Coronavirus Comic for Kids....LOVE THIS!!!

Hi all,
I posted this way back before we left school.  I really love it and wanted to post again for anyone who missed it previously.

Students are hearing about coronavirus from TV, family, and friends.  The following is a link to an awesome comic for kids that will help to educate and reassure kids. 

Please Please Please click the link and consider making the comic book with your kids, if you haven't done so already.   I did it myself and I promise it is not complicated and takes just a minute!

A Comic For Kids:  Exploring the New Coronavirus

Miss you all so very much!  Sending you all a "virtual" hug today!!!

Finding the Right Words to Explain Terrible Things to Your Children

Dear Cozy Lake Family and Friends,
Sometimes it is hard to know the right way to talk to our kids about terrible things happening in the news.  It is especially difficult to be sure you are doing your best to communicate safely, honestly, and appropriately with your children.

The following are wonderful tips to help you better navigate these conversations with more confidence.  I hope you find them useful....

1. Give them facts, and let them lead the discussion.
   Children need simple, honest answers. Avoid hushing your talk when they walk into a room, and never lie. You might say: “The Coronavirus is a type of germ. These germs are very tiny and when they get inside your body, they can make you sick. The germs get in your body through your nose, mouth or eyes. When someone coughs and touches a doorknob, and then you touch the doorknob, those germs might get into your body so it’s helpful to wash our hands a lot.  A rule of thumb? Let them lead the discussion. Too much information can create anxiety.  Answer only what they ask.
2. Give them power — and responsibility.
   Kids do better when they have power. And this is a great time to give it to them. After all, children are proving to be kind of like superheroes in this; their bodies seem to have an extraordinary ability to fight off the coronavirus in ways that some bodies cannot. But with great power comes great responsibility, right? Kids can help their neighbors and loved ones stay safe and healthy if they frequently wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. Remind them to cough or sneeze into their elbows or a tissue. You might tell them that hand-washing is like kryptonite to the coronavirus, and hand-sanitizer is a perfectly good stand-in when they can’t find soap and water.
3. Let them know what to expect.
   The rough part here is we don’t know exactly what to expect in the weeks and months ahead. But we do know some things. We know, for instance,  we’re going to have to find creative ways to pass the time at home. We know that we’ll have to work harder to keep ourselves, and our homes, clean. And we know that Covid-19 can resemble a typical cold and that many people — especially children — have reported only mild symptoms — fever, runny nose and cough.
4. Empathy, empathy, empathy.
   So much good can be done when we allow our kids to express the full range of their emotions, and when we receive those feelings with empathy. If their fears and frustrations are minimized or dismissed, they may show up in other ways — fighting with siblings, throwing tantrums or being generally uncooperative.  It's important to acknowledge your child's thoughts and feelings without judgment or minimizing.
5. Keep your child’s developmental stage and temperament in mind.
   Depending on their ages, stages and temperaments, some children will require more reassurance or more time to transition to changes than others. The situation is unique, and so is your child. Keep your expectations in check. If things go sideways in unexpected ways, it might be a good time to just be supportive and let it go.
6. Try to maintain a normal routine.
   It’s not easy to “stick to routine” when school closures have upended our routines massively. But try to establish a new routine, as best you can. Some kids are frightened and overwhelmed by big changes in their environments. Allow plenty of time for them to adapt to changes.  Sometimes providing a daily calendar or schedule with pictures in advance is all that is needed for successful transition.
7. Model the behavior you want to see.
   Children look to us for guidance and support, especially in trying times. Model a positive confidence about the topic, and stay grounded. That goes for issues like hygiene and social isolation, too. You can’t expect a 6-year-old to wash her hands or a 10-year-old to isolate from his friends if you aren’t modeling that behavior and willing to do the same.
8. Consider adjusting the screen time limits.
   With so many of us working from home, and unable to count on our usual childcare, getting by is a good thing; this isn’t the time to beat ourselves up. If you need to temporarily adjust your screen-time limits, do it. Just be smart about it; if you loosen all the limits around addictive games or programs, those things will be much harder to manage after things calm down. Try to be specific about how much time is allowed and with whom they can communicate. Get ideas online about other things to do with kids that are not screen-related, and remember that they need to run and play. Without school recess, you may want to implement “yard time” to get them moving. Also, if possible, encourage the use of social apps, such as Skype or Facetime, where your kids can interact with others. Social connection is important, especially at a time of social distancing. Virtual playdates may help keep cooped-up kids feeling balanced and sane.
9. Take care of yourself.
   These are anxiety-producing times on a number of levels; parents are shouldering a lot. Be sure to take care of yourself. Turn off the news; too much discouraging news is bad for our health — and our kids’ health. Run a bath; light candles; take a walk or a long afternoon nap; meditate. Look for sensory experiences — pet the dog or cat, flip through a family vacation album, put on some music or bake cookies. Do things that make you feel good and centered. Do whatever you can to calm your own nerves so that you have the ability to handle your children’s difficult questions and challenging behavior.
10. FINALLY......“Take this opportunity to reflect and make some positive changes to your new normal. Slow down and play games, read books, snuggle and cuddle, cook together, authentically connect and play together.”
11. You and your child will get through this — and, if you’re lucky, you may even be a little better for it in the end.

Give Yourself a Break!

Good morning Cozy Families,
I miss you all so very much and think about so many of you often.  I hope you are all staying safe and healthy.  I am certain most of you have had very difficult times of it lately.  We are all different and experience things in our own unique ways, but I am certain each of us are struggling in one way or another.  So, please be patient with yourself right now.  Give yourself a break!

