To say this weather is causing me to become depressed

[allofusare]

I know it sounds like I’m some sort of misery reveller, after all long hot days are supposed to be what we all love, but I’m really, genuinely struggling.

I haven’t slept well for weeks due to the heat and neither have the children. Late nights and early wake ups. Stuffy bedrooms even with fans circulating,

During the day it’s so hot. When in work I feel like I’m slowly melting in stuffy classrooms with kids whining endlessly about water bottles and crackling ice. On my days off (I’m part time) it’s often overwhelming, especially in the middle of the day. Constantly worrying about the children burning - one insisted on standing outside yesterday just for the hell of it with no hat or sun cream and had to be dragged in forcefully. Everyone’s just irritable with one another, the car is like an oven when you get in it, flies, fucking FLIES.

And there’s this low level pressure to be out enjoying it. One of our soft play centres has actually put out an appeal just begging people to attend because the hot weather means it’s been empty for weeks.

I want autumn now. I want coolness and leaves turning and rain.

I was just going to say the same. Everyone is complaining of the heat, it's dull and raining here in south west Wales. I've just opened the curtains to more rain! I think there's only been 1 night in the last month where it's been too hot to sleep.

I think this is what I mean about my life just not being set up for this sort of thing; I have two very young children - I’m a way off sitting in a cinema!

Ah how erudite 🙄

I don't identify with this, I can't remember an age we didn't go to the cinema! Obviously to kids films.

And the fact that you're struggling makes you feel deeply miserable. I completely understand.

I think if you can afford a portable aircon machine to cool down one room, that would help. Spend time playing in that room. Have a picnic, that sort of thing.

When you're not somewhere cool, it's absolutely shit. I love M and S Food Hall when it's hot, but that's not somewhere you can stay for long with small children

Sending love ❤️

For goodness sake, it’s summer! It’s cold, wet and miserable for vast majority of year. Get over it

I get it. I don't do well in the heat, but I think you need to calm yourself to get through it. You do sound a bit irrational (i understand as the heat can make me irrational). You need to slow the pace as much as you can. Make sure you're dressing in natural fabrics. Get a paddling pool stick the kids and your feet in it. Yes we have to be vigilant with suncream but wrestling a kid in because they've been outside for 10mins is a bit of an overreaction. Salads and 'picky' food. Fans and wet towels to the windows. Fully air the house every morning to let the cool air in. If you can afford it get an air-conditioning unit. As for all this business about pressure to be out and about- you decide what you do, learn to not gaf what anyone else if doing or thinking. It will pass.

@allofusare

oh and your kids don’t wanna wear a hat…so what?? They’ll be fine. Spray them with spf, (aerosol easier than cream) - job done!

I do understand that for those who love the heat and the sun, it's utterly bizarre to hear people struggling in that weather

I really struggle. Hay fever, sinus infections, heart palpitations, hives, heat rashes, low BP, dizziness, swollen joints, pain.....and a feeling of overwhelm and mild dissociation. Its bloody horrible.

I get over it when it cools down. 😎

You dragged your child forcefully for standing in the sun? Surely a few minutes or even a bit longer with no cream or hat won’t hurt them? We do need some vitamin D you know.

Im also a teacher and find dressing in cotton or linen skirts and a light top keeps me quite cool. Keeping the classroom a bit quieter than normal and having extra downtime to cool down after breaks helps. It’s the one time I have no problem with water bottles. I’m drinking more too so why shouldn’t they?

It sounds like you’re quite anxious about it and fretting which makes the heat worse. Just try to do less, dress for the heat, keep hydrated.

Im sorry you’re struggling but it’s summer, probably all we’ll get and it’ll be back to freezing days and rain soon enough!

I’m sure some people just like being arsey on here!

Full context: we came in from a day at a national trust place; everyone is boiling hot, thirsty and the sun is burning down. Our garden is big and while there are trees they are at the other end of the garden. I say to DCs to come in and get some water. Older DC in an obtuse sort of mood so refuses and stood outside under a blazing sun with a bright red face sweating. So yes I did make him come inside!

I’m not an anxious parent and by MN standards am generally at the lower end but I do have two very blonde children with blue eyes and fair skin so I can’t be too cavalier about it. And they are very young (both preschool age.)

Tbh though it’s more the sleep. I’m not sleeping enough and neither are my children and it’s making everyone grumpy!

Good grief - it really doesn't get that hot in the UK, and it's about time people started learning how to deal with it. Who on earth are all these people dying from the heat?

Just to say I agree with you OP. There’s not much I enjoy about hot weather.

I also find myself really anxious about climate change and these very hot spells feel like harbingers of doom to me, and I just can’t enjoy them because of that. I associate them more and more with encroaching climate change.

I teach in a school where we have a big proportion of students with an Asian background and they are all in agreement it’s hot!

The neurodivergent people with crappy temperature regulation and the people on medication which also affects their temp regulation, for a start.

This.
We've got very windy weather where I am this weekend too.
Been drizzle/rain lots of last week.

The issue is, its not reliably like this every summer. If it was, we’d all have air-con and swimming pools…
I don’t mind the heat if I’ve nothing to do but its a bit much to work in, and thats why the Mediterraneans siesta and go to work in the evenings.

I feel the same. I love spring but summers is too much for me. The pressure and lack of options where I live is hard too. Bring in cosy autumn!

Some of them haven't. 🤔

I’m normally happy in the summer but this year we have a newborn and trying to keep him cool has been hard and it’s only June. I’m hoping he gets used to it by the high summer heatwaves.

Yep I’m not a fan of 30+ temps either (SE England here).

We need rain badly for the garden. Sun is so fierce it’s little fun doing much outside. We have a few jobs to do outside but not fancying pulling up driveway bricks in this heat! We have an 8 month old and she’s tossing and turning more at night. Good drying weather on the upside 😂

I don’t want autumn to come but I want the heatwaves to break! Low 20s fine by me!

ETA I’m loving the pp who doesn’t believe in excess heat-related deaths, that’s those silly dead people told 😂

I agree with you OP
the fucking flies drive me mad, last weekend every time I fed my sons cat he would leave some in the bowl and id go back in the kitchen to find bloody flies around his bowl (and fly eggs in the food!!!) Fucking vile. I had to keep throwing away his food and take the bin bags to the dump to avoid maggots.
The only good thing about this weather is getting loads of washing done

It does get hot in the UK regularly now and we are not geared up for it in our housing stock or infrastructure.

Apart from that I’m another one who reported that post. It’s concerning to see that it’s 8.45 and still there. Why is overnight moderation not yet a thing? There could also be a ‘this was deleted at’ time stamp for transparency.

Another vote here for an AC unit. Worth every single penny and I saw some in LIDL last week and they all come with a three year warranty

life is far too short to be this miserable so change it, don’t suffer