Keeping your family safe and sane

We thought we were already nearing the finish line to this pandemic. As it turns out, the virus has other plans.

These past weeks, amid the intensely alarming rise in COVID-19 cases and even deaths, we are once again uneasy to venture out of the house and even more fearful for the safety of our loved ones who need to go out whether to work or run errands.

And as we are asked to stay home for a second year, we wonder how else can we keep our living spaces safe from the virulent strains of this cursed virus and, at the same time, how can we keep our sanity intact.

Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize

Is the disinfecting area at the entrance of your home still intact and serving its purpose? Or has it been left overlooked due to pandemic fatigue? Check if you need to replace your shoe disinfectant mats or if its disinfectant solution has not dried out. Also, make sure that you’re cleaning and sanitizing your home’s high touch surfaces such as doorknobs, handles, table tops, kitchen counters, toilet seats and faucets. Do this several times a day, especially if you have housemates who come and go for work and errands.

Space makeover

You’re eternally grateful for having four walls and a roof that’s keeping you and your family safe during this time. But there’s nothing wrong in admitting that you’re having house fatigue. Make use of this time to change things a bit around your home.

You don’t need to spend big bucks to give your living spaces a makeover. Rearrange your furniture. Swing by Pinterest or Instagram for some ideas—we dare you to not get living space envy and get motivated. You’d be surprised how a different positioning of your sofa, side chairs, bed and tables can give your home a fresh, brand-new atmosphere. If you feel you’re too busy for a major revamp, a simple reorganizing of what’s on your work desks at home, your shelves or even kitchen counters might do the trick. Start somewhere, no matter how simple or small.

Isolation area

It’s better to be prepared than find yourself scrambling in last-minute panic. Make sure your home’s makeshift isolation area is ready, in case anyone at home suddenly feels unwell. See to it that this spot is clean, sanitized and adequately ventilated. Place separate sanitation stations for your “patient” and for whoever will be tasked to attend to his or her needs.

Going old school

For those who have little ones at home, take this extended period to teach them old school, local games. There’s piko and Chinese garter or 10-20. You don’t need much space for both and the former only requires chalk or tape while the latter only involves, well, garter or rubber bands that are linked together.

If you’re lucky to have a garage or yard, engage the kids—and the adults, too—in patintero, langit lupa, monkey monkey Annabelle or Pepsi 7-Up. Not only do these guarantee you and your family lots of fun and laughs, these games are good cardio exercises as well.

Safety protocols

Even if they are staying safe at home, it is important for our kids to get accustomed to practicing health and safety protocols to protect themselves and others from viruses. Remind them to always wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Supervise them when using hand sanitizers. Caution them against touching their eyes, nose and mouth. Teach them that the right way to cough or sneeze is into their bent elbow and not their hands. Instruct them how they can safely clean and sanitize their personal things.

More reminders

We may have done all these things—and more—in the past year. But a little reminding won’t hurt. The light at the end of the tunnel seemed to have moved farther away. And while there is only so much that we can do to protect ourselves, what’s important is that we are not giving up doing our part in keeping ourselves and our family safe and sane.