Bone-chilling cold, the monsoon or peak of summer, containing the children indoors in any kind of weather is a daunting task. In summer, when the kids are in a playful mood and spend time outdoors, they can get dehydrated easily leading to issues like fever and fainting. However, many mothers know how to protect their children against the scorching heat of summer. Orissa POST spoke to a few of them for some tips to beat the heat.
Lopamudra Routray of Cuttack said, “As most school children have to attend morning classes in April, it becomes difficult to prevent them from going outdoors in the afternoon. My seven-year-old son is no different. With most parts of the state gradually turning into a concrete jungle, the temperature hovers around 40 degree Celsius even at 4 o’ clock in the afternoon. It is natural that the kids lose a lot of body fluids when they sweat during physical activities. To prevent dehydration, I make it a point to keep a glass of watermelon juice ready at home to re-hydrate him when he returns as we know this summer fruit works instantly for restoration of body fluids.”
Anurupa Rout, a homemaker of Bhubaneswar, said, “My six-year-old daughter is fond of swimming in summer. The body burns up a lot of calories during swimming. Though the water in the pool keeps the body cool from outside, it doesn’t prevent dehydration. I get worried because she swims not less than two hours a day. Worse, she doesn’t like room temperature water and sips cold water only. This makes her susceptible to illness. So, I always prepare a healthy drink for her mixing mint leaves and a pinch of salt to water. She loves this home-made sharbat.”
“As mint contains menthol, it helps get rid of nasal congestion and improve breathing when she returns after spending hours in water,” she added.
Susmita Mohapatra of Cuttack said, “Children should drink a glass of water every three hours when they play outdoors. But unfortunately, most kids these days are fond of soda, packaged fruit juice or carbonated drinks, thanks to the onslaught of television commercials. These drinks have an adverse impact on their health. Plain water is the best option to prevent dehydration. However, my son doesn’t like drinking water. So, I add lemon juice to make the water taste different. He doesn’t complain when served lemon water.”
“Many children don’t like drinking regular water so flavoured water is a great way to tempt them into drinking more liquids. The synthetic and carbonated drinks available in the market, however, should be avoided as they contain a lot of sugar and salt. Though these drinks offer instant relief when you lose fluids, they are not advisable for kids. The fruits that you add to water to enhance taste and flavour also contain sugar, but they are healthier. I always prefer to prepare different types of fruit juices throughout the week. They help my son remain hydrated during the summer,” said Binodini Behera of Phulnakhara.
SOYONG, OP