Heat Wave Safety Tips Parents Need to Know

 

Are you Keeping Your Kids Cool?

Young children are more susceptible to dehydration and becoming ill in hot weather than healthy adults. Children’s bodies don’t tend to cool down as efficiently which leaves them more at risk than during a summer heatwave. Dehydration occurs when fluids leave the body through sweating faster than they are being replaced – severe dehydration can be life-threatening! Heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke, can happen to anyone who stays in the summer heat and sun for too long, but children are more at risk.
It is important for parents to know how to prevent heat emergencies, and recognize when their child has been in the heat for too long and be able to provide help when needed.

The Signs and Symptoms of Heat-Related Emergencies

• Cramps or muscle tightening, usually in the legs and abdomen but they can be in other parts of the body
• Headache
• Nausea
• Dizziness, weakness, and feeling faint
• Skin that is redder or paler than usual, or moist skin
• Rapid shallow breathing
• Unusual irritable, bizarre, or aggressive behaviour

How to Help

• Move the child to a cooler location
• Give the child cool water to drink in sips
• Have the child loosen any tight clothing
• Fan the child
• Put cool water on the child’s skin
• If the child’s condition is severe, put covered ice packs in each armpit and on the back of the child’s neck
• Call for help (EMS/9-1-1)

When you’re hot you sweat more than normal, so you need to drink more to replace the water your body is losing. Drink plenty of cool fluids, even if you do not feel thirsty, but avoid caffeine and alcohol which can cause dehydration and stop your body from controlling its temperature properly.

Preventing Heat-Related Emergencies

• Be sure your child drinks plenty of cool fluids — this is the most important preventative step you can take!
  
• Get your child into the habit of having a drink break about every 20 minutes or so in hot weather and during physical activity.
• Avoid activities outside during the hottest part of the day (usually around noon).
• Know the humidex rating — it combines the temperature and humidity to indicate how hot, humid weather feels to the average person.
• Dress your child in light, loose clothing to let air circulate and heat escape and always make sure they wear a hat.
• Apply sunscreen (with SPF 25 or higher) as sunburned skin reduces the body’s ability to cool itself.
• Slow down your child’s activities as it gets hotter and don’t play for too long at a time.
• Take a lot of breaks in a cool or shady area to let your body cool off.

Find out more at: www.redcross.ca

Child’s Life Visits the ROM

During March Break this year I visited the ROM with my two boys now 8 and 11 years old. The ride down on the subway from Finch station was an adventure all by itself for the boys, it's been awhile since we headed into the city without our usual four wheels.

March Break was a very busy time at the museum, it was great to see so many enthusiastic kids bouncing around the MAYA activities and special events on the main floor. There was a buzz of excitement all around, entertainers, crafts, puzzles and loads more to keep younger minds engaged and busy.

The boys had a pretty long list of 'must sees'. First on the list was the special MAYA: Secrets of their Ancient World exhibit. The MAYA exhibit has been receiving alot of publicity so naturally I was interested in seeing what it was all about. The exhibit is actually quite large, it features many artifacts - carvings, pottery, jewellery, masks and incredible ceremonial pieces as well as explanatory videos throughout. My 11 year old was captivated by the carvings on the items, the ancient Mayan designs have an almost modern styling that are really beautiful, or in other words 'cool'. My eight year old was very interested in knowing all about the tablets and symbols they used. My personal favourite was the mask of the Red Queen, made from over 1100 pieces of malachite, bone and shells entirely reconstructed by some very patient archaeologists.

The items in this exhibit are really old - some of the pieces are dated to 250 CE, being so close to this kind of history seemed almost mind boggling for the boys. It really is difficult for us to visualize this kind of time span, and the condition of the items in MAYA are truly amazing. It's such an interesting culture that we hear so little about, I think we all took away from it a certain sense of 'awe'. You can download the Family Adventure Trail and Graphic Novel booklets in pdf format from the ROM website or pick them up when you arrive at the museum.

Talking about hard to visualize time spans, my 8 year old was itching to see the dinosaurs in the Micheal-Lee Chin Crystal. We visited this exhibit when it first opened in 2008, and it's still an incredible sight - for those of you who have not yet been you owe yourself a trip. We all love the Prehistoric Sea Turtle that hangs from the ceiling, also the Barosaurus at 90 feet long, is spectacular - standing beside this giant really gives one a perspective of what the massive proportions of this prehistoric world must have been like. So many creatures are included from the smallest (or giant!) insect up to the the woolly mammoth and other massive dinosaurs including the monstrous Tyranosaurus rex that tower over you as you walk through, always a hit with the kids!

We also made visits to the Mammal Gallery, Bat Cave, Bird Gallery, studied Butterflies and learned loads about the ROMs resident bees from an enthusiastic volunteer. By request we made time to visit Greece, Rome and Japan. Not too much looking at the statues and pottery here though, the boys had a main objective - armour and weaponry. I actually learned loads, as my 11 year old explained the history and evolution of Roman Armour to me along the way. The Samurai costumes and weapons were especially popular with them as well.

Visit the Royal Ontario Museum website for more info and family friendly events. The MAYA: Secrets of their Ancient World exhibit closes April 9. Plus, don't miss Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana coming this June!


www.rom.on.ca


Written by Justine Mohan for Child’s Life

Disney on Ice - Dare to Dream

Written by local mom, Lynnsey Griffiths

This was my first time going to a Disney on Ice production and I thought it would be great fun for the kids but it turns out it was great fun for me as well. The ice stage was set-up in a way that there was not a bad seat in the house.

Mickey & Minnie were fabulous as the hosts of the event, introducing each storyline and interacting with the crowd by giving clues to which Disney Princess was up next.

The Princess & the Frog was short and sweet. The animal costumes were fabulous in this skit and the jazz music had my feet tapping! Cinderella was up next and did not disappoint, and all the kids were singing along to Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo!

Last was Rapunzel who stole the show. The skit was the longest of the three, and was fabulous! The skating numbers in this skit were by far the most difficult and the way they brought the storyline to life was great. The best part was when all the floating lanterns came down from the sky.

A little surprise happened during the grand finale when a few more of the Disney Princesses showed up to make a little guest appearance which had all the little girls excited!

I left the show with two very happy little girls wearing their Rapunzel hair purchased from the Disney booth! Another Disney on Ice show will definitely be in our future!

Written for Child’s Life by local mom, Lynnsey Griffiths.