A guide to keeping your family cool during those long, hot summers
For many of us, summer is our favorite season. It means trips to the beach, longer evenings, and BBQs. It is the time when we will build memories with our families that will last a lifetime.
However, in many places, there is one huge downside to the arrival of summer – the oppressive heat. Some days get so hot that it doesn’t cool down at night. This leaves us and our little ones dehydrated and losing sleep.
Below you will find 5 tips that will help you and your family keep cool this summer.
Table of Contents
#1 – Break out the pool
Our first tip is to make the most of pools.
Whether you have the option to head down to your local community pool or if you have one in your garden – this is an easy way to keep everyone cool and get some exercise done in the process.
Don’t have access to either of these? Why not pick up a small paddling pool that you can fill with a garden hose. They’re just as much fun and will have the whole family feeling cooler in minutes.
When you do spend time outside enjoying the water make sure you are all using sunscreen. Spending time in the sun can damage your skin, cause early aging, and even lead to skin cancer. Wearing sunscreen can prevent a lot of this damage. If you are swimming make sure that you apply waterproof sunscreen with at least Factor 30 protection.
#2 – Invest in high quality air conditioning
Air coolers can make the difference between a good night’s sleep and a hot, restless, and itchy night.
Rooms get stuffy when there is no air circulation. The temperature will continue to rise in the room until there is a break in the weather or you get out a fan. However, fans aren’t a great option at night as they are so loud. They are very ineffective.
If you live in a hot area then getting a good air conditioning system will be a good investment that will improve you and your family’s lives for many years to come.
Air conditioners work by creating an air current. They suck in all the hot air and use a chemical process to cool it down. They then push out that cold air and suck in more hot air. Over time the cool air in the room will start cooling down the air before it gets sucked into the cooler.
These machines can be very quiet and therefore make a great alternative to fans at nighttime.
#3 – Make frozen treats
Our next tip is to freeze everything you can.
We’re exaggerating a little here but there are a lot of things that you can freeze to help keep your little ones cool.
Let’s start with the obvious – drinks. Most drinks freeze well. Water, squash, and juice make particularly good frozen drinks. You should be careful with anything that is carbonated as they have a tendency to explode in the freezer.
Did you know that you can freeze yogurts to make a healthy alternative to ice cream? Chocolate bars can also be frozen to make tasty snacks.
And for adults, you can keep vodka in the freeze and wine makes a great frozen treat.
#4 – Create shade
If you live in a breezeless area then you will want to take on something you can control. Shade is the next best thing to a breeze. Not only will it keep you cool but it will also protect your family from illnesses like Heat Stroke.
Shade is something you can make an abundance of with very little effort. You should set up a craft area in a gazebo. Or putting up beach umbrellas in the garden. These simple tweaks to your space will keep your family safe in the sun.
#5 – Invest in high quality bug nets
We know that there are many areas of the country where leaving your windows open at night isn’t possible. For some areas, there is a real problem with insects invading homes when the windows are left open.
If you are worried about getting bitten by these bugs but really need to keep your windows open at night you might want to consider installing bug netting to hang over your beds. Or bug screens to attach to your window sills and doors.
These will allow you to create air circulation without worrying about waking up covered in bites.
