Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies brand keeps its promise to be the trusted parenting partner moms need through every step of their motherhood journey with 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.
Gathering thousands of moms online, the digital videos proved to be a relatable and reliable support system as it 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. 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.