Beating the Heat the Kids’ Way
For weeks now, the days have been really hot. The heat from the sun feels like it’s going to burn our skin. Even if we stay indoors, we can still feel the heat in the air. And the sunlight is too bright. We find ourselves squinting at daytime.
“Kate, have you just taken a shower? Your hair is dripping. Please use the towel to dry yourself,” Kuya Kevin told me.
“No, Kuya. This is sweat. I was just washing the dishes but it was too hot in the kitchen. It is hot here in the living room, too. I’ve been changing my shirt since this morning. Even the electric fan isn’t helping. I don’t know what else to do.” I sat down on the sofa feeling defeated.
He took a used piece of cardboard and used it as a fan on me. “Does this feel better?” he asked.
“No, Kuya. It doesn’t feel any different from what the electric fan is giving off.”
I went to the room and changed into dry clothes. After I tied my hair up in a ponytail, Kuya Kevin called me from the kitchen. “Kate, would you like some ice candy?” I ran down the stairs in excitement when I heard this, only to find some fruits and plastic containers.
“Let’s make some fruity ice candy!” Kuya Kevin announced. I didn’t complain because I knew I’d enjoy eating them when they’re ready. While we were working, we talked about other ways to stay cool in this hot weather. This was the list we came up with:
• Wear sunglasses to avoid squinting. They will protect your eyes from harmful rays of the sun.
• Eat watery fruits like watermelon, turnips, pineapples, oranges and apples. The juice in them will help cool down your body.
• Play with toys that involve water. You’ll have a blast squirting toy guns and throwing water balloons. Games that involve these allow you to stay cool while running around.
• Swim in a make-shift pool. You can use a big basin full of water or any water container where you can sit in or lie down.
“Most importantly, we should drink plenty of water regularly. Sweating uses up the water in our body, so if we don’t replenish it, we’ll run the risk of getting dehydrated,” Kuya Kevin explained.
When our parents came home from work that night, they were so happy to see the ice candy already frozen. “These are so good. I’m glad you found a way to fight the heat in a healthy way,” Mama said as she transferred one into her bowl.