The heat wave that’s baking millions of people across the country has left some parents wondering: Is it safe for my kids to play outside?
With school vacations, kids are spending more time at home or in summer camps. Additionally, there are always youth sports and younger children going to daycares.
For Dr. Jess Weisz, a pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C., keeping kids safe in the heat boils down to adults using common sense.
She’s more concerned in weeks like this, when temperatures exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit. “Certainly with this current heat wave, we definitely want to pay attention to kids outdoors,” Weisz told NPR’s Morning Edition.
There are ways to keep your kids safe in the heat, however.
“Take lots of breaks, especially if they’re being physically active, drink plenty of water, also use sun protections,” Weisz said. “That can be a hat. That should be sunscreen.”
The main reason to keep an eye on kids while they’re outdoors in the heat is one that many parents know well.
“Honestly, kids are more likely to play than to be disciplined enough to take breaks. So, part of that is where parenting has to step in and adults and caregivers have to intervene,” Weisz said.
Younger children’s bodies also have more difficulty regulating their own temperature, so Weisz recommends that “very small babies” stay in the shade.
Daycares and summer camps
Dr. Weisz urged those caring for children this summer to think about altering their schedules during the heat wave.
“The easiest advice is to keep outdoor time out of the really hot hours between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. It’s harder for daycares, where that tends to be drop-off and pick-up time,” Weisz noted, “but for schools and camps, if they can do more outdoor activities early in the morning or late afternoon when it’s less hot, [that] can keep kids safer.”
That’s exactly what’s happening at Curiosity Preschool and Childcare Center in Silver Spring, Md., where director and preschool teacher Jawairia Royle has shifted outdoor playtime to early morning. She’s also helping the kids drink plenty of water.
“As a teacher, I have to constantly remind them, you know, your body is like an engine. It can overheat. So you need to fuel up with water,” Royle said.
The heat wave has been a happy coincidence for the daycare’s learning theme this week — safari.
“We’re talking about how outdoor animals stay cool. So one of the things we’re talking about is how elephants have these giant ears and stay cool by flapping their ears back and forth,” Royle said. “And I think the kids are doing a great job absorbing and understanding this.”
That doesn’t stop kids like five-year-old Mila Zudic from being disappointed about having to stay indoors most of the day. “I like to go on the slides outside and I also like to go to the parks,” she said.
Source: npr.org by Adam Bearne