Have you gained weight? Have you lost your sense of humor? Are you impatient with yourself, your kids or others? Are you struggling with fear and uncertainty of what the future will bring? Are you dealing with grief of a loss of a loved one or the loss of your sense of normalcy or the loss of control? Are you tired of social media? Do you miss your extended family? Do you feel lonely?

If yes to any of these questions or if you are struggling in other ways, know you are not alone!  This has effected everyone in some way.  Stop and take a deep breath.  Take a minute to think about how you are dealing with these past few months.  Are your habits helping to put you on a better path to peace and acceptance or do they make things worse?

If you're like me, you have some good habits and some "not so good" habits.  And then days when all the good habits go out the window.   For example, when your mind tells you to reach for an apple, but you tell it to "shut up" while you go and grab a dozen more cookies to go with the pizza and fried chicken you just inhaled!  It is the times like these that I am talking about.  These are the times when you need to give yourself a break.

So, what does giving yourself a break look like?!?  It's all about not badgering yourself.  Keep moving forward.  Find the things that help you stay on the right path and just try to do them more often.  When in doubt, go outside for a quick stroll.   Its a simple, easy way to reprogram your mind.  When we focus our mind on nature, we give our very busy thoughts a break.   Giving our very active minds a rest is really the very best medicine for whatever ails you!

So hang in there, give yourself a break, and when that evil voice is telling you to reach for another oreo, try to grab for an orange instead and get your body outside so your mind can hit the reset button!  Sending you all a "virtual" hug!

MASKS....BE PREPARED NEXT TIME YOU GO OUT...

The following information is directly from the CDC related to the new recommendation to wear a face covering in public. Please read the following carefully.  If you have any questions, be sure to go to the CDC website for further information. 

In case you missed it: the CDC has updated its recommendations for mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic. As new information has emerged about this coronavirus, it’s become clear that not all people who contract it show symptoms – according to CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, up to 25% of people with COVID-19 might be asymptomatic. Because of this, it’s easy for those who don’t actually know they’re infected to spread the virus to others in close proximity, and masks could be a major preventative measure to curb asymptomatic transmission. 

As of late, there has also been a lot of back and forth discussion over whether or not this virus is “airborne” and some research suggests it’s plausible because liquid droplets from sneezing, coughing and even just exhaling can linger in the air longer than originally expected. While experts are circling exact answers to this and other questions, the CDC urges the general public to be on the safe side and take all precautions to protect against coming into contact with this virus.

As a result, the CDC now recommends everyone wear cloth face coverings in public, particularly in places where social distancing is difficult to maintain and opportunities for transmission are high, like pharmacies and grocery stores. Cloth face masks can be routinely washed and re-worn, and are the best addition to social distancing to help slow the spread of COVID-19. 

It’s important to note that these new recommendations are not a substitute for the current stay-at-home orders and social distancing required by some states and the federal government. Per CDC guidelines, it’s still recommended that people maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from one another, avoid social gatherings and stay home as much as possible.

Types of masks 

Cloth masks 

Cloth face coverings or masks are a cost effective way to keep yourself safe, can be made from household items (like an old t-shirt and rubber bands) or bought online, and can be re-washed and worn again. These masks should be worn by the general public to help slow the spread of coronavirus, especially in high-traffic, public areas. These are not recommended when taking care of sick patients as they do not provide adequate protection from repeated exposure to the virus. 

Cloth masks can be vital because they help slow the spread of COVID-19 between people who might have the virus but are asymptomatic and do not know they are infected. Concerns now over those who unknowingly carry coronavirus are high, so shifting to a new social norm – where everyone wears a cloth face mask – is our best line of defense when coupled with social distancing measures.

Some people are opting to reinforce their cloth masks with disposable air filters to make them more effective. The CDC suggests doubling up protection by pairing a bandana with a coffee filter to make it more effective, while some people are sewing masks with filter pockets and using disposable HEPA filters. Reinforcing seems to be a good idea and recent tests have shown HEPA furnace filters and vacuum cleaner bags to be most effective, followed by coffee filters, while scarves and bandanas captured the lowest number of particles. 

At the very least, a simple cloth mask is better than nothing and will capture more particles than wearing nothing at all. 

Surgical Masks

These are single-use, loose-fitting masks meant to be used by those treating someone who is sick and/or suspected of having COVID-19. These masks can effectively block large particles but will not necessarily prevent small particles from being transmitted by coughing or sneezing. Because of supply issues, per the CDC, these should be reserved for healthcare professionals only at this time, as they endure constant exposure to COVID-19.

N-95 Masks

These are heavier-duty, tight-fitting, single-use respirator masks which also remove particles from the air, but filter out at least 95 percent of very small particles. Like surgical masks (but even more important and effective), due to supply concerns, N-95 masks are scarce in supply and should only be reserved for healthcare professionals, as they see repeated exposure to COVID-19.

Donate Masks

If you already have surgical masks or N-95s (or other personal protective equipment) in your possession and would like to donate them to healthcare workers in need, consider using these resources:

Mask Match

PPE Link

Donate Your PPE

Donate to a specific institution

Tips for wearing masks

According to the WHO, the use of these masks should be combined with other measures, such as hand sanitizing and social distancing. Specific recommendations for proper use include: 

• Before putting on a mask, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
• Cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
• Avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
• Replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not reuse masks until they have been washed.
• To remove the mask: remove it from behind – do not touch the front of the mask and clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. 
• Place used cloth masks in a bag or bin until they can be washed with detergent/soap and hot water.