COVID-19 Survival Guide: How To Keep Your Family Safe And Engaged During The Pandemic

Singapore is back to Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), which means we’ll be spending a bit more time at home. But even with the new restrictions, we can still make it through this pandemic and ensure our family’s safety.

To help you prepare well for Phase 2HA, we’ve made the ultimate Covid-19 safety at home guide for you and your kids.

Support not only your family but the entire community as well by doing your bit in keeping safe during these times!

COVID-19 Family Survival Guide: Safety At Home For You And The Kids

Grocery Shopping & Food Delivery

Given the heightened restrictions, many of us won’t be able to go for our regular shopping spree or even dine-in as a whole family.

But this doesn’t mean we’re completely hopeless when it comes to the necessary resources. Especially, since practically everything we need is already available online for delivery, specifically food.

From grocery shopping to indulging your cravings, there are various delivery services in Singapore that can bring everything right to your doorstep.

This way, you can ensure safety at home, as well as get everything delivered with the click of a button!  

Online Grocery Shopping

To save you the trouble of having to wait in line at supermarkets (owing to social distancing) and lugging back home bags of groceries, why not have them delivered instead?

Here are some of the best online grocery shopping delivery services in Singapore you can count on:

Food Delivery Services

While home-cooked meals are the best, sometimes you just want to wind down and order takeout after a long day.

Even if the whole family can’t dine-in together given the new restrictions, you can bring your favourite restaurants to your home instead! For the best food delivery services, here’s who to call:

Aside from these, you can also contact the restaurant of your choice to see if they have their own delivery services. This way you can indulge in some of your cravings and still ensure safety at home for your kids!

Halal Food Delivery

There are also plenty of places that can deliver halal food to your doorstep.

To keep the safety at home for you and your kids, here are halal food delivery services that can save you from going out during P2HA.

Confinement Food Delivery Caterers

It isn’t easy bringing a child into the world that stands still due to a pandemic. Even with the current safety measures in place, it is advisable for new mums to always prioritise their health for the sake of their newborn.

If you are also in the confinement stage of parenthood, but don’t have the time to cook confinement food and want to satisfy your cravings, worry not, we have you covered.

There are many confinement food delivery caterers that can help you fully recovery. Have freshly prepared meals delivered to you during this special bonding time.

• Chilli Padi Catering 
  Package Price: $1,688 for 28 days (lunch and dinner), $468 for 7 days (lunch and dinner), $30 for trial and others
  Contact: +65 6914 9900 or email at confinement@chillipadi.com.sg
  Website
• Confinement Meals by YÀN 
  Package Price: Lunch and Dinner – $478 for 7 days and $1,688 for 28 days, $35 for trial (lunch or dinner) and others
  Contact: +65 6384 5585 or +65 9769 4283 (WhatsApp)
  Website
• Happy Mummy 
  Package Price: Lunch and Dinner – $1,598 for Standard Package, $1,888 for Classic Package, $2,198 for Premium Package and others
  Contact: +65 8429 8871 or email at admin@happy-mummy.com
  Website
• Mama J’s Confinement Food Singapore
  Package Price: $1788 for 30 days
  Trial meal available
  Fill up a form in their Instagram page
• NannySOS 
  Package Price: $1,680 for 28 days (lunch and dinner), $430 for 7 days (lunch and dinner), $35 for a trial meal (lunch or dinner) and others
  Contact: +65 6817 2479 or email at admin@nannysos.com.sg 
  Website
• Noor Confinement Singapore 
  Package Price:
  Package A Lunch AND dinner (from $42o) – depending on the time period 
  Package B Economic Lunch OR dinner (from $270) – depending on the time period
  Contact: +65 9823 6427
• NouRiche
  Package Price: Regular Lunch and Dinner – $1,688 for 28 days, $478 for 7 days and others
  Contact: +65 6261 4600 or email at sales@richfoodsg.com
  Website
• Sizzling Dyyana 
  Package Price: Lunch and Dinner – $1,300 for 30 days, $450 for 10 days, $45 for trial
  Contact: +65 8222 3105 (Whatsapp)
• Thomson Confinement Food Home Delivery 
  Package Price: $1,920 for 28 days (lunch and dinner), for $613 for 7 days, $68 for trial meal and others
  Contact: +65 6511 1183 / 6350 8848
  Website
• Tian Wei Signature
  Package Price: Lunch and Dinner – $478 for 7 days and $1,688 for 28 days, $35 for trial (lunch or dinner) and others
  Contact: +65 6727 5599
  Website

Home-Based Learning

As more schools turn to home-based learning as a safety measure, you’re going to need all the resources to ensure your child gets to study efficiently even while at home. 

