The southern hemisphere is about to enter a long, hot summer, so everyone’s thoughts are moving to summer vacation, beaches, and spending long days outside in the sun. This time of year is really enjoyable, particularly for young children; yet, it is also a risky time due to the risk of heatstroke and dehydration.
Even if they are indoors, young children and elderly people need to be closely monitored to ensure that they do not expose themselves to the sun for an extended period of time and that they drink enough water.
How to Prevent Dehydration in Your Children During the Summer
It is essential to take additional safety measures to protect our young children, and one of these measures is to make certain that they do not spend too much time in the sun, particularly between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., when UV rays are at their strongest. The use of a sunscreen with a pH of at least 30, as well as the donning of a hat with a wide brim, are both essential, but maintaining adequate hydration is of the utmost significance.
This summer, keep your kids from getting dehydrated by following these simple guidelines:
Drink Lots of Water Soft drinks, sports drinks, and fruit juices may be summertime favourites, but they all contain a lot of sugar, which can cause children’s bodies to become even more dehydrated than they already are. Drinking plain water is not only the least expensive but also the most beneficial choice you can make.
Consume Fruits High in Water Content Many fruits, such as watermelon, berries, and bananas, contain a very high percentage of water and are an excellent supply of liquid. Make sure your fruit is cool so that it can serve as a wonderful snack that will refresh you.
Make Water Exciting: The majority of children find drinking plain water to be too boring, so try making it interesting by adding fresh or frozen fruit. Pop slices of oranges, lemons or limes, berries or watermelon into your ice-cube tray and fill with water to create colourful ice cubes that will both keep the water cool and melt over time adding vitamins to the water. Another option is to make water interesting by adding a splash of juice from a freshly squeezed lemon or lime.
Children will drink when they are thirsty if there is anything available for them to drink, thus it is important to have water easily accessible. Put water bottles in a location where they can be easily accessed by them, and bring a water bottle with you if you go outside or to the beach.
Establish a Good Example You can teach your children the significance of drinking water by establishing a good example for them. You can do this by taking regular water breaks with them, investing in a water cooler, or purchasing matching water bottles.
Make use of straws and bottle caps when drinking. Make drinking enjoyable for children by providing them with unique straws that come in a variety of squiggly shapes or are extremely long. Choose an exciting and vivid water bottle as well.
Invest in water cooler accessories or a water cooler for the home to have at your place of business. You can rent water coolers from Living-Water Ltd. or buy water coolers from their web store.
