My Single Mom Life

Mark had to mow our lawn yesterday afternoon, (Saturday) and it wasn't super hot out, but it was up there.
During the summer months I make him go slowly, take a lot of breaks, and make sure he comes in every 10 minutes or so and gets a lot of water to drink to keep himself hydrated.

It's turning out to be another summer of really high temps, so do you know what to do if your kid(s) get heat exhaustion or heatstroke?
For heat exhaustion, look for these warning signs and symptoms;
severe thirst
muscle weakness
nausea, sometimes vomiting
fast, shallow breathing
irritability
headache
increased sweating
cool, clammy skin
elevation of body temperature to less than 104 Fahrenheit

If it's heatstroke, the following signs and symptoms;
severe, throbbing headache
weakness, dizziness, or confusion
difficulty breathing
decreased responsiveness or loss of consciousness
may not be sweating
flushed, hot, dry skin
elevation of body temperature to 104 Fahrenheit

Here's how you need to treat both;
1. Bring the child indoors or into the shade immediately.
2. Undress the child.
3. Have the child lie down; elevate feet slightly.
4. If the child is alert, place in cool (not cold) bathwater, or sponge-bathe the child repeatedly. If outside, spray the child with mist from a garden hose.
5. If the child is alert, give frequent sips of cool, clear fluids (clear juices or sports drinks are best).
6. If the child is vomiting, turn his or her body to the side to prevent choking.
7. Monitor the child's temperature.

You need to teach your kids to drink plenty of fluids, water, juices or sports drinks like Gatorade, even if they aren't thirsty. If they are outside, they need to be drinking to stay hydrated.
Teach them that the best times to be outside playing are in the morning hours before noon, and then after 6pm.
Teach them to come inside immediately if they feel really tired or super hot (overheated).

During the summer rainy season, Mark ends up having the mow the lawn twice a week, and I try like mad to get him to do it in the evening hours, but sometimes he won't.
Today when he came in to take a break and get a drink, he looked so overheated, I was very worried and made him lay down and take small sips of water, not chug it, doing that can cause you to throw up if it is heat exhaustion or heatstroke, and I aimed the fan at his head and got him a cool cloth.
I made him take a break for 20 minutes, then drink more, and then he went to finish.
he only had one more row to do, and when he came back in, I made him take a shower to cool down even more.

Be careful with your kids this summer, the heat can hit them rather quickly and can make them feel terrible or get very sick.