As the temperatures rise with each passing day, your kid’s irritability increases and your own ability to cope with the soaring mercury hits an all time low! So what do you do to ensure a cool and healthy summer for yourself and your kids? Here are a few handy tips:
• Heat affects everyone’s appetite and your kids are no exception. Try to keep their meals light and don’t insist on finishing their usual ‘quota’. This is the time to enjoy the chilled summer fruits like watermelon, mangoes, grapes, strawberries etc. Indulge in exotic milk shakes, lassi, mango panna and ice-creams and don’t fuss too much over regular meals.
• Keep them well hydrated at all times. They should be drinking lot of water at regular intervals to prevent dehydration and sluggishness. Ensure that they carry a water bottle to school every day or whenever they go out. Explain to them that their bodies lose water due to excessive sweating in summers, so they need to replenish it by drinking more water.
• Use a good sunscreen of atleast SPF 20 when they go outside even if its not a sunny day. Have kids wear hats and sunglasses if they feel comfortable. It’s a great way to protect the ears, head, neck and eyes from sun exposure as these areas are more susceptible to sun damage.
• Try to keep them indoors as much as possible and think of innovative ideas to keep them occupied. For example, you can bring out the squirt guns that you’ve kept away since Holi and let them have a water war! All you need to do is set boundaries so they don’t end up soaking your furniture or the carpet. And when you want the war to end, offer them some ice-lollies made from their favourite fruit juice!
• Take them swimming or enroll them in a swimming class. It’s the best outdoor activity for kids in the hot weather. However, make sure you follow the basics of pool hygiene else many kids end up having ear infections and other ailments.
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Insist they have a shower every night or better still, have a story time in the wading pool or bath tub. This will cool them down before sleep time and they will have an easy and comfortable sleep.