I am from a state that has very mild, dry summers. I have now lived in the South for 3 years, and am still trying to acclimate to the hot, humid temperature. Last summer, we spent most of our time at the house, where it was very easy to go inside and cool off when it was getting too hot, or fill up the swimming pool, turn on the sprinkler, etc. This year, we are living in town. We don't have much of a yard, and there is too much traffic for me to let my 2 year old DD go all-out playing. BUT... we live within walking distance from a greenway, (which has 2 parks along it, along with a 3rd if we want to walk a little extra at the end) so we walk it every day the weather allows. I would guess that we are walking roughly 4-6 miles... depending on which park we decide to go to.
My DD usually walks about 3/4 of one way, and about 1/4 of the way back. (sometimes more, sometimes less...) The rest she spends in her stroller or playing at the park. I make sure that she drinks PLENTY of water, before, during, and after our walks. I dress her appropriately, and keep a close eye on her to make sure she isn't overheating. BUT she is still really prone to heat rash. Her pediatrician gave me some wonderful suggestions to help prevent and treat it, and they have helped a lot, but she still tends to get a pretty good rash on her back. (I'm thinking it's from sitting and sweating in her stroller). We are only in May though, and I know that it will be getting hotter. I was thinking that it may be a good idea to make a cooling pad to put in her stroller, so that she won't sweat so much. I'm just not sure how to go about it... I thought of buying some ice packs and just wrapping them in towels to put behind her... but that doesn't seem like it would be too comfortable. Any ideas are welcome. :)
I have also heard of those neck-wraps that have some sort of gel in them... They get cold when they get wet, or something like that? Has anyone ever used them, and do they actually work? Are they something I can make fairly cheap, or is it something I have to buy (and where can I buy them?)
ETA.. We always wait until after 6:00 before we leave... If it's just TOO hot, we stick to the closer park (which is around 10 minutes away and completely shaded) or stay home... I do use common sense! ;) lol. I always see dozens of people with kids her age walking at the same time. The trail is mostly shaded, and follows a stream. My DD just happens to be a heavy sweater, which makes her very prone to heat rash. (per her pediatrician.) When she sits back in the stroller and sweats, it's a recipe begging for a rash. What I really need is something to keep her from sweating so much when she's sitting back in her stroller. :)
Oh... and she isn't walking a huge distance at once. She walks, rests, walks, rests as she needs. Some days she wants to walk more, some days she needs more rest. I leave that completely up to her. When she is walking, we walk at her speed, letting her stop to look at fish, ducks, sticks, etc. I COULD drive to the park, and I sometimes do if I have other errands to run... but the walking is great exercise for me, and she absolutely loves it. She will actually leave the park after only a few minutes of playing in favor of walking down the trail. She doesn't even sweat excessively when she is walking, it's when she has no air-flow on her back that she has issues... which is why I want to cool her stroller down. :)
I remember seeing something on a blog a while back, rice filled socks. You put them in the freezer if you want a cold pack and put in the microwave for a hot pack. I bet you could google it.
Good for you for getting out and getting some exercise.
I have used those bandanas with the gel pack in them with my family and they work well. They sit on you neck where you main carotid arteries are so it cools the blood as it passes through. You wet the entire thing and put it in the freezer overnight. Then tie it loosely around the neck when you need it. Be careful to remove it if she's playing on something it could get caught on and choke her.
I suppose you could do the same thing with a washcloth or towel. Wet and freeze in a zip top baggie. This should be flat enough to put behind her back in the stroller. Might not last your whole trip but you could store it in a portable soft cooler with a small ice pack until you need it. A frozen juice box in there would also act as double duty.
Have fun!
The neck wraps with cooling gel do work very well but they will get you wet as they warm up (not soaking wet but still they give off water as they cool you). We had the kind were you soaked them in water and then placed them in the freeezer. We used them on canoe trips so being wet wasn't a problem. Since we wore them for long stretches (well after they thawed), we would dunk them in the ice water of the coolers. I haven't tried making one but I bet a quick internet search would reveal some good tips there. I would think soaking a bandana in water (don't wring it too dry) and then freezing it before hand would be a cheap, quick solution. Otherwise wrapping ice cubes in the bandana would help.
I know they sell car seat coolers and that might work for your stroller. If you are looking for a more homemade solution, you could try freezing thin layers of water in ziplock bags. It might be uncomfortable but it's a thought.
My final thought would be to try an outdoor store/internet for a sweat wicking fabric or clothing. My father is a heavy sweater and he has gotten some gnarly heat rashes on our canoe trips so I understand that problem. Try searching for coolmax or sweat wicking fabrics/clothing. Good luck.
One other thought if you don't mind her being slightly wet, a cold wet towel or hat on her head can help with the stroller ride. Keeping her head cool keeps her core temperature lowered for a long stretch.
I saw on pinterest where you can take dishsoap and put in into a ziploc and freeze it for a squishier ice pack.
I personally would put a towell on the backrest of the stroller, take her shirt off and bring a spray bottle of water to keep misting.
That does seem like a lot of walking for a young child in the heat of summer. Any way you could drive to the park? Unless we are outside in the sprinkler or pool, I don't let my son outside more than an hour or so once it gets really hot. We are talking 90's to 100's here last summer.
If you can't drive to the park, I'd suggest getting a cheap umbrella stroller and cutting holes in the back to make a criss cross pattern to get air flow. Or find a stroller with a mesh back.
My mother in law has made the neck wraps. The gel is found with the plant supplies. They are little balls that expand when wet you put them in the soil to help your plants retain more water. I'm not sure exactly what they are called, but I would guess you could sew them into a pad. You get the pad wet before you leave and while there is moisture in there it cools you off.
You are taking a small 2 year old child out in the heat of the day walking???? Don't you have a vehicle? Or a neighbor that can take you on errands? We don't go out in the heat of the day and walk. It's too hot.
I know in MT that is normal but in the south we don't do that. It's just too hot. I suggest you go for walks maybe at 7 or 8 am and be back home by 10am at the latest. Otherwise it is just too much of a health risk.
IF you are asking how to keep cooler so you can continue to go out in the heat I can only suggest you change your mind and stay inside from mid morning until around 6pm or later.
Even using these gel packs or a bandanna with ice wrapped in the middle is not going to help what you are doing. It is simply too hot during the day to go for walks. Even a mile is too far in the heat of the day much less 6 miles with a 2 year old in the heat of the day.
She needs to be inside where it is cool. 6 miles is at least 5 miles too far for a 2 year old to be walking or even out in being carried.
We've already hit a day where it was 108 here, yuck. What about those battery operated squirt bottles that have the fan? You fill it with water, turn the fan on and you can mist yourself while the fan blows on you? I have seen them at our Walgreen's and I'm sure Walmarts and Targets have things like that as well. Good luck!
