5 ways to stop a meltdown in the summer heat:

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Ah summer! Longer days. Longer playground trip. Longer epic melt downs from who knows what. If you have kids you might have noticed that although summer is tons of fun, there seems to also be a lot more craziness. The Bears have taught me a lot about how to survive summer. Here are my top 5 tricks to get though a summer melt down!

1) Limit sun exposure – Playing all day in the sun is awesome!! Getting burnt not so much. Use sunscreen of course. But also invest in a few good pieces of UV/sun block clothing for, you know, when you forget suncreen. I highly suggest buying from a quality company and skipping the second hand stores on this one. With each wash these types of clothes can lose their ability to block as much sun as they originally state. Check out online stores like UZSkinz or Coolibar. I love this one for boys and this for girls. Sunburns are no fun for anyone!

2) Pack an emergency sun bag – Use one of the million reusable bags you have and add extra of the following into it: sunscreen, water bottle (one for each kid), bubbles, squirt gun, those sticky catcher things, beach towel, umbrella and extra clothes for chilly nights or random heat waves. Keep it in your car and don’t let your husband take it out for any reason. This will serve as a great go to for when you hear “I’m board” when you go out for the day. We keep a bubble machine in the back of your car now as my arm got tired from being the bubble machine. You would think we took them to Disney!!

3) Add electrolytes to water- This one has saved us more than once. When kids are out playing all day, they lose a lot of important minerals. And the last thing you want to give an over tired, possibly dehydrated kid is a sugary drink. Electrolytes are critical in allowing cells to generate energy. They move water and fluids within the body to help rehydrate. We love Nuun. Great flavors and super easy to throw in the bag and use when needed. For Bear (4 years old) I break one tablet in half and add it to about 8oz of water. It also helps that I call it “magic water”. We have done coconut water in the past as well, but too much is not good for young bodies. If they drink too much it becomes a laxative. Great for moms though, especially with a little rum! Yup I just talked about poop and drinking in the same paragraph.

4) Naps at noon – If you still have a little bear it’s important that they get rest on busy hot days. Noon time is a great time to encouraging naps. High noon is great if you’re looking for a show down in the wild west. Not so much for tired little ones. If you’re out at a playground or beach for the day pack up the pack and play and a fitted crib sheet. When the little one get’s cranky, place them down with a cool drink and put the sheet on top of the pack and play to give them an instant shady spot to rest. The side vents will allow cool breezes in.

5) Cool tubby time – After a day of sun and fun, little bodies can be at their limit. One great way to reset is with a cool tubby. Think a little cooler then room temp. By bringing down their core temp just a bit you will be helping them relax and unwind after a hot day. Try an early tubby time and let them play for a bit. You’ll be surprise what some quite, cool time can do.

Bonus – One more thing. Always have a snack at the ready. I don’t advocate over feeding, just realize your little one might be burning through food quicker in the heat then normal. Hungry kids = cranky kids. Check out my blog Emergency Snack Plan!