateful you are about the valuable family time and schedule family activities like baking, etc to create a distraction and precious memories during this troubled time.

Dig up old books to read and enjoy again

Children find repetitive behaviour soothing. So while reading the same book 5 times might sound like torture to you, your child’s favourite book is like music to their ears. Get out all those books and create a stack in an open space where your child is free to browse and page through at their own leisure.

Create a dressing up box

Look around your house for costumes and accessories that can be used for dress-up. Keep in mind that to a child, a plain piece of fabric wrapped around their neck makes a perfect cape, no fancy expensive costumes needed.

Face paint can add the final touches and this activity can keep your little one busy for a while as they ‘beat the bad guys’ and conquer the world!

Turn up the music

Listening to music that you enjoy releases endorphins and decreases stress. During this time while your children can’t get out on the playground, dancing to their favourite music might just do the trick in the short term.

Unpack those Puzzles and LEGO sets

While these toys and activities are sometimes avoided by parents, now is the perfect time to put these toys on display and leave them be as your child plays undisturbed, their unfinished projects waiting for them the next day. As hard as it may be, leaving your child’s projects on their play table or in their general play area creates a sense of security and cleaning up might deter them from getting invested in these toys.

Create a mud kitchen in your backyard

This simple and free activity will keep your little one occupied for hours.

Scrounge around your plastic container collection for those bowls with missing lids and donate them to the mud kitchen project. Make sure your child is wearing clothes that are easy to take off such as a button-up shirt and boots to make clean up a breeze.

Get the kids into the kitchen

Baking always goes down well with kids but we don’t always have the luxury of time to do these things.

Prep a few things ahead of time (to avoid bored runaways) and get your little ones in the kitchen mixing and licking spoons.

All this being said, when you need to get Paw Patrol on so that you can have 5 minutes of peace and down time for yourself then do so! Your kids need a sane mommy more than they need a ton of educational activities!

Sending positive thoughts your way and wishing you lots of laughter and full tummies! See you on the other side of the shutdown.

The post How to survive the shutdown with small children appeared first on Tiny Tums.

Important points to remember:

• We always practice good hygiene while preparing and handling our food.
• We are fully compliant with the rules of the Health Department regarding cleaning and sanitizing food surfaces (regardless of any outbreaks!)
• There is currently no evidence that COVID-19 is spread through food.

We’re all taking precautions during this outbreak and the main concern most people have is food safety. We would like to provide some much-needed information and support during this time, to hopefully put your mind at ease!

How is COVID-19 spread?

This virus is spread through contaminated droplets created by sneezing, coughing, or by contaminated hands, surfaces and objects.

How do you prevent contamination?

• Clean your hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds, or when on the move use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with a tissue or use your elbow.
• Avoid contact with anyone who has cold or flu-like symptoms.

Can COVID-19 be spread by foodborne transmission?

There is currently no evidence that food is a source or route of transmission for the virus.

How long does COVID-19 last on surfaces?

Studies suggest that coronaviruses may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This depends on the type of surface, temperature and even the humidity of the environment. To keep surfaces clean you can use common household disinfectants to protect yourself and others.

Should food businesses use disposables?

There is no evidence to suggest that disposables (gloves, masks, etc) minimize transmission risks. Tiny Tums is dedicated to continuing the practice of good hand hygiene and cleaning during this stressful time. You can therefore still benefit from our wholesome homemade food for your entire family.

What should food businesses do to protect against coronavirus?

• Continue to practice good food-handling hygiene.
• Frequent cleaning of surfaces.

You can continue to order food online from Tiny Tums with no risk to your baby or your family. We are upholding our strict food hygiene protocols with all our prepared meals and continue to provide high-quality baby food and family meals for you to enjoy.

*Please note – Motherhood Village will be closed for the next 4 weeks as a precautionary measure, so at this time we will only be taking online orders. We are still doing deliveries as well, so you do not even have to leave your home!

Stay safe and wishing you and your family good health and full tummies!

The post Protecting You & Your Little One – COVID-19 appeared first on Tiny Tums.