Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Monday, December 10, 2012
Protecting Your Kids' Hands Against Dry Skin
As I detailed in my last post, one of the first things that we do in our family when we come in from outside is coat our hands and any other dry patches in lotion. In our family we have a lot of issues with winter dry skin, and have had to use gallons upon gallons of lotions and creams in my day.
Why do kids hands get dry in the winter more than any other? It is the cycle of cold dampness outside and then warm and dry weather inside of our homes that can make the moisture in our hands evaporate quicker than usual. Kids' hands are particularly susceptible because of their size, the fact that they are touching everything with them both outside and in, as well as that they may not recognize or may not be willing to
Why do kids hands get dry in the winter more than any other? It is the cycle of cold dampness outside and then warm and dry weather inside of our homes that can make the moisture in our hands evaporate quicker than usual. Kids' hands are particularly susceptible because of their size, the fact that they are touching everything with them both outside and in, as well as that they may not recognize or may not be willing to
leave the outdoors when their hands feel cold and chapped as quickly as we might. It is just more fun to stay out and play than go inside to take care of your hands.
So what can we do to make sure that our and our kids' skin stays healthy and soft in this colder weather?
- Make sure that you are keeping the hands at a constant temperature similar to what they are normally in inside. This may seem counter-intuitive, but similar to the phenomenon of my dear Husband's head steaming in the garage after he has taken off his hat, it is the sudden change in temperature that causes evaporation of the moisture from the skin. Gloves and mittens that are made of wool and fleece or contain technology like Thinsulate are vastly better than those thin knit mittens that we all pick up for a dollar or two. I do have those lying around, but they are more of a backup or emergency mitten if one is lost.
- You may need to dry your and your kids' hands on a towel after coming inside if they are cold and damp, and gradually bring up their temperature while preventing further evaporation of moisture.
- Lotion before and after heading outside to form a protective barrier from the cold wind.
- Once, when I was advised by a doctor on the best lotions I was told, "The greasier the better." The time that your family's hands are in gloves and mittens are the perfect time to put this to practice since your hands won't be leaving fingerprints on anything else while in mittens. Lotions like Eucerin brand, Aveeno brand for babies and kids, Hydrocortizone and Neutrogenea Norweigan Formula are some of my favorites.
- When selecting a lotion, generally try to leave out fragrances and perfumes that may further irritate your kids' skin (even of normally you all can use lotions that are loaded with scents) Also, look at the ingredients-- a lotion with water listed farther down the list will lock in moisture more than one that is thin and mostly common water.
Like many issues in health, an ounce of protection is worth a pound of gain. By being aware of the coming winter skin issues experienced by adults and children alike we can better keep it at bay. By protecting our skin before we head outside, we are helping to insure that we won't have more painful, itchy frustrating issues to deal with later.
Monday, December 3, 2012
How cold is too frigid to head outside with your kids?
Let's face it, there are sometimes when the weather is too yucky out to head outside with your kids. But how cold is that? This can be especially an issue if your children are to the age where they can be outside in the back yard or neighborhood without you being outdoors as well.
I have heard parents attest that anything under 50 degrees is too cold for them to head out with their toddlers and little kids, and this makes me so sad for the world of cold weather adventures that these families are missing out on exploring. Here in the Minneapolis area we would NEVER get outside from December and into April if this were the case.
When I used to work in childcare we had other, more specific requirements. When I began working with kids, the temperature, combined with the wind chill was required to be 20 degrees or above in order for us to head outside. However, this policy was changed because it was found that the number of days that meant we were confined to the indoors would be too great and the lack of outdoor play too great a loss. It was then decided that for children of preschool age there was no temperature where they could not play outside for a short while, as long as they were properly dressed.
A teacher friend of mine lives in Alaska and the children there spend their winter recesses playing outside even in weather of -20 degrees. I know that when our temps reach that level here, I simply do not want to head out much because of the sheer pain in my face, but other than that, we typically bundle up and head out for a few minutes.
There are a few considerations when heading out in frigid temperatures of course. Children are smaller and need to be dressed in at least one more layer than we are dressed in; this rule is especially true if your outdoor activity is something where you are active, but kids are riding along more passively, such as taking a walk where they are sitting in a stroller and you are pushing. It is much easier for them to become overly chilled in this sort of activity. However, it is also a wonderful way to see the winter sights when their little legs would normally get bogged down under snowpants and the depth of the snow.
One further issue is that of the sun. It may seem like a strange idea, but even in the coldest weather your children may need some form of sun protection. While babies under 6 months old should not wear sunscreen, older babies and kids can wear sunscreen to protect against sunlight reflected from the snow and a hat or sunglasses that protect their eyes from the bright light.
I know that this has not totally answered the question that this blog post opened with, and the answer is simply as varied as the weather. It is up to you as parent or guardian to gauge the components of the weather-- the temperature, the wetness, the wind and the light and to decide if it is appropriate to explore outside. And the great thing about getting chilly is that it means that when you return inside that it is time for cocoa and snuggles under a blanket. What could be better?
I have heard parents attest that anything under 50 degrees is too cold for them to head out with their toddlers and little kids, and this makes me so sad for the world of cold weather adventures that these families are missing out on exploring. Here in the Minneapolis area we would NEVER get outside from December and into April if this were the case.
When I used to work in childcare we had other, more specific requirements. When I began working with kids, the temperature, combined with the wind chill was required to be 20 degrees or above in order for us to head outside. However, this policy was changed because it was found that the number of days that meant we were confined to the indoors would be too great and the lack of outdoor play too great a loss. It was then decided that for children of preschool age there was no temperature where they could not play outside for a short while, as long as they were properly dressed.
A teacher friend of mine lives in Alaska and the children there spend their winter recesses playing outside even in weather of -20 degrees. I know that when our temps reach that level here, I simply do not want to head out much because of the sheer pain in my face, but other than that, we typically bundle up and head out for a few minutes.
There are a few considerations when heading out in frigid temperatures of course. Children are smaller and need to be dressed in at least one more layer than we are dressed in; this rule is especially true if your outdoor activity is something where you are active, but kids are riding along more passively, such as taking a walk where they are sitting in a stroller and you are pushing. It is much easier for them to become overly chilled in this sort of activity. However, it is also a wonderful way to see the winter sights when their little legs would normally get bogged down under snowpants and the depth of the snow.
One further issue is that of the sun. It may seem like a strange idea, but even in the coldest weather your children may need some form of sun protection. While babies under 6 months old should not wear sunscreen, older babies and kids can wear sunscreen to protect against sunlight reflected from the snow and a hat or sunglasses that protect their eyes from the bright light.
I know that this has not totally answered the question that this blog post opened with, and the answer is simply as varied as the weather. It is up to you as parent or guardian to gauge the components of the weather-- the temperature, the wetness, the wind and the light and to decide if it is appropriate to explore outside. And the great thing about getting chilly is that it means that when you return inside that it is time for cocoa and snuggles under a blanket. What could be better?
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