This week we’ve been basking in a heatwave, with forecasters predicting this weekend could reach a staggering 109f (43c), which would be the highest July temperature ever recorded in the UK.
As temperatures have soared this week, so too have social media memes about not wanting to work and being unable to sleep. But while a heatwave can be uncomfortable for adults, it can even more uncomfortable for young children. Babies and children can’t control their body temperatures as well as adults during hot weather because they don’t sweat as much, so they’re more likely to become dehydrated. However, as well as keeping children in the shade and offering them plenty of water, there are plenty of other ways to help them in a heatwave.
When it comes to sleep, the most popular piece of advice from @thejuggleuk followers goes against what most of us have been doing all week: 'Despite wanting to throw open all their windows, during a heatwave it’s actually better to keep their windows and curtains/blinds closed during the day,' one of you told us, when we put a call out for the best heatwave hacks for kids. 'This means their room is cooler when they go to bed at night.’ Other hacks for sleeping in a heatwave include, ‘put reusable ice packs under their bedsheets’, ‘get their pillowcase, put it in a bag and then in the freezer, for a cool bedtime’, ‘pop their muslin blanket in the freezer before bed’ and ‘get a fan for bedtime’.
When it comes to what foods and drinks to give your children, you had plenty of tips: ‘Give them watermelon, which has been kept in the fridge,’ said one. 'Frozen berries are great for keeping them cool’ and ‘put ice cubes in their water bottles’ said others. For the garden you suggested: ‘Treat them to a paddling pool and fill it with very cold water and don’t add any hot. This equals one cold 5-year-old!’ Or, ‘Put your sprinkler on and let them run through it’
Finally, if all else fails: ‘Rinse a flannel with cold water, wring it out, and put it on their forehead throughout the day,' and **‘**Keep their baby wipes in the fridge’.