Surviving the Heatwave with Children

I know, how very British of me to rant about the weather.

How very, very British.

With our not very British weather and that HEATWAVE!

I came back from Dubai to escape the sweat box, the sweltering, everything sticks to you weather.  To land on a bright, warm, sunshiney day.  No problem, because even though I want to escape the sun I also despise the rain.

I know.  Can’t please me.

Still, the weather was actually perfect British summertime weather, shorts and t-shirt weather with a beautiful breeze blowing to cool us down.  We indulged in strawberry picking and a trip up to Chatsworth Farm.

Then Wednesday came.  And this happened.  The heatwave.

Hot

At least in Dubai we have A/C!

Two sweaty hot children, in one not very British heatwave, and one very irritable mummy.

Here are my tips, while employing all of my keeping my cool while staying cool tactics here is how to survive the unprecedented heatwave with toddlers and babies.

1. Open every single window and door in the house allowing for the slightest of (probably warm) air to waft through.

Then spend the rest of the day directing the toddler AWAY from the front door.

2. Head to Pinterest and search out frozen healthy snacks to make with the toddler, we chose frozen yogurt bark (with strawberries) and frozen strawberries dipped in yogurt (strawberry glut remember!)

Make them, freeze them, have toddler declare they are too cold and drop them in a sticky puddle.

3. Head to buy a fan.

Sold out.

4. Head to buy a paddling pool.

Same story.

paddling pool
Longing for our paddling pool from Dubai…wait I managed to pop it……

5. Try to convince toddler that it is actually ok to sleep in just a nappy.

Fail miserably but let him allow you to put him in just a t-shirt.

20 minutes later here the shout MUMMY PUT MY NAPPY ON.

You’ve never run up the stairs so fast to make sure he hadn’t taken his nappy off to poo in the bed (he hadn’t thankfully but the fear is still there).  And said t-shirt is soaked but he won’t let you take it off.

#toddlerindependence (grrrr)

6. Strip Baby Boy to his nappy (no complaints from him) and feed him to sleep.

Unpeel him from your, now, very sweaty arm to put him down and wake him up whilst doing so.

Repeat approximately 17 times until you can put him down and make a break for it.

nappy sleeping

7. Crack open the wine. Attempt to take a sip.

Baby wakes up. Deal with that, head back to the wine. Attempt to take a sip.

Toddler wakes up. Deal with that, head back to the wine. Attempt to take a sip.

Baby wakes up….

Repeat until your wine is warm. Give up on the wine idea and head to bed.

8. Head to bed, realise just how hot it is but insist of having some form of cover on you…

Well, you are British!

You Baby Me Mummy
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21 Comments

  1. July 3, 2015 / 9:17 am

    hahaha oh no it’s worse in the UK! That is so funny. Bless you sorry you couldn’t get your nice cool wine. My little girl was ok at falling asleep but she did end up in our bed (see linked post)!! Thanks for hosting hun xx #effitfriday

    • Laura
      Author
      July 4, 2015 / 11:00 am

      I should have added that around 130am I had 2 boys in nappies lying on my bed! With me. On me. Sweating!! X

  2. July 3, 2015 / 9:18 am

    I can’t stand to be hot! It’s hot here but as long as I’m inside where the A/C is I’m good 🙂 or running through the sprinkler with the kids. I would have just chugged the warm wine and passed out. Thanks for hosting #effitfridays.

    • Laura
      Author
      July 4, 2015 / 10:59 am

      Haha chugging is a great word! I miss our A/C not much call in the UK usually! X

  3. July 3, 2015 / 11:54 am

    Tesco sold out of fans here too *sobs. I annoy myself when I moan about every weather type but this weather is not. For. Children. Baby is up all night too hot and sticky, she’s got heat rage I’ve never seen her so frustrated about EVERYTHING. The toddler won’t eat and is constantly dripping with sweat. Nope. Not enjoying the heat either!

  4. July 3, 2015 / 12:36 pm

    This made me laugh out loud!! It is so true. I had the debate with my hubby this week over the “sleeping in a nappy” issue – there was no way I was letting my 19 month old sleep in just his nappy I had the dread of what would be in his bed in the morning!

    • Laura
      Author
      July 4, 2015 / 1:11 am

      Haha it was the Mummmmmmmy. imagine the potential horror??

  5. July 3, 2015 / 12:41 pm

    You sound like me only a few months ago. It’s Winter in Australia, so we have a nice icy cold breeze happening right now. I love the hot weather though! But it is definitely a lot harder to deal with when you have young children. Just keep everything on ice…..the kids, the wine, the nappies….it will all make sense when you get really farking hot!! #effitfriday

  6. July 3, 2015 / 3:24 pm

    Oh gosh – we spent August in Dubai a few years back and every time I stepped out of the A/C I thought I was going to die. We went to the beach one day …. mistake – what a loon! #effitfriday

    • Laura
      Author
      July 4, 2015 / 12:53 am

      Haha!! Well now that wasn’t clever! X

  7. July 3, 2015 / 4:57 pm

    Love your funny take on what is a really irritating time of year. Made me smile during a time I’d normally be screaming. Thank you!! #TheList

    • Laura
      Author
      July 4, 2015 / 12:52 am

      Haha thabks Zoe, even though I live in the sun in Dubai it has taken to coming home to sunburn! X

  8. July 3, 2015 / 5:20 pm

    I’m blaming you for this heat!

    I think you snuck the Dubai weather onto the plane and unleashed it here!

    Not that I don’t love it during the day, it’s lovely.

    Night times are horrendous. I’m dreading this evening because it’s hot today (but not as hot as the other day!). Both kids refuse to sleep as it’s too hot, and even when we get them to bed, we can’t sleep as it’s too hot.

    Just added air conditioning as a priority in the new house… just after a bed and blackout curtains for the kids room.

    #effitfriday @twentyfirstmama

    • Laura
      Author
      July 4, 2015 / 12:49 am

      Yep. Don’t love it. Didn’t come for it!!!!! I wanted an English summer!!!!!!!xx

  9. July 3, 2015 / 8:19 pm

    Open your loft hatch, it usually helps cool upstairs down a little bit 🙂

    • Laura
      Author
      July 4, 2015 / 12:44 am

      No loft hatch! My mum’s house is a dormer bungalow the bedroom is the loft!

  10. July 4, 2015 / 12:23 am

    We’ve generally just been hanging out by the paddling pool at my mums house, my parents are away on holiday and mum left a freezer full of lollies and a fridge full of coke – amazing! x

    • Laura
      Author
      July 4, 2015 / 12:41 am

      Haha got to love mums! X

  11. Laura
    Author
    July 4, 2015 / 1:08 am

    Haha well I figure we have to have a bit of a British rant now and again!

  12. July 5, 2015 / 12:29 am

    Aww, you should come up to Scotland, not much of a heatwave here! Unfortunately there is sometimes (sometimes!) a tiny little bit of rain. 🙂 x

    • Laura
      Author
      July 6, 2015 / 12:25 am

      I’d love to come to Scotland I have never been! X

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