Dryness, cold air can be difficult for kids and their health. Warm food, proper clothing, flu vaccines are important parts of winter care for kids during the pandemic.
Happy Holidays people. Hope you all are enjoying the winter and the festivities all cuddled up at home. It is the perfect weather to be cozy, put on your fuzzy socks, and sip through cups of hot chocolate! However, with the festivities winter also brings along dryness, cold, flu, and many other challenges that are particularly difficult for kids. Special winter care for kids during the pandemic is important – starting with their clothing to the kind of foods they eat.
India is a tropical country but parts of India do get chilly during winters. Last year around November we had visited Ooty – a popular hill station in Tamil Nadu. At night it got so chilly we asked for a room heater at night! We were totally not prepared for such a chilly night. So proper winter care for kids must be taken to keep them safe and healthy.
Why you need separate winter care for kids during the pandemic?
Small kids don’t have a properly developed immune system to fight viruses – they are vulnerable to winter-related flu. The cold air and dryness can give rise to health problems, dry skin. Specially in the middle of the pandemic, you don’t want your kids to catch a viral fever to get down with cold and cough.
Here are 10 Tips on Winter care for kids during the pandemic that will help you keep them warm, safe, and away from winter-related troubles.
#1 Keep them hydrated
We tend to drink less water during winters because we don’t sweat much. But it is important to keep yourself and your kids hydrated. Warm water, fresh fruit juice, soups, warm milk, hot chocolate – everything goes well. Orange juice, sweet lime juices are best in winters because they are rich in Vitamin C. Soups and hot chocolate will not only keep them hydrated but will keep them warm too.
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#2 Don’t Forget Vitamin D – The Good Old Sun
In a hot country like India, winters are the best times to soak up the sun and get the much needed Vitamin D. Kids are mostly indoors these days – thanks to the pandemic. All their outdoor sports classes are suspended; they are spending most of their time at home with online classes. A few minutes in the morning sun or the afternoon sun is great for their body, skin, and bones.
The sun is not very strong in winters. Let them play on your terrace or balcony with a ball or with their toys so that they can soak up some sun.
#3 Warm Clothing
One of the most important tips on Winter Care for Kids during the pandemic is to dress them in proper winter clothes. Depending on which part of India you stay in, you might need to layer winter clothing well for kids.
For infants and toddlers footed rompers are the best ways to keep them warm at all times. For preschoolers and little bigger kids consider thermals, woolen sweaters or jackets and layer them with scarves or mufflers when required.
If you are taking them out don’t forget to use woolen beanies and gloves. I give an earmuff to my son when we go out in the evenings. The cold air getting in the ear is not a good thing for kids.
Use blankets or comforters or quilts at night for a good night’s sleep.
#4 Hot Oil Massage and Warm Bath
Hot oil massage is not just good for the skin but also helps in bone development. Massage your baby and older kids with warm coconut oil and baby oil that suits them.
Take a bowl of hot water and place another small bowl on it. Pour some oil into the smaller bowl and let it warm up. This way you will not lessen any property of the oil. Massage the warm oil on your kids.
Let the oil sit on the skin for a few minutes and follow it with a warm bath. It will keep them warm and is thoroughly relaxing.
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#5 Hydrating Winter Lotions
Just how a hot oil massage helps to hydrate the skin, cold creams and winter creams are great to form a skin block to keep dryness at bay. Winter dryness can give itchy flaky skin. Massage cold creams or lotions specially made for winter on their skin at least twice a day.
Choose body lotions for kids that are rich in milk cream or coconut cream or have shea butter in them. Similarly use a lip balm to keep their lips hydrated.
Tips: Few drops of plain desi ghee works like a wonder for lips.
#6 Invest in a Humidifier
Invest in a humidifier for your child if you find them having symptoms of cold and flu. Winter Care for Kids during the pandemic can get challenging if they end up with a cough or a wheez. The dry air can create the problem of whizz. Invest in a humidifier or use a steamer to maintain the moisture level in the room.
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#7 Warm Foods for Winter
India is such a rich country with its culture. Every region has so many different kinds of seasonal food. Some of these seasonal foods help to keep you warm and are highly nutritious. Try making thukpa, sarson ka saag, bajra khichdi, gond ka laddu, gajar ka halwa, chikki with mixed nuts.
