Tag Archives: heat

My Top Healthy Summer Resources for the Family

Father’s Day marks the official first day of summer this year. I don’t know about you, but we’re already feeling the heat in Texas and could go for some of that rain we had a few weeks ago.

With summer, comes heat, and a lot of it! Heat can be dangerous to all of us, but detrimental to our little ones. But that doesn’t mean they need to stay indoors sitting in the A/C all through the season. As long as we keep it smart, everyone can have a wonderful, healthy time under the sun.

I’ve gathered a few sites I find interesting and helpful with tips on how to stay safe and healthy this summer and wanted to share them with you. Most of these are geared towards the family, but I added a few not specifically meant for families that are packed with helpful nutrition and activity tips everyone can use.

First off, make sure you know what you’re rubbing all over your family’s skin. Our skin is highly porous and absorbs a lot of what you put on it, and many sunscreens do more harm than good with the amount of toxic chemicals they contain. This may seem like a minute detail to a full grown adult, but for a tiny baby or toddler, everything is much more concentrated and can post a serious threat. Read my post on sunscreen safety here. P.S. I also apologize to my wife in the post since I used to waive off the dangers of sunscreen myself.

15 Nutrition Tips For A Healthy Summer – Just a nice quick list to refer to for ways to eat smart but not be bored with a chicken and broccoli type meal. Which, by the way, I actually think is pretty good!

Keep Your Kids Happy and Healthy: Summer Tips For Parents – Hey, even the government has useful advice for a change! Make sure to check out the links provided in each tip for even more healthy ideas.

8 Summer Steps For Healthy Living – Some seemingly obvious tips from WebMD, but handy if you’re having a brain fog moment.

The Best Healthy Pantry Foods – This is a great list from Ben Greenfield and we have most of these in our pantry. Great to have year round!

Easy Meals For Busy Athletes – Another Ben Greenfield info bomb. Obviously, you don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy the benefits of these fast and healthy meals.

5 Fun Home Activities To Do With Your Kids – I love this list from The Good Dad Project! Some good ideas for indoor activities to help beat the heat and have fun as a family!

Keep The Kids Active All Summer Long – This list from Macaroni Kid is sure to have at least one or two ideas you haven’t considered for fun and productive activities your kids will learn from.

I like this list from the Macaroni Kid – Family Fitness site providing several simple foundations to keep your family fit and healthy all year. Print it and stick it on the fridge so it’s always fresh on your mind.

The Foundations of Family Fitness and Wellness

Hope you’re able to find some good tips and implement them in your home this summer. Please, just keep safe and well hydrated while having fun in the sun!

Hi there, I'm just keeping hydrated!
Hi there, I’m just keeping hydrated!

Do you have any plans for hanging out with the kids this summer?

Are you getting away and having someone else watch the kids?

Any tips you have for a safe, healthy summer that you’d like to share?

Is Sunscreen Safe for Baby?

Well, it happened again, my hard-headedness (word?) got the best of me!

I make it a point to go out for a run, walk, or both with Avery every day, and now that it’s hot out, we’re wearing clothes with less cover. That means exposed skin!

Covering my precious cargo before our walk.
Covering my precious cargo before our walk.

I’m guilty of going on runs sans shirt or sunscreen all of the time, and Going Mom always gets on to me about needing to protect my skin. I would just wave it off and go about my day ignorant to how the sun affects me.

If sunscreen was food, I’d be all over it researching and trying to decide what kind is healthy, but this is an area I overlook. Anyone who knows me, knows I’m very peculiar about what I eat, but I need to be more aware of other things that threaten my health as well.

After a run.....and no sunscreen.
After a run…..and no sunscreen.

Like, for instance, sunscreen! Kelley bought some to put on Avery every time we go outside, and I have been rubbing it on her wherever her skin is exposed. You’d think I could simply just put some on myself at the same time, but that’s part of my stubbornness.

I hate rubbing it in because it gets caught in my arm and leg hair too much. Good reason, right? Since my dear wife is persistent about getting me to use sunscreen (I guess she loves me or something!), I thought I’d be smart and just buy a spray version; problem solved!

Nope, problem not solved! Now she was on to me about how bad the spray kinds are! Well crap, will I ever get it right?! I blindly argued that there’s no difference even though I had no clue about sunscreens. Kelley, on the other hand, had been reading several sources on the subject.

Needless to say, Kelley sent me links to prove why certain sunscreens are harmful and I finally admitted defeat. Note to self, don’t argue about things you have no clue about for so long; it gets you nowhere!

So now I have a certain bottle of spray sunscreen I’ll be returning soon.

Here’s a quote from the link Kelley sent me regarding sunscreens:

Could nanoparticles cause internal damage if they penetrate skin or are inhaled?
Yes.  Though sunscreen lotions do not pose penetration concerns, inhalation of nanoparticles particles is dangerous for many reasons.  EWG strongly discourages the use of powder or spray sunscreens using titanium dioxide or zinc oxide of any particle size.

Read the full article from the Environmental Working Group here.

Now, on to the question of this post; is sunscreen safe for your baby? Like most answers out there, yes and no. There hasn’t been enough research to definitely say sunscreen is harmful, but the effects are greater on a baby than older children and adults.

From what I read, it’s best not to apply sunscreen to babies under 6 months and to avoid the sun as much as possible. Sorry, Avery, we already messed up there.

The FDA has an informative post on the topic of sunscreen for babies along with useful tips on keeping baby safe in the sun.

