Kiddipedia
There are several factors to consider throughout the winter months to ensure your child’s safety and good health. In addition to safeguarding them against diseases like the cold and flu, you need to take care to keep them warm in cold weather.
Hydrate
Hydration, like sunscreen, is often forgotten during the cold months. However, ensuring your youngster drinks enough should be one of your winter safety recommendations for kids. When the air is dryer, children lose water through their breath and skin, therefore fluids must be replaced regularly, even if they do not sweat. Hot beverages and soup are also effective at getting kids to drink more fluids.
Set up a carbon monoxide detector
Install a carbon monoxide detector on every level of your home. Place them near bedrooms, home offices, or other areas where people spend a significant amount of time. To ensure accurate readings, follow all installation instructions carefully and keep them at least 15 feet away from furnaces and heaters. If you already have carbon monoxide detectors, examine them and replace the batteries before winter, and then do the same with your smoke alarms.
Get a flu vaccination
A yearly flu vaccination (for your children and anybody else in the home who can be vaccinated) is one of the easiest things you can do to keep your children safe during the cold months, and they are available for free or at a minimal cost in many places. The flu vaccination is safe for youngsters as young as six months.
Protect Your Child’s Skin
Allow children to bathe with warm (not hot) water every other day, soaking for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb as much moisture as possible. Instead of bubble baths and fragranced soaps, use mild cleansers. If your child’s skin is very dry or irritated, mix colloidal oatmeal into the water. As soon as your child gets out of the bath, gently massage their skin with a towel to keep it wet, and then apply a cream-based moisturizer, both of which include the oil their skin needs. Apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly to your child’s chapped cheeks and lips shortly after they fall asleep. It will linger on their skin for a longer period, reducing redness and dryness by morning.
Use care around flames
Wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, and outdoor fire pits are comfortable, but they may be dangerous, especially for little children. Use caution and, where feasible, install protective gates. If you’ve lost electricity or heat and are using alternative heating techniques such as kerosene or electric heaters, make sure the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are operational.
Exercise
Dance Parties: Clear a space on the floor, turn on some music, and play games like freeze dance, in which kids dance until the music stops, or watch internet videos to learn the current line dances.
Game time: Organize youngsters to play classic movement games like Duck, Duck, Goose, Follow the Leader, and Simon Says.
Interactive video games: Try dancing and sports video games to get youngsters off the sofa and moving, but make sure to restrict screen time.
Look for warning signals
Frostbite is characterized by pale, grey, or blistering skin on the fingers, ears, nose, and toes. If you suspect your kid has frostbite, bring them inside and immerse the afflicted region in warm (not hot) water. Shivering, slurred speech, and extraordinary clumsiness are all signs of hypothermia. If you believe your kid has hypothermia, dial 9-1-1 immediately.
by: Jacqy Peh, Contributing Editor of Smart Singapore
