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Dressing Correctly for Weather Conditions

Dressing right for the weather can be a pretty important health factor whether in the middle of a hard winter or summer vacationing at the beach.

In cold and wet weather, it is most important to stay not only warm, but also dry. In extremely cold weather you will want to think in terms of layers:

1. Skin Layer; long underwear is best, as it drives wetness away from skin and helps it evaporate

2. Middle layer; think Warm! Wool and/or fleece are safe bets.

3. Outer layer; this is the protective layer and should protect you from water and wetness.

Of course, hats, shades, mittens and gloves are also very important, not to mention the right kind of boots and socks.

In hot weather, dressing correctly is just as important for health; too much sun can be overwhelming.

Protect your head with hats or scarves. In an area with very little shade it is best to wear clothes that actually cover your body rather than having too much skin exposed. Look for natural materials like a natural cotton, that can breathe; this will keep you much cooler than a synthetic material.

Choose natural materials in shoes whether you are wearing sandals or sneakers. Shoes made from real leather, or canvas, are the best ventilation for your feet.

Again sunglasses are important as well as gloves, if you are riding a bike or motorcycle.

Be aware that in extremely hot weather, more clothes can be better for your health than stripping down to the minimum. This is because a layer of clothes can help you retain water as well as shield you from serious sunburn.

Filed Under: Expert Advice, Medical Care Tagged With: Clothing, Health, Weather

Dressing Your Kids For The Weather

How many times have you seen a child outside in the winter, wearing only shorts a t-shirt, and thought, “If I were their mother…”? Many parents respond with, “They just insisted on wearing that.” As a parent it is our job to make sure that our children are protected. Protecting them from the flu or colds, it just as important of a job. So how do you go about doing that, without making your children feel like you are taking over? Simple, this requires some imagination, creativity, and the old habit of layering. Imagination because you might have to con your kids into going along with the plan. Creativity because you going to have to find clothing they like, and layering because then you can compromise on the clothing. Compromising on clothing means that your child can pick what they want to wear out, and you pick what they have to wear over their choice. What this does for your child is give them freedom, while you are trying to prevent illness. Once your child is indoors, they can take off the heavy layers, revealing their choice for an outfit.

Winter is not the only season to take into account. The Summer is just as important, because you have to protect your children from the suns cancer causing rays. There are certain fabrics that allow the suns harmful rays to penetrate, and a child can sustain a burn while being fully clothed. These fabrics include large weaves, or fabrics with small holes. Many jerseys, inexpensive prints, and lighter cottons do allow the suns cancer causing rays to reach your child’s skin. During the summer months, it is best to also wear light colored clothing, as this reflects the sun rays, and make your child cooler in temperature. Wearing darker clothing can make your body warmer than necessary.

Filed Under: Child Care Tagged With: Child, Clothing

Dressing Children for Winter

To keep your kids safe yet allow them to enjoy winter activities like sledding, skating and the occasional snowball fight, you need to pay a little extra attention to their clothes. Your child’s winter clothing should keep them warm, yet not be so heavy and restrictive that they’ll be tempted to shed layers as they move around.

Cotton is not the best choice for winter weather. It tends to soak up sweat quickly (think towels) and once cotton is wet it loses all value as an insulator. Wool or polyester is a much better bet during cold weather.

In extreme cold, start with a set of thermal underwear – tight but not too tight. Top that off with a wool sweater and fleece pants. Then add a water-resistant layer on top to keep your children warm and dry.

Much of a child’s body heat is lost from the top of his head and from his feet. Thus, a warm cap (again, preferably wool) and wool socks under sturdy waterproof boots are ideal. If the cap doesn’t cover your child’s ears, outfit them with earmuffs or ear warmers as well.

Teach Your Children Safe Winter Behavior

Your kids should be on the lookout for the early symptoms of frostbite: numbness and tingling in their hands, feet and face. Teach them to stomp their feet, wiggle fingers and toes, and rub nose and cheeks at the first sign of trouble. If this doesn’t get rid of the numbness your child should go inside immediately and warm up.

