Stay Safe During Wintertime at Little Wiggles & Giggles Learning Center
For our March blog, we’d like to share tips on how kids can stay prepared for winter weather. With three to four more weeks in the season, it’s still a relevant topic. Winter can be fun for families and kids—building snowmen, going sledding, and making snow angels, for example. Because children still want to play outside in the winter months, it’s a good idea to prepare them for the weather. At Little Wiggles & Giggles Learning Center, we prioritize kids’ safety in wintertime by
- Making sure kids layer up
- Trying to prevent nosebleeds
- Ensuring staff and kids keep hydrated
- Spending time indoors to minimize exposure
Bundle and Layer Up Your Kids’ Clothing and Outerwear to Stay Warm
Besides being uncomfortable, cold winter weather can result in health problems like hypothermia. The best defense against winter weather is for adults and children alike to layer up. Babies, toddlers, and younger children should always wear one more layer than an adult would wear. Before leaving for daycare, be sure to layer up your child’s clothing and outerwear.
Your Child’s Clothing Layers Should Be Thin and Fitted
The clothing against your child’s body should be thin, fitted, and made from material that resists moisture. Cotton tends to hold in sweat. The outer clothing should retain heat; try something made with wool, fleece, or a polyester blend. You could dress your kids in long-sleeved shirts under their short sleeves, and thinner pants under their jeans or slacks. If your child wants to wear a dress or skirt, make the child put on warm tights or leggings.
We Recommend Waterproof and Windproof Outerwear Layers
We highly recommend waterproof and windproof coats, preferably with a hood. A child’s head should have a warm hat on it, preferably one that covers the ears too. Next, put a warm scarf around his or her neck, and cover his or her nose and mouth. Finally, cover his or her hands with mittens or gloves.
Take Measures to Prevent Nosebleeds from Cold Weather
Nosebleeds are common in the winter because the winter air lacks humidity. Dry air in the nasal passage can make the nose’s tiny blood vessels more fragile. Nosebleeds happen when those tiny blood vessels rupture. One way to prevent nosebleeds in your child is to use a cold-air humidifier in their bedroom. You can also help keep a child’s nose moist and prevent nosebleeds with a saline nose spray or drops.
Whether Inside or Outside, Be Sure to Keep Hydrated
Since winter air is so dry, people lose more water just by breathing. When coming in from the cold, hot hair can also dry out skin and lungs. Both scenarios are especially true in kids. It’s particularly important to keep hydrated during the winter because hydration boosts the immune system. When you keep hydrated, it gives the body what it needs to fight viruses, like the flu. For your kids to keep hydrated, be sure to offer them lots of water. You can also encourage them to have warm drinks and soup to keep hydrated.
Spend More Time Indoors to Minimize Exposure to Cold Temperatures
Generally, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children don’t tolerate winter weather like adults. It’s important to minimize exposure, and limit how much time kiddos spend outside during the winter. Try to stock up on indoor activities like puzzles, games, coloring books, and movies before winter begins. Kids can get stir crazy, though, so you can’t minimize exposure to winter every day. Just be sure to keep a close eye on them while they spend time in the winter weather.
Signs It’s Time to Come Back Inside
Minimize exposure if you see your kids with runny noses and rosy cheeks, or hear complaints of cold extremities. We recommend waiting no more than 10 minutes to bring them inside after seeing those signs. Also, call kids inside if their hands and face are clearly wet. Be sure to remove their wet clothing. To raise kids’ body temperatures, make them move around a few minutes. Try to get them to drink something hot or to eat hot soup.
Know When it’s Time to Seek Medical Attention
It’s especially important to minimize exposure as prevention against hypothermia. If you notice symptoms of hypothermia, it’s time to bring your kids inside right away and call 9-1-1. Symptoms of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, lips turning blue, clumsiness, confusion, and slurred speech. Severe cases of hypothermia can include abrupt cessation of shivering followed by incoherency and possible unconsciousness.
If you have to call 9-1-1 and need to wait on paramedics’ arrival, dry and wrap your child in layers. Warm up his or her core areas—chest, neck, head, and groin. Don’t use direct heat, though, as it can damage skin, or cause severe irregular heartbeats that can stop the heart.
At Little Wiggles & Giggles Learning Center, we take care of children in the winter and all year long. For more information about our childcare services, call us at (570) 208-9125. Like us on Facebook and follow us for updates. We’d be happy to explain more about how kids can stay prepared for winter weather.
