Covid stage one is here..

Restrictions are lifting, and parts of our lives are slowly returning to "normal". But what does that really mean? In a social media post this week, we shared the quote "in the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to." It really get's you thinking doesn't it?!

As a speech pathologist, one of the questions I am often asked is “What toys will help my child talk?” The toys that I have included are many of my “must-haves” for working with children, as well as those that I regularly use within therapy, and that my own young children play with at home.

Is anyone else finding the Covid restrictions and isolation hard? Us too! We have put together a few ideas below that have helped us. We hope you will find them helpful too!

With colder months arriving, lamb shanks are the perfect meal for those cold, winter evenings. They’re also perfect for days when you’re busy, because you can put this on in the morning, and a gorgeous, nourishing meal is ready for you at the end of the day. I particularly love lamb shanks because they are one of the cheaper cuts, but when cooked long and slow, are one of the sweeter parts of the lamb – and when paired with the perfect red wine, make for an enjoyable winter’s meal.

Our Psychologist Ailsa answers your questions below about alcohol use and Covid-19.

1. Are you surprised that alcohol consumption has increased among Australians during the pandemic?

2. Why is this dangerous?

3. What are some strategies to help lower/take control of consumption?

Remember when I said that we had big things coming this year? This was not what I meant.

If you read my last blog, you will recall that I outlined a list of changes happening within our practice to manage Covid-19. Since my last blog, things have changed again considerably, so I thought it might be a good idea to share another update with you all.

What a day! What a week! What a year! 2020 is really something isn’t it?

I am not sure about you, but over the last week or two, there haven’t been many conversations in my life that haven’t related to Covid-19. Never have we faced a situation quite like this before. It all feels quite surreal!

With all of the talk about the Coronavirus at the moment, our stress levels as a community are high. You cannot turn on the TV or radio without hearing the latest headlines about Coronavirus.

Our kids are not immune to this. They may hear stories on the news, or from their friends at school. This can be scary and confusing for them.

To all of our valued clients,

We appreciate the growing concern and uneasiness that some of you may be feeling towards the COVID-19 outbreak. If you were worried about whether your care can continue with us through this period, please rest assured we are still open and ready to look after you.

This month the MHC family are focusing on going back-to-school and all that it entails from school lunches to separation anxiety. In this blog I would like to discuss what parents need to look out for in regard to their child’s mental health and how they can help to build resilience in their child and/or children.

Establishing healthy eating patterns with children as they enter school can be really challenging. While school can bring a welcome routine for families, it can also bring stress and anxiety at either end of the day – and this in itself can make it difficult for children to eat. Potentially bearing this in mind – that stress and anxiety can have a huge impact on a child’s willingness or ability to eat – can be really helpful for parents to remember. If we can keep mealtimes calm, then kids are more likely to eat. But if we are hurried and trying to force out kids to eat, then it can discourage them to eat because it makes them more anxious.

1 Have a routine

2 Talk about anxiety

3 Use strategies