The Covid-19 Pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on many people. The recent stay-at-home orders seem to be stressful to the majority of people, especially families with young children. The 2020 annual report from the Canadian Mental Health Association states that 1 in 20 Canadian has suicidal thoughts, and 1 in 10 parents of children under 18 has suicidal thoughts. This might not be surprising to you, but the question is, what can we do to increase our resilience as a parent?

Below are some tips from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.(U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2020) 

• Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditation. 
• Eat foods that are safe and healthy.
• Drink lots of water to stay hydrated.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get plenty of sleep.

We can utilize these tips by doing them together with our little ones. For instance, doing the breathing practice in the morning when kids wake up, chose the healthy ingredient and cook with them, set an alarm to remind them to drink water, setting up a little gym at home(e.g. table tennis), and set up a bedtime routine. 

The Canadian government provides free mental health support under a program called Wellness Together Canada. It aimed to help its citizens with mental health and substance use concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The services including wellness information, a customized session with a counselor, and community support. The below is the link.

• https://wellnesstogether.ca
  

It can be difficult to cook three or more meals a day, although it is true that cooking with our children can be healthy and fun. Life can be unpredictable, sometimes we don't have enough time to cook a nutritious family meal. Backup plans should always be in our pocket to save our day. South Street Burger can provide nutritious meals for the family. The burger patties are 100% fresh Angus beef, made without antibiotics, addictive, hormones, or preservatives. They have whole wheat buns, or gluten-free buns if you want alternative bun choices. Below is the link to South Street Burger Downtown Markham IG and website.

• https://southstburger.com
  
• South St. Burger DT Markham IG
  

Reference

Family Caregiver Alliance, F. (n.d.). 27 things you may not know about women and Caregiving. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://www.caregiver.org/news/27-things-you-may-not-know-about-women-and-caregiving/

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, U. (2020, December 28). Women, caregiving, and covid-19. Retrieved April 17, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/women/caregivers-covid-19/index.html