Staying safe in the hot summer

After a spending few days in the hot sun, I thought I might review some safety tips for staying healthy in the heat of the summer.

Safety tip number one is to be sure you offer your young child water to drink many times in an hour. We all dehydrate quickly in the hot sun and wind. Our children have much less body mass and thus much less fluids in their bodies than adults. When you consider that our little ones play hard and do not pay attention to being thirsty until they are potentially ill, you can understand why you need to be vigilant for them.

Safety tip number two is to set up play areas in the shade for hot weather. The sun beats down and our body temperatures can rise. It is safer to use our lovely trees and shady porches to advantage. Use the middle of the day when it is hottest to be indoors.

Safety tip number three is to use suntan lotion to prevent sunburn and future problems with skin cancer. Hats are also important and sunglasses when your child will keep them on help protect eyes from dangerous ultraviolet light.

I am now taking my own advice. It is about 90 and sunny as I write this, and I am indoors with my glass of water on the table with me. I will go outside to pick beans after six when my garden is shadier. Stay healthy and safe this hot summer!

Mr. Snake, from his hole in the ground

Poked out his head and looked around.

“It’s too nice a day to stay in,” he said

“I think I’ll go for a crawl instead.”

 He swished his tail and gave a ‘hisss’

And off in the meadow he went like this.

pantomime motions