Laura has shared these great tips which helped her child cope with the recent hot weather
I have found the extreme heat particularly stressful as my 6 year old son, Arthur, overheats far more quickly than other children. We have found the following very helpful:
1. Freeze drinks including school water bottles. Arthur loves shaking the icy water and the cool water is very refreshing.
2. Soak t-shirt in cool water, squeeze the excess out before putting it on your child. On the hottest days this really helped. Also providing a wet flannel to wipe over the face and head helps.
3. Use cotton fabric. This is easy at home but not so simple at school. With the support of the Head Teacher I swapped the polyester school polo shirt with a white cotton t shirt and the polyester shorts with cotton shorts. I also swapped black school shoes with lightweight plimsoles.
4. Use a fan all night. Arthur loves the white noise! Also provide a wet flannel as above :)
5. Go for food with high liquid content. I.e. plenty of milk on cereal, fresh fruit, plenty of sauce on pasta, ice lollies, jelly etc. Provide a frozen carton of apple juice with school packed lunch. This is in addition to the water bottle and will encourage your child to take on more fluids.
We are hugely relieved that the hot weather has subsided but feel a little more confident now we have a few tools up our sleeve :)