Mothers at home found a relatable and reliable support system through an online forum that helps parents adjust to the new way of living.
Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies brand hosted Huggies Club: Facebook Live, a five-week series of online forums that brought up relevant topics and addressed the most pressing concerns that they deal with today.
The online forum gathered thousands of moms online and connected them to fellow moms, such as Kryz Uy, Patty Laurel-Filart, and Dimples Romana; as well as experts from various fields ranging from developmental pediatrics, child care development, mental health, nutrition, and more.
To help moms and dads adjust to the new normal, here are some key takeaways from the sessions that every parent should take note of.
Don’t panic
This is especially true for pregnant moms as it can be a daunting experience to give birth in the midst of a pandemic. Keep in mind that pregnancy doesn’t increase the risk of getting COVID-19, so prioritize being healthy physically and mentally, as well as practice the necessary precautions of sanitizing and physical distancing.
Being bombarded with worry and fear is inevitable, so it’s also essential to constantly be in touch with doctors and loved ones for the proper care and reassurance that everything will be alright. Nowadays, we are fortunate to have many technological solutions at our disposal to help us do just that.
Take a holistic approach to health
When faced with an unfamiliar situation, it’s always good to cover all bases. While we wait for a COVID-19 vaccine to be created, it’s advisable for parents to continue staying on top of their children’s health and ensure they are protected from head to toe with other available vaccines and treatments in the market today.
Preventive measures should be every parent’s priority to keep their children’s immune system at its strongest because this lessens the risk of getting sick and contracting the virus. Going out and coordinating with pediatricians for scheduling vaccines should be properly mapped out.
Establish routines at home
Parents are challenged to answer their children when they bring up questions why they suddenly stopped going to school, or why they can’t go out, meet, and play with their friends. It’s crucial that parents create an open environment at home to talk about what’s happening without revealing too much as this may pose fear. It’s also important to create a safe space for children to properly express their feelings so moms—and dads as well—are able to determine their needs.
The next step is to create routines and sort tasks in schedule to reestablish a sense of normalcy for children to grow physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally even at home. This helps create boundaries, especially for working moms.
Prioritize your mental health
Finding that perfect recipe of being present in meetings, following deadlines, all while doing household chores and attending to their children’s needs takes a bigger toll on a mother’s mental health. What’s important is for you to not be too hard on yourself, take everything one step at a time, and strike a balance.
Moms are advised to help themselves stay calm and collected by stopping whenever they’re feeling overwhelmed and take a minute to do a mindfulness activity, such as doing breathing exercises.
Eat well and exercise
Moms sometimes struggle to keep structure in their day, making them forget to do physical activities, and even skip meals. This can easily make them feel more tired, groggy, and irritable which can take a toll in their physical, social, and emotional well-being.
Now more than ever, it’s vital to practice exercise and healthy eating habits. A nutritious and mood-boosting meal should always consist of half a plate of fruits and vegetables, ¼ plate of rice or any other carbohydrates, and ¼ plate of protein such as chicken, fish, pork, or beef.
Though it may be difficult to introduce a variety of food especially to young children, make it a proactive approach by nurturing a healthy diet while pregnant and exposing different flavors to your infant. For toddlers and pre-school aged children, slowly introduce changes to food by creatively incorporating them in their meals.
In terms of physical activity, limit screen time to a minimum. This can be done by assigning age-appropriate household chores and encouraging active play at home, such as crawling, playing catch, running around, or dancing.
“As we wrap up our Huggies Club: Facebook Live sessions this month, we hope that we were able to be a source of comfort and care for moms everywhere dealing with this new and unique situation,” said Brian Duruin, head of marketing at Kimberly-Clark Philippines, Inc.
“Carrying out our goal to be the trusted parenting partner of Filipinos, our commitment is unwavering in discovering new ways to continue guiding moms through every step of their motherhood journey.”