On a very cold day, particularly if it’s windy out, exposed bits of skin can develop frostbite with shocking speed. Have your children watch for yellow-gray patches on their skin, and if these appear, they should immediately go inside and summon an adult. If this happens, cover the patch with warm (98-105 degree) water until the skin thaws, then contact your doctor.

Filed Under: Child Care Tagged With: Clothing, Weather

Children’s clothing

What a child wears is important to the experiences of a child and can make a difference in the very quality of those experiences. Their health, safety, comfort and well-being can even be affected by what they wear. That is why it is important to dress them properly for the variety of situations they will encounter.
When it comes to temperature, it is important that children are not wearing too many clothes or too little clothes and that their clothing is suitable to the environment. Smaller children are more susceptible to becoming overheated or chilled. It is therefore important, particularly during the change of seasons when the weather can be variable that spare clothes be sent with the child for potential unexpected changes of weather.
As for their feet, the shoes that children wear should be safe and comfortable and fit well. Shoes must not only provide protection but support as well, so that raised heels should be avoided that can cause accidents. Soles that provide some method of gripping make climbing and other physical activities safer for children.
Protection from the sun is also important for children. This can be provided by fabrics that are tightly woven, such as t-shirts, long sleeves and pants as well as hats with soft brims that enable movement while providing maximum protection.
Clothing types and accessories must also be taken into account when dressing children. For example, tripping can be caused by long hems while items such as necklaces, long drawstrings and ribbons can also be of risk to a child. Safety hazards with regard to clothing seem to affect younger children more than older ones and should be taken into account when dressing them.
The best fabrics for children are natural fabrics such as cotton and fabrics that are “scratchy” should be avoided. Having a low fire danger is another characteristic of children’s clothing.

Filed Under: Child Care, Parenting Tagged With: Child, Children, Clothing, Shopping

Dressing Children for Winter

Teach Your Children Safe Winter Behavior

Filed Under: Child Care, Parenting Tagged With: Child, Clothing, Weather, Wool

Dress for the Weather to Keep Kids Healthy

Over dressing or under dressing a child can lead to preventable illness and discomfort for a little one who can’t dress him or herself. Dress for the weather to keep kids healthy. That means anticipating changes in the weather as well.

In some places, the weather can change within the hour. Therefore dressing for the weather will take some planning and preparation. Winter is typically thought of as the season where weather related illnesses will befall a child. In some cases, it could be that the child simply isn’t prepared for rain, sudden temperature drops, and even ice and snow. Layers are a great way to make sure the child is snug. The child can add and remove clothing without much effort. If the weather will be wet, a pair of rubber boots will keep the feet warm and dry. There are many fun colors and prints that make wearing this bulky footwear fun. If waterproofing your child is just one more thing to keep up with, check with outdoors and camping stores. Many rain coats come with little compression bags that compactly carry a raincoat that easily fits in a backpack. These kinds of raincoats also make great little windbreakers.

It’s important that kids are dressed for the summer weather, too. Kids will run and play. An overdressed child can overheat and suffer dehydration. On the other hand, make sure the child is not over exposed to the sun. If the little one is fair complected, tanks may not be the best style. If your child insists, then put sunscreen on him or her, even on school days. Remind your children to drink plenty of water during warm weather. Also, make sure they wear the proper shoes for the proper activities. Little girls love flip flops. Don’t give in to that if the child will be running, climbing or playing in tall grass or wooded areas. Even closed summer shoes can be fun.

Filed Under: Child Care, Parenting Tagged With: Clothing, Footwear, Weather

Dressing Correctly for Weather Conditions

Dressing Your Kids For The Weather

Dressing Children for Winter

Children’s clothing

Dressing Children for Winter

Dress for the Weather to Keep Kids Healthy

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