Most of us are experts on the “How to Prevent Sun Burns” speech. We are pounded over the head with this beneficial information by our mothers, doctors, and even on commercials and in the news. But another important bit of information, especially for our little ones, is heat safety. If you are visiting from a cooler climate, make sure you take extra care with your little one. Here are a few things to keep in mind while visiting the Gents and Belles in the sultry South:
- A child’s body temperature warms about five times faster than an adult’s. Keep this in mind as you are pushing yourself to endure the heat, when you begin to heat up it’s probably time to head in doors with your little one.
- When it is hot outside the inside of a vehicle turns into an oven with temperatures exceeding 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep this in mind as you begin to load up your little brood. When the heat is excessive, it is safer to cool the car a bit before buckling in your precious cargo.
- Young children and infants either cant talk to you to let you know how they feel, or they do not have the vocabulary to communicate what they are experiencing in a way to properly alert you to one of the most dangerous results of an overheated child. With the soaring temperatures here in the south, an infant or young child can suffer a heat stroke within minutes. If the mercury is high, plan on keeping your babe inside at all costs!
- It is every parent’s nightmare, but it does happen. If your child gets locked in the car on a hot day, do not stall; call 9-1-1 immediately!!
- HYDRATE! Make sure you keep plenty of liquid in your wee one’s bottle or sippy cup.
Keep these things in mind as you enjoy your visit to the Great Smoky Mountains, and you are sure to leave with wonderful memories and a perfectly healthy little one.
