“Mom, my armpits are hot.”
Those were the words I heard the other morning before 9:00 had even rolled around. The dog days of summer are here and have brought their customary heat with them. If you or your children are anything like my children and me, the heat sometimes melts the sweet right out of us. Nobody wants to be touched, and everyone is irritable. Working and playing outside become more tiring than usual, and tempers seem to flare over the smallest bump.
While it is tempting to just turn the TV on and let everyone lounge in the living room all day, I know that isn’t the best for me or the kiddos. So I’ve been trying to find ways to beat the summer heat.
Here’s what we’ve done so far:
- Play and work outside as soon as we finish breakfast so we can burn some energy off before the heat really sets in. I hang out the laundry or weed in the garden while the older two play in the yard, and the youngest plays near me.
- Run in the sprinkler. We have been extremely short on rain up until the night before last so the sprinklers have been running almost non-stop. The baby doesn’t care for the frigid water, but the older two enjoy it and have even been known to lie down where the sprinkler can hit them on each round it makes.
- Fill the kiddie pool. Sunday afternoon was sweltering, and my husband was watching the kids outside for a while so I could get the last minute tasks done for the launch on Monday. They filled the kiddie pool in the shade, slid the little plastic slide next to it, and had their own pool party. I even got a special invite to their pool party which I accepted and enjoyed soaking my feet for a bit.
- Throw water balloons. I always have a million reasons to avoid water balloons, but the other day, I said “Yes,” and it turned out to be the best time we had had all week. I filled the balloons and the three children popped them. We all got soaked, but with the hot wind, we dried quickly.
Use the pool. My oldest is taking private swimming lessons, and we have been using that trip to the pool as an excuse for everyone to enjoy the water. I know that most of you don’t find it enjoyable to put on a swimsuit and go out in public. I’m right there with you, but I’m also here to tell you that it is worth it when your children giggle in delight as you play with them in the water. Plus, the water feels amazing when the thermometer reads 108.
And a bonus way we beat the heat…lounging in front of the air conditioner watching some Veggie Tales or Sarah and Duck. Yes, sometimes we just enjoy the comforts of modern life for a couple hours during the heat of the day, and for now, I’m okay with that.
Do you have any tricks for beating the heat?
