HIV and your responsibilities as a parent & nanny!

By admin | Published: October 23, 2009

What you can and can’t do as a nanny with HIV.

  • You can cook food, look after children, and do all your normal work.
  • People can only get infected with HIV if sexual fluids or blood enter their bodies, so there is no danger to your employer’s family.
  • Your employer must make sure that there is a first aid box in the house.
  • This box must have rubber gloves, plasters and bandages in case you need to help a child who has a cut, or if you have cut yourself.
  • If you have any open cuts or wounds, you must cover them with a plaster or bandage.
  • If blood spills on the ground, use rubber gloves and clean it with bleach.
  • If you go outdoors for a walk or to the park, please pack a small first aid kit as the child may hurt itself outside and bleed. To read more about the labour laws and an employer/nannies rights concerming HIV/AIDS please read this short presentation – Domestic-Worker-AIDS-Law or our FAQ”s for parents regarding HIV.
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Implementation of new vaccine, Prevenar, at primary healthcare facilities

By admin | Published: August 27, 2009

15 July 2009
Pneumonia and diarrhoea are worldwide public health problems and together account for about half the deaths in children below the age of five. Studies indicate that in South Africa, pneumonia related deaths in children less than five years of age have increased, killing more children than any other illnesses such as malaria and measles combined. Deaths account for almost 20 per cent worldwide, with an approximated 85 per cent of these occurring in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Invasive pneumococcal diseases which include pneumonia, meningitis and bacteraemia are a major cause of disease in the world. The burden of pneumococcal disease and the associated deaths is even higher in HIV infected individuals.

To combat the spread of invasive pneumococcal disease in infants; the National Department of Health has added a new vaccine, Prevenar, to the immunisation schedule in the country. Prevenar was distributed to primary health care facilities in the Western Cape and implemented from 01 July 2009, to continue in the following manner:

  • Six week old infants will receive their first dose of the vaccine
  • A second dose at 14 weeks will be received by these infants and
  • A third and last dose at nine months.

Contact: Sithembiso Magubane Cell: 073 662 5482
Issued by: Department of Health, Western Cape Provincial Government 15 July 2009
Source: Department of Health, Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.capegateway.gov.za)

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How to clean less and play more

By admin | Published: August 27, 2009

How to Clean Less and Play More

Mom Blogger Shares Tips for Maximum Organization in Mininum Time
– By Stephanie O’Dea, BabyFit Contributor

I like things clean.

But I don’t really like cleaning. I notice that our family runs more smoothly when there is order and stability in our home. The kids are better behaved when their living space is organized and they know where their things belong.

I love being able to spontaneously invite friends over without fear of dirty dishes throughout the kitchen, wet towels on the bathroom floor, or unmade beds.

I like being able to shrug when the kids lick spilled crumbs from the floor (will the playing-cat-game ever get old?).

I like that we can plan outings on the weekend rather than spend precious free time cleaning up after a way-too-busy week.

I like that the laundry is manageable and not overwhelming.

But I still don’t like cleaning.

Instead, I prefer to do a little bit every day (or have someone else do it!) so I never spend a day inside cleaning when I could be out and about having fun. I have chosen to Clean Less and Play More.

Our family has a small list of chores we do daily: rain or shine. The Daily 7 for a Highly Successful Household (stay tuned for that article, BabyFit moms!) came about after a family brainstorming meeting. We realized that in order to keep our family (read: ME) happy, we needed to each take responsibility to help keep the house in running order.

Our house isn’t spotless. It isn’t pristine. But it is clean.

There are a few things to keep in mind when Cleaning Less and Playing More:

  • if it isn’t dirty, don’t clean it
  • if you do a little bit every day, it won’t get overwhelming
  • if you get it out, put it away
  • you are in charge of your own stuff
  • help each other
  • children learn by example
  • don’t expect your home to look like a magazine spread. This is real life
  • if you have too much stuff, it’s time to PROM (Purge, Remove, Organize, Maintain)
  • don’t bring stuff home unless you know where it’s going to go
  • changing habits takes time

The beauty of the Clean Less, Play More methodology is how easy it is to get back on track when Real Life happens. If you take or have to take the day off, you can rest easy knowing that your home isn’t going to get horribly out of hand because it’s tended to regularly.

I promise that once you get a hold of the daily, weekly, monthly, and sporadic chores, you’ll have much more time to do the things you want to do. You’ll have the time to update the scrapbooks, do crafts, read fun-for-you books, and sleep.

Mmm. Sleep.

Stephanie O’Dea is the author of Make it Fast, Cook it Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking. She blogs at totallytogetherjournal.com and crockpot365.blogspot.com.

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