Essential Clothing Tips To Keep Baby Cool in the Summer Heat

06/28/2017

Summer heat is generally something we all love. After the cold and bleak winter, a bit of sunshine is just the right medicine to help us feel good. But too much heat can also have its bad consequences, especially for young children.

Clothing plays a major role in protecting children from the summer heat and ensuring they’re not exposed to harmful UV-rays. So, to ensure your summer goes smoothly and your children can enjoy the warmth without feeling uncomfortable, take note of these essential clothing tips for your children.

Be aware of the room temperature

If you don’t have an indoor thermometer, you might want to buy one. It’s a good idea to check what kind of temperature is in the room your baby is sleeping or playing to ensure you don’t add too much or too little clothing. If the temperature in the room is above 25 degrees Celsius, a nappy and a thin cotton t-shirt or a vest will most likely be enough – even for the night. On the other hand, when the room is between 20 and 23 degrees Celsius, you want to use a shortie baby grow or shorts, and for the night a soft, cotton pyjamas and perhaps even include socks to the indoor outfit.

Choose loose fitting clothing

Whether for the night or the day, during hot weather you want the clothing to be loose fitting. You don’t want to opt for tights or fitting t-shirts, as these can lock in the heat and make your toddler feel uncomfortable.

Loose fitting shirts, dresses and shorts are the best as they allow the skin to breathe. If you go out, these can let the small breeze cool down the body and make the baby feel a bit more comfortable.

Focus on selecting the right materials

Aside from picking things that are loose fitting, you also want to focus on finding materials that absorb moisture and allow it to escape from the skin. For blistering summer heat, cotton is the best pick. Natural fibres, in general, are much better than synthetic clothing. So, avoid fabric mixtures and go for natural, organic clothing.

In terms of the design, avoid anything fancy – you don’t want the clothing to feel heavy. So, a simple cotton shirt and trousers with no extra buttons, zippers or embroidery will work the best. Light colours tend to be nicer than darker tones in terms of keeping the heat at bay.

Baby and young children can find quite a bit of 100% cotton clothing. Mothercare has a wide range of affordable pure cotton items for boys and girls. You should definitely shop for a few additional pieces if you don’t already have a lot of summer clothing.

Cover the skin from the scorching sun

While you don’t want to overdress your toddler, you also shouldn’t expose the baby to the sun too much. UV-rays can be harmful and babies under six months should always be kept out of direct sunlight. So if you are caring for a small baby, you need to have a parasol for the buggy to ensure there is a shade covering the baby at all times.

For children slightly older, you want to let them play outside if they want to. The key is to ensure you either have loose fitting clothing to cover most of the skin and include a hat to the outdoors outfit. You want a cotton hat that will breathe but create a big enough shade to cover the face.

Of course, it’s also important to use sun cream to protect the skin from the occasional moment in the sunlight. You can find good toddler-friendly options from brands like Ambre Solaire.

Pick breathable bedding

It’s not just the clothing that matters in hot weather; you should also do a few tricks around the house to ensure the temperature doesn’t get too sweltering.  First, it’s important to choose the right bedding materials. Just like with clothing, you want to pick cotton as the main bedding fabric. Cotton absorbs moisture, stays dry and allows the skin to breathe. You definitely don’t want to use any waterproof materials because these will just retain the heat and make your baby sweat more.

Ventilate the house

During the day, keep your windows open to allow a soft breeze to go through the house. Remember to keep on eye on the indoor temperature as you do this and don’t let your baby spend too much time in direct wind or breeze. You should also keep the curtains pulled down and in front of the window to prevent the sun from heating the room further.

Stay hydrated

Finally, it’s important to stay hydrated in the summer heat. Your young child will probably need to up his or her water intake, so make sure you offer and ask the child to drink regularly. You can also add an ice cube to the water to make it extra refreshing.

Overall, it’s a good idea to put yourself in the baby’s shoes and think what you might be feeling. So, dress the baby similarly to how you would want to dress!