While fall is right around the corner, we still have a few more weeks of summer. That means we still have a few more weeks of heat! Children, much like older adults are a little more susceptible to the heat compared to you as a typical adult. It is important that when it comes to your child’s early childhood learnings, they learn about sun and summer safety. This will help them create habits that will help them when they get older and prevent skin cancer, heat related illness and dangerous tumbles.
Sunscreen
When it comes to the first battle of summer weather, sunscreen is the main defense. Using sunscreen of at least SPF 15 will help protect your child from many other issues that may come down the road. A bad sunburn is painful so trying to avoid that with your little one will help them stay comfortable in the heat, but it will also help protect them from the rays that cause skin cancer which they could develop from too much UV ray exposure. Sunscreen must be applied before leaving the home for it to work correctly and reapplied due to the directions and your child’s activity level. It is important that you pay attention to the time and reapply when you need to.
Do not for any reason leave anyone in the car
This is a hot topic with the heat climbing steadily every day. When you park your car, the temperature inside climbs drastically, especially if you are parked in the sun. Inside a closed car, even with windows cracked on a 90-degree day, the temperature could easily climb to over 100 degrees. Many adults would not be able to handle the temperatures so no child would be able to handle the temperatures of a car parked for an extended period of time. Many areas are actually making laws allowing civilians to break windows should they see anything because of the dangers that are associated with it.
Pay attention to the weather and try to get to the park early or in the evening
Check the weather daily because weather changes in an instant. While you may have checked the night before and it seemed like the day wouldn’t be too bad to go out in the afternoon but if it is too hot your little one will play hard and not notice should they start suffering from heat related illnesses. Children have the tendency to play hard and not stop until they have to. So it is best to plan outside activities for morning or evening times when the sun is not directly overhead and they are less likely to get sunburns or heat related illnesses.
Bug spray
Anywhere you go mosquitoes and other bugs are everywhere. It is important that you remember with the exposure to bugs like ticks and mosquitoes you and your children are exposed to a number of illnesses, like Lyme disease, Zika and West Nile. These illnesses are relatively new and the treatments are expensive when there is one. It is best to take preventative methods and make sure that your kiddos are bug sprayed up.
Know the signs
When it comes to any summer fun, know the signs of heat related illness in your kids. Kids are more susceptible than adults to dehydration and heat related illness so pay attention to the symptoms of both.
Dehydration
- Fatigue
- Thirst
- Lack of energy
- Feeling overheated
Dehydration can then lead to heat related illness such as:
Heat Exhaustion
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Muscle pain
Heat Stoke
- Temperature of 104
- Seizures
- Nausea
- Disorientation
- Shortness of breath
- Lack of sweating
Pay close attention for these symptoms in your child and plan to be proactive with your child. Ensure that they do not play too hard, they are protected wearing cool breathable clothing and allow them to drink plenty of water. Early childhood tends to allow a child to think they can do it all, when sometimes, you need to watch them because they will not always tell you what is going on.