Honey, dry fruits, ghee, ginger, cloves, sesame, garlic are ingredients that help you keep yourself warm. Try to use these in your regular food. These are immunity-boosting foods and are a must for winter care for kids during the pandemic.
When I bake a cake or cookies in winter I try to add warm spices – cinnamon, cloves, dry ginger – they not only add taste but they are warming spices.
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#8 Serve them fruit platter
For older kids, serve a fruit platter regularly. Whole fruit is better than consuming juice because they retain the fiber. Orange, sweet lime, guava and rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps in formation of WBC or white blood cells which strengthens the immune system. Vitamin C is also a powerful anti-oxidant and acts against harmful free radicals.
#9 Beat the Flu
Flu vaccines are important for kids. Do not miss the vaccines and their booster doses. Every year new booster doses are introduced and November, December are the best ties to get the yearly flu vaccine done. Right now, in the middle of the pandemic flu is the last thing you want your kids to catch.
#10 Maintain hygiene levels at one time
This is probably the best lesson this pandemic has taught us – our hygiene levels. Ask kids to wash their hands regularly and sanitize them. Clean the woolens with proper woolen care antibacterial liquids.
I am enjoying the winter with my family in Bangalore and we are not travelling this year. It is cool here and you don’t need too much layering. However, the cyclone in Tamil Nadu got use few weeks of cold showers. So we are enjoying smores and hot chocolates and loads of cupcakes and cookies! I hope these tips on winter care for kids during the pandemic will help you in keeping your kids warm and safe.
Till next time.
Cheers.
16 comments
We don’t have winter in Kerala but I will keep note of the tips while visiting places. Since I am not uses to winter, there tips would help
When there is nip in the air, we need to be prepared. You ha e pointed out some very helpful tips. Some are the ones we tend to ignore
Winter care is must for kids. Their skin gets dry very quickly. I make sure to do oil massage for my son every weekend. It helps in keeping his soft. I am happy that you mentioned hydration. Water intake is less during winters. As far as water is concerned, I give lukewarm water to my kids. It helps them in keeping up with water intake and also it helps in digestion too.
Wow those footed rompers are looking so cute, would love to have them for my family aa well. Your tips are so great and you had covered all points with good detailing. Maintaining a hydration is must during winter and sometimes we forget that unconsciously.
These are some really helpful tips Tina I have not used humidifiers but after reading your post I really feel we must surely have one at home
Wow I think I do only 5 of the above. I definitely never thought of having a humidifier. But I think I should check this one out.
Winter care tips by you in the post are a complete guide for all the parents. Shall share with new mommies who get hyper as the temperature drops. I am happy that I follow most of the pointers here.
Winter care is must for kids specially when it starts .I also get worried about hydration as Water intake is less during winters. But i try to maintain that . Some very useful tips
Winter care for kids is very important as it can really harm their skin and health if proper care is not taken. I have also written a similar blog sharing tips on winter care for kids.
Winters can be tough on our body. If we dont take extra care then we might end up sick or suffer from low immunity. The main reason for these is the low temperatures that favour growth if many micro organisms in the atmosphere. Hence we need to up our immunity game
Yes, winters in the North are really harsh and can be troublesome for kids if proper care is not taken. These tips are really helpful, I was also thinking of getting a humidifier as the air has now become too crisp and dry. Thanks for the tips.
Winter is full of fun and adventure, but cold weather can be dangerous for children. And dehydration is something which is quite common during winters. And parents should protect kids from cold and flu during winters. You mentioned some amazing points here. Thanks for sharing.
These tips will help parents to take care of their kids during winter. Humidifier is a must product.
Baby skin needs utmost care during winter, most of the kids encounter dry and chapped skin in winter due to lack of skin care. Great tips for kid’s winter care.
In Delhi, where we live, winter temperatures can drop significantly around January. Heaters are an absolute must. And for children who are more prone to cold and cough, it is important to wear an extra layer of woollen clothes, apply moisturizer and cold cream, and cover their ears, feet, whenever possible. Nice post as always, Tina 👍
Babies e most people to Winter and it’s side effects so it is v very important to take due care of them at any cost. You have covered all the vital points. Great detailing.