Stay Healthy and Happy at Home with these Clever Downloadable Guides

There is A LOT of pressure on parents right now. While our essential workers kick COVID’s butt, we’re doing our part by staying home. And we are nailing it! The curve is flattening and social distancing is starting to feel like our new normal.

But keeping the house semi-organised (or at least preventing the kids from using Sharpie Pen ALL over the walls), working from home, entertaining the kids 24/7, homeschooling (AHHHHH), preparing and serving three meals plus snacks daily and, making sure no one kills one another or ends up in the ED is A LOT to take on.

Just thinking about it sends me into a mild panic attack. But it’s okay. Just breathe. Be chill, be cool, be calm. And remember, at the end of the day, our job is to do one thing – to take care of our kids and ourselves.

So, let’s keep it simple

Let’s focus on what’s important. Some light exercise, nutritious foods, a bit of mindfulness. And fortunately, we’ve found a way to get it ALL sorted thanks to the GMHBA Healthy Heroes at Home program.

A partnership with Geelong Cats, Deakin University and GMHBA, Healthy Heroes is presented to grade three and four students in the Geelong region. The program aims to empower kids to make good choices about health and wellbeing.

GMHBA is one of the leaders in health insurance and we are incredibly impressed with this incentive. It’s especially helpful right now, but also valuable anytime really, whether the kids are in school, on holidays or not.

The recipes look delicious, healthy and kids can help make them, and the movement activities are a lot of fun. But, best of all, the ideas are all super easy – easy snacks, easy meditation techniques, easy movement ideas.

After all, the last thing we need is more pressure on our plates.

1. Stay home and move

Four easy ways to keep the kids from bouncing off the walls

Get up and dance – Set the timer for every hour and stop whatever you’re doing when the timer goes off to have a little dance party. One song, one dance, once an hour.
The 12 Days of Fitness – Get the kids to act out the following 12 activities: 12 Jumping Jacks, 11 Raise the Roofs, 10 Knee Lifts, 9 Side Stretches, 8 Jogs in Place, 7 Giant Punches, 6 Kicks to the Front, 5 Side Twists, 4 Jumping Ropes, 3 Muscle Pumps, 2 Scissors, and 1 Stork Stand. Phew.
Try to do something active together daily – walks, bike rides, scooters, roller-blading. Most of us have an assortment of sporting equipment in the garage – skipping ropes, Hula Hoops, balls and bats – now’s the time to bring them out!
PE with Joe – There’s a number of great online resources for kids to take advantage too – PE with Joe is a popular option and will make you sweat! My legs felt like jelly after just one session with Joe. Plus, he’s pretty easy on the eyes too. And has a British accent.

You can find more ideas on active activities and brain breaks below.

*Note, some of the activities are better for a classroom setting but you can easily improvise at home!

2. Stay home and keep calm

Three breathing exercises to try

Crocodile breathing- Sit or stand comfortably, keep your body straight, be still and silent and shut your eyes. Put your arms out straight in front of you and place your hands together (right arm above left arm). Breathe deeply while raising your right arm. Exhale while bringing the arm back to lie on the left arm (like a snapping crocodile). Repeat two or three times.
Bunny breathing – This is an easy one – take three quick sniffs in the nose and one long exhale out the nose.
Bumblebee breathing – Sitting comfortably, gently place the tips of your pointer fingers in your ears and close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose and then hum quietly as you slowly breathe out.

Check out all 11 different mindfulness activities – they are so good for parents too!

3. Stay home and cook

These adorably cute veggie snack ideas – and crafted by the Geelong Cats too!

Celery snails – If you’ve got celery, apple, sultanas, peanut butter and almonds, then you’ve got everything you need to make these slimy sweet treats.
Rice cake faces – Such a fun lunch idea and all you need is hummus and veggies. Plus rice cakes of course.
Rainbow skewers – Taste the rainbow with this one – Red tomato, orange and yellow capsicum, green celery and purple cabbage. You can also make fruit ones using strawberries, oranges, bananas, grapes or kiwi, blueberries and raspberries.

Get the full recipes, plus more colourful veggie-infused snacks through the link below.

We can do this, mums

And without losing our minds. Try not to get too overwhelmed by spreadsheets and wearing ALL the hats we’ve been given – mum, employee, teacher. Sure, some days we may nail it with homecooked meals, homeschool lessons complete and a clean house to boot. Other days, we may not.

But as long as we’re focusing on what matters – keeping their little minds and bodies healthy and happy, then we’re doing it right.

We just need to keep it simple. Eat, breathe, dance. Repeat. If we do this, we can come out on the other side of COVID stronger, healthier and smarter, especially if you have to discover the new way to do maths.