  • Keep your baby in the shade as much as possible.

  • Consult your pediatrician before using any sunscreen on your baby. If you do use a small amount of sunscreen on your baby, don’t assume the child is well protected.

  • Make sure your child wears clothing that covers and protects sensitive skin. Use common sense; if you hold the fabric against your hand and it’s so sheer that you can see through it, it probably doesn’t offer enough protection.

  • Make sure your baby wears a hat that provides sufficient shade at all times.

  • Watch your baby carefully to make sure he or she doesn’t show warning signs of sunburn or dehydration. These include fussiness, redness and excessive crying.

  • Hydrate! Give your baby formula or breast milk if you’re out in the sun for more than a few minutes. Don’t forget to use a cooler to store the liquids.

  • Take note of how much your baby is urinating. If it’s less than usual, it may be a sign of dehydration, and that more fluids are needed until the flow is back to normal.

  • Avoid combination sunscreens containing insect repellants like DEET. Young children may lick their hands or put them in their mouths. According to the AAP, DEET should not be used on infants less than 2 months old.

  • If you do notice your baby is becoming sunburned, get out of the sun right away and apply cold compresses to the affected areas.

 

Thankfully, Going Mom did her research and bought sunscreen with only zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Unlike chemical-based sunscreens that are absorbed into the skin, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sit on top of the skin. A benefit of this, besides not soaking into your skin and therefore bloodstream, is that they start working upon application. The chemical kind need 15 – 20 minutes to allow time for absorption before they begin to protect.

An article on BabyCenter.com explains this in detail and is yet another post worth reading. As mentioned in the article, never trust the label on products and make sure to scrutinize the list of ingredients. Hey, that’s like I do with food; now we’re talking my language!

The takeaway from all of this can be summarized in a few bullet points:

  • If possible, avoid exposing a baby under 6 months to the sun altogether.
  • If not possible, keep baby under shade and/or use a sunscreen with only zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as the main ingredient.
  • Do not, under any circumstances use a spray sunblock on yourself or baby.
  • Don’t trust the labels! Please read the ingredients and know what you are slathering all over yourself and your precious child!
  • I’m an idiot for doubting my wife and taking so long to acknowledge that she was right.

Thank you, Kelley, for “exposing” me to the reality of sunscreen!

Babywearing with big hat
Funny hat, serious face protection!

 

Please, have fun and keep safe out there!

Do you use sunscreen for yourself or your baby?

Have you strained to find the right kind or are you like I was and never thought much of it?

How I Plan on Wearing My Baby in the Heat

Do you live where there’s hardly a transition from Winter to Summer? Sure, there’s the season we call Spring, but here in Texas, it seems likes it’s either cold and miserable or just plain hot.

Yes, I’m exaggerating a little, there are some nice days, but Texas heat turns on rather quickly around here. It doesn’t help when humidity is thrown into the mix; ugh.

But I am a lover of the heat and will take drenching my clothes in sweat over shivering in layers of clothes any day. Go for a run early in the morning? Not me, I prefer early afternoon with the sun beaming down on me.

I know my performance would be better in cooler weather, but I love the drained feeling after a hot workout. That said, I need to be more mindful now that I have a baby to bring along wherever I go.

Lately, I have been running with Avery in our B.O.B. stroller and using a weather shield because I thought she’d get too much dirt blown in her face. Well, Going Mom set me straight and told me how you shouldn’t use the weather shield in great than 65 degree weather; it’s only for precipitation anyway.

Yes dad, you're stupid.

Admitting mistakes is not my strong point, but I’m admitting it now, I’m a doofus for subjecting our beautiful girl to the shield. Next run, I’m make sure it’s open to the fresh air! Sorry, Avery, and thank you, Kelley, for showing me the light!

Good job, Daddy, way to admit your stupidity! I love you!
Good job, Daddy, way to admit your stupidity! I love you!

Since I’ll also be wearing Avery when we are outside, I need to have a plan to keep her cool and comfortable. Thankfully, Onya Baby has a very simple solution to keep your baby cool when wearing them in hot weather.

All you need is a baby carrier with front pockets (such as, say….the Onya Outback!) and a freezer/ice pack. I’m sure you know what’s next, just put the ice pack in the front pocket of your carrier and now you’ll have a one cool baby!

I did this when wearing Avery in the Onya while reel mowing with our Fiskars mower on a hot day and she kept cool and calm the whole time. Actually, she took a nap like she has before!

So, it’s that easy, use one or two cold packs when wearing your baby under the scorching sun and keep them safe! Onya Baby wrote a post on their blog about using the ice pack and included these additional tips:

– Dress yourself and your baby in loose, lightweight, natural fiber clothing
– Carry an umbrella to provide portable shade for both yourself and your baby

wpid-20140417_165030.jpg
– Place a lightweight cloth or flat diaper between yourself and your baby
– Remove your baby periodically from your carrier to allow both of you to cool off
– Check your baby often by touch and sight to be sure he’s not overheating.

Click here for Onya’s original post.

I’ve used an umbrella several times and it works great, but if it’s windy outside, it can be a hassle. That’s when I recommend and giant brimmed hat with a neck strap!

Babywearing with big hat

Overall, be mindful of the weather when bringing your baby outside. I admit to being slightly stubborn/ignorant of this and have my lovely wife to thank for snapping me out of it. Again, thank you, Kelley!

Do you have to deal with heat where you live?

Any tips of you own on keeping baby safe in the sun?