This is especially necessary for parents who are currently juggling work-from-home and homeschooling. 

To better prepare yourself in supporting your child’s school journey through sudden home-based learning announcements, here are a few tips that could help:

• Set up an hour-by-hour daily schedule 

Aside from ensuring safety at home for your kids, you can also make sure they stay productive throughout the day. It’s normal for a child to feel restless while being cooped up at home instead of playing outside with their peers.

But if you create a daily routine for them to follow, they would be kept busy and entertained while you work. With a regular schedule each day at home, your child will be able to manage their time and accomplish their daily tasks.

• Get to know your child’s learning style

Understanding your child’s learning style will enable you to find out ways you can help them study at home. There are 7 learning styles in total but do note that most kids have a combination of two or three learning styles.

Remember that each child is different including your own, so it would also help you greatly to understand how your child understands and takes in knowledge.

Make home-based learning effective and fun for your little one by knowing these 7 learning styles:

1. Visual learners
   Children who are visual learners prefer to study through sight. They learn concepts more easily through pictures, images, diagrams, and other visual aids.
2. Auditory learners
   If your child is more of an auditory learner, this means they learn best by listening. You can help them study more efficiently by reading aloud or by listening to music, audiobooks and instructional materials.
3. Verbal learners
   Being the most flexible and well-rounded learners, children who learn best verbally have a love for both words and sounds. They can enjoy learning through either listening or reading by themselves. 
4. Physical learners
   Hands-on activities and visits to museums are the best for physical learners. This is because they love to learn through touch and movement which can still be possible at home with the ‘right atmosphere’.
5. Logical learners
   Kids who are logical learners like to calculate and think things through before they say or do anything. They tend to use logic more when learning which makes them excel in math and sciences.
6. Child’s personality style
   It’s also important to understand your child’s personality and attitude towards learning. Find out if they are social learners who like to interact with peers while studying or if they prefer to learn in solitary.

• Create a fun and conducive study space for your child

Ensure safety and productiveness  for your kids at home by giving them a nurturing environment to learn. It’s important to create a conducive workspace for your child at home with the relevant tools for home-based learning.

Not only do they need to have all the necessary setup for their online learning, but it should also be comfortable for them to spend a large part of their day.

It doesn’t have to be anything grand just as long as you get to provide them with some of the following:

1. Study table and chair
2. Laptop and mouse
3. Internet connection
4. Tablet
5. Laptop stand (if necessary)

• Free online classes and resources

As more students and their parents result in homeschooling given the current situation, online courses and resources have become available to help in learning with the safety at home for kids. 

While not all are based on Singapore’s academic curriculum, these FREE online classes can surely help parents provide their children with the necessary learning materials.

There are various courses available from Reading and Literature, Maths, Science, History as well as Arts and Culture. 

• Fun learning activities for younger kids

There are also many fun home-based learning activities for kindergartners and primary schoolers.

If you’re worried about your little one spending too much time in front of the tablet or television sets, you can try to engage them in activities such as:

1. I Spy
   One person thinks of an object while the other players try to guess what they’re thinking of. The person can give hints by describing the object and starting with “I spy…”
2. Treasure Hunt
   Hide “treasure” somewhere around the house and draw up a map so your child can start exploring to find what you hid.
3. Balancing Act
   Balance different objects above your head and walk across the room without letting them fall. You can even make it a race!

Home Entertainment

While we won’t be able to travel or go out as much with the new restrictions, you can still have loads of fun together at home!

From catching up on your favourite TV shows or playing games together, you can still ensure safety at your home for your kids with these indoor activities.

• Stream your favourite movies and TV shows

With the convenience of various streaming services available in Singapore such as Netflix and Disney+, you can gather together in the living room and watch an entire movie together.

