*This is a collaborative post.
A lot of people look forward to the summer; they love the hot weather and the sunshine. However, the summer can bring its own risks for those who aren’t prepared for it: sunburn, heatstroke and dehydration, to name but a few. As a mother, the burden often falls to you to make sure that the whole family is looked after. You have a lot of plates to keep spinning when it comes to keeping your family happy and healthy. The hot weather presents some challenges to mothers, so we have put together the following tips, so let’s get into it.
The Importance of Hydration
Making sure that everyone is properly hydrated, including yourself, is arguably one of the easiest ways to protect them from the heat. This sounds deceptively simple, but the truth is that a lot of people struggle with making sure that they are properly hydrated. Adults tend to need between 2.5 to 3.5 litres of water a day. The amount of water that children need is often dependent on a lot of other factors like their age or their height and weight, although you can find resources to help you with this online.
While the above is a good guide, it doesn’t necessarily take into account the temperature. During the warmer months, the body tends to lose fluids more quickly, and so you have to up your intake to make up for this. If your family is outside a lot this summer, you need to make sure that everyone is taking regular hydration breaks. If they are waiting until they are already thirsty, then they are already dehydrated. When encouraging your family to hydrate, it doesn’t always have to be water; sports drinks that contain electrolytes can be a great option.
Avoid drinks that contain caffeine; this means fizzy drinks for the kids or coffee or tea for the adults. They can actually dehydrate you faster by making you need a wee more. Speaking of urine, the colour can actually be a good indicator of whether or not you are dehydrated. Ideally, it should be clear. If it is yellow, then you are dehydrated. You can easily teach this to children, or if they are small enough to need taking to the toilet, you can find out for yourself.
Warm Weather Tips
While hydrating is certainly incredibly important, perhaps the most important tip to dealing with the warm weather, there are others that need to be considered too. Try to encourage everyone in your household to take cool baths and showers, especially after a day out in the sun. When you are planning to spend a day outdoors then, first things first, you need to make sure that everyone is dressed appropriately.
Cool, loose clothing can keep your family’s temperature down without leaving too much skin exposed. The skin that is exposed will need some sun cream applied to it. Hats and sunglasses should also be a part of your warm-weather attire, although it is notoriously difficult to keep things like those on children.
There are a few things that you can do to ensure that your house is summer proof too. You should always make sure that you have enough supplies in the house, for starters. Things like water, food and medications can be affected by power cuts and other issues during a heatwave. The middle of the day tends to be the hottest; during this time, you should close your windows and draw the blinds, this might sound counterproductive, but it helps to keep the heat out. You should also invest in a fan to help keep you cool, too; you should keep it in the family room. While it might be tempting, you should avoid getting a fan for the bedrooms because it can actually disrupt your sleep, so bear that in mind.
High temperatures are uncomfortable for everyone, but they can be dangerous to some, too – especially the elderly. Be sure to take some time to check in on your elderly family members to make sure that they are coping well in the heat. In order to mitigate this risk for your family, you should encourage everyone to stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, which is midday.
You may also want to encourage them to cut down on physical activity too, especially if it takes place outside in the sunshine. The risk is significantly lowered if you are exercising in an air-conditioned indoor space. Some medications can also increase your risk so make sure that you have consulted the list of side effects or spoken with your GP if you are concerned.
Finally, you also need to consider what electronic items you are using outside in the sun. This is often not something that a lot of people think about. However, it is necessary to do so. Things that rely on a battery can be severely affected by the heat, think phones, tablets, kids toys and even vapes. When left outside in the sun, the battery can heat up, which can damage the product itself and cause a fire hazard. Bare this in mind. Wherever possible, you should leave these electronics inside or in the shade.
Spotting the Signs of Heat Exhaustion
Keeping cool in the summer heat is not simply an exercise in comfort. It can also help you prevent many heat-related health issues like heat stroke or exhaustion, which occurs as the body’s natural response to dehydration and a lack of salt. In the worst-case scenario, these issues can prove fatal. You need to know the symptoms in order to know when to seek treatment. Keep an eye out for any of the following symptoms, headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, excess sweating, feeling faint, muscle cramps and low blood pressure. If you experience these symptoms or spot them in a member of your family, then it is paramount that you get out of the sun or get them out of the sun. Fluids and rest are then recommended.
If this doesn’t prove effective, then you could try an ice bath. Ice baths are the quickest way to cool someone down, but getting a bathtub full of ice is not always possible. A cold bath can help in lieu of ice. If their temperature doesn’t begin to drop, then you need to seek medical attention for them immediately. You should call an ambulance if their temperature is excessively high, or if their pulse is racing, agitation and confusion can also be signs of heatstroke, as can slurred speech, seizures or a loss of consciousness.
Don’t Forget Your Furry Friends
Your pets are as much a part of your family as your kids, and they need looking after in the heat too. Domestic pets like cats and dogs, unlike humans, don’t sweat. They struggle to regulate their temperature, so they need a close eye on them to ensure that they are okay after exposure to the heat. You should never leave a pet in a car on a hot day for any length of time; it can be fatal for them.
Taking proper care of your pets in the heat isn’t difficult; it simply requires a little bit of thought. For example, when it comes to walking your dog, in the summer, you should do your best to walk them in the early morning or the evening when the temperature is lower. If you are unsure whether it is too warm, then it probably already is. You could also try placing your hand on the pavement; if you cannot comfortably hold your hand on the pavement for twenty seconds, then you should not take your dogs out on it otherwise, they could suffer from burns to their paws.
Both cats and dogs tend to enjoy a sleep in the sun in the garden, but it can be to their detriment because they aren’t as good at regulating their temperature. Pets do die from heat exhaustion, so it is so important that you are vigilant. Look for signs that they are suffering. They might be panting excessively, they may also appear disorientated, and you might see them breathing more quickly or noisily. Their gums might be red or bluish in colour, and they might begin to vomit or have diarrhoea.
If you see any of these symptoms exhibited by your pet, then you need to get them to a vet as soon as possible. Without treatment, these issues can become life-threatening. Heat exhaustion can affect all pets, but some are more likely to suffer than others. For example, there are some breeds of dog, typically those with a shorter snout, like pugs or bulldogs, which are a lot more susceptible to heat-related issues.
In Conclusion
As a mother, it often falls to you to look after all other members of your family. They are your responsibility, after all. Each season presents its own challenges, but summer is often overlooked because everyone is instead focused on enjoying the nice weather. Looking after your family in the heat isn’t necessarily difficult; it simply requires a little consideration and common sense. Remember to use the tips presented above to keep your family safe and happy this summer.
