5 WAYS TO CARE FOR KIDS IN VERY HOT WEATHER
I woke up this morning to my friend’s call; she wanted to know what to do with her eight-month old baby who had heat rashes and running nose. We had quite a chat discussing the heat wave of the past couple of days, it’s been quite hot! I saw a meme on Instagram that placed Nigeria as the ‘planet’ closest to the sun instead of Mercury (I am tempted to agree at this point!).
This weather might be even more difficult for children, especially babies that don’t talk yet, they would tend to get quite cranky and uncomfortable, so how do we protect and care for kids in this weather?
WATER
The need to stay hydrated in this weather cannot be overemphasised, for kids and adults alike. Give them a lot of water to drink throughout the day. Being kids, they might not initiate this themselves, especially if you have a child that doesn’t like drinking water, they would tend to desire more sugar drinks than water, so mommy would have to help strike a balance. Their skin also needs to stay hydrated, so it’s better if their body cream is water-based.
COMFORTABLE CLOTHING
Comfortable clothing in this weather are clothes made of breathable fabrics; fabrics that allow air in and let your skin “breathe”. Cotton is one of these fabrics; it’s lightweight, breathable and soft, so it lets the heat out and allows you stay cool. It’s also a great option because there are tons of trendy kids clothing made from cotton, so you don’t have to let go of quality or your kid’s style because of the weather. It is however quite absorbent so it might get soaked and heavy if your child perspires a lot like my friend’s baby.
Other options are linen, rayon and surprisingly denim. Denim is great because it is made from very tightly woven cotton, so it is breathable and sweat absorbent but because it is not really a lightweight fabric, you might want to go for chambray, it’s like faux denim, just more lightweight.
FRUITS
Watermelon, mango, papaya, pineapple, plum, and strawberries are great fruit options in hot weather. Giving your kids fruits doesn’t just nourish their bodies with water, it also gives their bodies lots of vitamins (with amazing fruity flavours). My daughter doesn’t really like fruits so I chop them into tiny bits and serve it to her in a bowl, shaped like a ladybird with tiny ladybird images all over it (that’s her favourite insect), so it’s fun for her to eat up the tiny bits and find the huge lady bird painted inside the bowl.
REGULATE THE TEMPERATURE
Staying indoors in the hot afternoons is a better option for kids until the weather changes. I know there’s a temptation to turn the AC temperature control too low or the fan’s too high, but the key action here is to regulate it, to avoid adding a case of running nose or chest congestion to the hot weather.
ASK FOR HELP
This solution is fail proof. It’s always better to ask for help. Ask a nutritionist/Doctor for the best meals for the weather, ask your kids’ clothing store for style recommendations for the season and you’re on your way to ensuring that the heat wave passes without unwanted events and of course, you’re sure to keep your kids happy as well.
