Celebrity
mom Dimples Romana, influencer moms Patty Laurel-Filart and Kryz Uy joined
Huggies Philippines in championing parenthood in this difficult time with
Huggies Club: Facebook Live, a five-week series of online forums.
Gathering
thousands of moms online, the digital videos proved to be a relatable and
reliable support system as it connected them to them and experts from various
fields ranging from developmental pediatrics, child care development, mental
health, nutrition, and more. Whether expectant, new, or going into their nth
child, moms were able to gain access and listen to expert tips and credible
advice so they can give the comfort and care they need for themselves and their
children. Now that we’re adjusting to the new normal, here are some key
takeaways from the sessions that every mom should take note of.
Don’t
panic and be in touch with your doctors and loved ones.
Whatever
the situation we find ourselves in today, it’s important to not 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 worries and feeling scared is inevitable, so
it’s also essential to constantly be in touch with your 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 your 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. It’s no doubt that meeting our pediatricians is trickier given the
quarantine measures, so going out and coordinating with them for scheduling
vaccines should be properly mapped out.
Establish
routines at home.
We’ve
all gone through an abrupt change, but one thing remains the same and that is
the growth and development of our children. We’re challenged to answer our
children as 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
you 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 your children to properly express their feelings so you’re able to
determine their needs. The next step is to create routines and sort tasks in
schedule so you can reestablish a sense of normalcy for them to grow
physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally even at home. This helps you
create boundaries, especially if you’re a working mom too.
Prioritize
your mental health.
Finding
that perfect recipe of being present in meetings, following deadlines, all
while doing household chores and attending to your children’s needs takes a bigger toll on your 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. Help yourself stay calm and collected by stopping
when you’re feeling overwhelmed and take a minute to do a mindfulness activity,
such as doing breathing exercises or even hugging yourself.
A healthy diet and proper exercise can help
improve your mood during these times.
We sometimes struggle to keep structure in our
day, making us forget to do physical activities, and even skip meals as we lose
track of time at home. This can easily make us feel more tired, groggy, and
irritable which can take a toll in our 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 comprise 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 being creatively
incorporating it 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. 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,” said Brian Duruin, Head of Marketing,
Kimberly-Clark Philippines, Inc.
If you missed it, you
can also find the recorded Huggies Club: Facebook Live sessions there. Register at Huggies Club to gain access for more specialized content and
exclusive perks. For more information, visit https://www.huggies.com.ph/.