Close the lights and pop some popcorn to get that authentic feel of an actual cinema. 

• Work out as a family

It’s also good to stay active as we spend so much time at home. While it doesn’t have to be any strenuous workout, you can do some regular exercise routines with the kids to keep them moving even while indoors.

You can also take part in physical activities together to keep your bodies healthy together!

• Compete in family board games

Playing board games is a great family bonding activity while we’re all cooped up at home.

To help you ensure safety at home for your kids while also keep them entertained without needing a screen, here are some of the best family board games you can play together:

1. Hape Shark Fishery
2. Busytown, Eye Found It
3. Frog Party
4. Shopping list Memory game
5. Karuba
6. Pandemic
7. Election Night! Boardgame
8. Hasbro Risk game
9. Monopoly

• Stay productive through video games

Video games do have their benefits for your child’s problem-solving skills and holistic development. Plus, if you play together then you also get to monitor their screentime.

It’s also better for them to keep their brains active while playing instead of just staring at the screen while they watch movies. 

There are many video games that can help with your child’s growth while also have great fun as a family. Some of which are the following:

1. Minecraft
2. TowerFall
3. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
4. Rocket League
5. Super Mario 3D World

Managing Health And Wellness

Gathering all our resources on Covid-19, we’ve listed down everything you need to know to ensure safety at home for your kids during the pandemic.

Let us do our best to guard ourselves against the virus and not compromise our family’s health and well-being. 

Staying Safe From Covid-19

As more community cases have come to light recently, read more about what experts have to say about Covid-19 and how you can prevent getting infected.

These include how the virus could affect both you and your kids. 

• Avoid Bringing COVID-19 Home With This Doctor’s Comprehensive Checklist
• COVID-19: Disinfecting Guidelines to Remove Nasties Effectively at Home
• COVID-19: Must Know FAQs For Parents Of School-going Children
• 6 Tips To Prepare Your Child For Easy COVID-19 Testing
• Allergies Vs. COVID-19 Symptoms – Which is Which?

Information About The Covid-19 Vaccine

With the Ministry of Health‘s (MOH) efforts in encouraging all Singaporeans to receive the vaccine, the Covid-19 vaccination programme has already administered a total of 7,130,781 doses as of 24 July 2021.

This is with 3,020,766 who are now completely vaccinated and 4,230,379 who have at least received their first jab. 

To learn more about why it’s important you get vaccinated and become aware of possible side effects, here is what you should know about the Covid-19 vaccines.

• Why Don’t They Inject Into Your Butt? We Ask A GP All Our Burning Questions About The Covid-19 Vaccine
• Ong Ye Kung Answered FAQs On The Covid-19 Situation And Reassured Parents
• FAQs: Breastfeeding During And Post COVID-19 Vaccination (Dos And Don’ts)
• COVID-19 Vaccine For Children: What We Do And Don’t Know Today
• How Long Do COVID Vaccines Take To Start Working?

What You Should Know About The Covid-19 Variants

Not only should we know about the coronavirus, but we should also be informed about its recent variants as well.

As these have even taken effect on children, it is better to be informed of its varying symptoms and what makes it different from the traditional Covid-19. 

• New B1617 Coronavirus Strain: This Is What Is Attacking Children In Singapore
• The Symptoms Of The Delta Variant Appear To Differ From Traditional COVID Symptoms
• Why The New COVID-19 Strain Is Attacking Children: What Parents Must Know

The Best Face Masks To Use

Multi-ministry task force co-chair Lawrence Wong has previously urged Singaporeans to wear masks with better filtration capability to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones.

MOH adds that masks with good filtration capability are single-use or reusable mask that has at least 95% bacterial filtration efficiency.

The ministry also recommends surgical masks and reusable masks that are at least made with two layers of fabric. 

• Best Face Masks With High Filtration Efficiency: A Helpful Guide For Parents
• Where To Buy Surgical, N95 Masks In Singapore
• Reusable Face Masks for Kids That Are Worth The Purchase
• How Often Do You Wash Your Face Mask? Here’s What Happens When You Don’t

With reports from Jia Ling, Sameer C and Darla Noble.

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