With summer finally making an appearance, it’s often a worry for parents how to keep little ones cool during hot weather – let’s face it, we’re not usually faced with this dilemma in the UK!
Take a look at some top tips on how to keep your baby/young children cool during the heatwave…
1. Dress your little one appropriately
With my little one’s room temperate soaring at 27 degrees and rising (and with ours no better) it’s a no-brainier that no one will want pj’s on this evening! Guidelines suggest, if the room is over 25 degrees, and remains that way all night, then just a nappy will suffice. If the room is between 20-23 degrees a short-sleeved baby grow or shorts and t-shirt set and thin cotton sheet/ 1 tog sleep sack should do the trick.
2. Create a breeze…
During the day, keep all the windows open to circulate air upstairs, but remember to keep the blinds/curtains partially drawn to avoid the sun glaring in and heating up the room further!
3. A nice cool bath…
What better way to ‘unstick’ before bed then a nice cool bath for you little one – this will be lovely and refreshing right before bedtime and help drop your little’uns temperate. Make it quick though so they don’t get too nippy!
4. Check the thermometer…
If you don’t already have one, they are a super investment – it’s a great peace of mind so you know what temperate you’re dealing with and how to dress children appropriately.
5. Ice. ice, baby…
A nifty little trick is to place large bottles of frozen water in your little ones room before bedtime… as the ice melts during the night, it will help lower the temperate in their room.
6. A fan of this one…
If like me, you just think fans blow around hot air… give them a helping hand by placing frozen water bottles or bowls of ice water in front of them the cool the air they circulate.
7. Set them up for the night…
It’s good to remember that although the temperate in their room may be 27 degrees at 7pm… it’s most likely going to drop by 3am! And… in an attempt to decrease night time wakings… set them up for the whole night. A quick check when you go to bed, and perhaps adding a light cotton sheet should do the trick!
8. Try a ‘boobsickle’… yes you heard right!
If you’re breastfeeding, a top tip is to express some milk into lolly molds and let your little one happily suck away on their home-made frozen ‘boobsickle!’
9. Regularly check their body temperate…
It’s deceiving to think you should check your little one’s temperate by feeling their hands or feet, this won’t give you an accurate idea due to circulation. Your best bet is to put your hand down their vest and feel their chest/tummy, this will give you a much better idea.
10. One step ahead…
If you’re popping out in the car, go and turn the air con on a little while before you hop in (or open all the windows) – this will help circulate air through so it’s not like stepping into a sauna! Beware of the buckles on baby car seats, they can get red hot! Find a parking spot in the shade too!
If all else fails… slap on some factor 50, jump in the paddling pool (placed in the shade of course) and enjoy the weather… we all know it’ll be short-lived!
