While many of us are topping up our tans and delighting in the perfect barbecue weather. For children, sudden heatwaves can be a challenge. Many parents too find it difficult to keep their children cool in sweltering weather so we asked our experienced nanny team to give their top tips for happy children on hot days.
Create a breeze
One of our top nanny candidates says that a key trick is to create a breeze in the house. Open all the windows to create a draught and then pull the curtains three-quarters of the way across. Lower blinds two-thirds of the way, to gain shade. If you have a loft hatch, open it to allow heat to escape through the roof. This can make all the difference to getting a good night’s sleep.
Use a room thermometer
Your house will vary from room to room. So put a thermometer in each child’s sleeping room. This helps you know that you’ve dressed the child appropriately for the night. Try to do without waterproof mattress covers and/or bulky night pants where possible as both create sweating. But where necessary, dress the child in light cotton clothing to soak up any night sweat. A simple but effective trick is to put bowls of ice in front of room fans so that they blow cooled air around the room.
Stay cool
It’s worth winding down the evening routine even earlier than usual. Even quite old children will definitely be flagging by 6pm. This is the time to get them indoors doing something cooling. One of our executive nannies gets the children to help prepare fruit for a huge luscious night-time smoothie. Lovely smoothie made with frozen bananas, strawberries and coconut water, all of which help calm and relax children and add to night time hydration. Keeping damp muslin squares in the fridge is a wonderful way to help children who wake in the night. Just lay the square on their brow for an instant relaxer. A drop of lavender or chamomile oil added to the water in which you dampen the muslin. This is an added benefit.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Children are sensitive to even small reductions in body fluid volume so it’s important to keep them well-hydrated. Offering cool (but not icy water) every half hour is a good idea. The problem with iced water is that it can drop the temperature dramatically. The child ‘feels’ cooler but doesn’t actually drink enough to re-hydrate. One of our Emirates-based nanny placements suggests having a special beaker or water bottle for each child and checking how much they drink throughout the day. It’s an easy way to check the minimum intake and a clever nanny can always quickly add up the volume of other drinks taken during the day to ensure each child is drinking adequate amounts.
SPF is your friend
A minimum of SPF 30 is necessary – SPF 50 is better, and should be applied 30 minutes before doing into the sun and every couple of hours thereafter. A good sun umbrella will have its own SPF rating. An SPF 50 sunshade ensures that children sitting under it are completely protected from the sun.
If you’re worried about your baby dealing with summer heat, please read the Maternity Nurse Company Guide to Newborns and Heat.