Dubai: With the daytime temperature rising as high as 49C, mothers try to stop their children from stepping out of their air-conditioned homes.
Using a hair dryer may seem irrelevant to some as hot winds blow away even the last speck of moisture in the air, leaving their children feeling dehydrated.
Gulf News readers try their best to help their children beat the heat.
Almira Cruz Sison, a Filipino expatriate, tries to make her nine-year-old son stay indoors during the day.
She said: "I encourage my son to drink a lot of water. Whenever he goes out, I ask him to take an umbrella, which protects him from the sun. In the summer he only wears sleeveless shirts."
Sarwat Rizwan, a Pakistani expatriate, is trying very hard to convince her boys to start eating fruits.
She said: "I have reduced their intake of fried food and give them juicy fruits instead. It is a little hard to change their habit, but I have noticed that when they come home they look flushed and are sunburnt. I have also purchased a sunscreen and I am trying to get them to apply it every day."
Patricia Tamerhoulet, an American expatriate, makes sure her children are well hydrated.
She said: "I make them eat a lot of fruits and vegetables that have high water content, such as cucumbers.
"Whenever we go to the beach, I take along a lot of juices for them to drink. They prefer to wear light clothing such as cotton and linen since it helps them keep cool."
Dr Arpitha Reddy, an Indian expatriate, pays special attention to her children's clothing.
She said: "I make sure they do not wear closed shoes. In this heat, it is better for them to wear sandals or slippers."
Reddy is the founder of dubaimoms.com, a free informative portal for mothers in the Middle East.
She advises mothers to make their children wear a hat when leaving the home.
Additionally, she believes that children should wear sunscreen every day.
Tips to keep your pet safe during the summer
Source: Dr. Katrin Jahn, owner and head veterinary in the German Veterinary Clinic.
• Dogs
Ideal timings to walk your dog is at 6:00am and after sundown or when it's dark
Always make sure your dog has access of fresh water
Carrying a water bottle while walking your dog is very important to avoid dehydration
Walk your dog in areas where they can sniff around. There are plenty of beaches that accept dogs, in the Bateen area and on Salam Street, Abu Dhabi
• Cats
Apartment cats don't have a problem but if you have a garden make sure you have a cat flap on a door so that your cat isn't stuck in outdoors during the heat
If you have adopted a stray cat and want to help make sure you get them to a shaded or cool area and provide them with water constantly
• Rabbits
Have a very fragile circulation system and require to stay in a cool area or in a climatized room from 25 to 26 degrees otherwise they would die from overheat
• Birds
Birds live under different weather conditions depending on their native habitat
Make sure they have access of fresh water at all times and that their fresh fruits are replaced constantly since fruits can ruin in the heat
• Important advice
Do not leave your animals in car, even if your roll the windows down, lots of animals have been reported to die that way. Two hamsters have recently over heated and died due to the owner leaving them in the back of a car. Without the engine running, the animal will not survive.
Your comments
Apply sun block on the face (or any part exposed to the sun). And, make sure that you have drinking water with you wherever you go out - refill water bottles.
Kimmy
Urdaneta City,PHILIPPINES
Posted: May 29, 2009, 16:02
A doctor friend had advised to follow these tips to avoid sunstroke, in case a trip in the sun is absolutely unavoidable: Keep cold water handy, wear light-coloured loose clothing
Alok Mohan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 29, 2009, 12:00
