I'm melting - please give me your tips for keeping cool!

[thanksamillion]

It's 35 here today and forecast 38 for Monday. We don't have air-con and no chance of getting it, and we have limited water supplies (enough to drink wash etc but not for paddling pools/playing). I'm keeping the curtains closed in the day and opening windows etc in the evening early morning but if you have any other fantastic tips please let me know (my DCs are 6, 4 and 1).

Wet wipes in the fridge
Ice cubes - use little water and you'll end up drinking them

Go to the library etc that is free and cool.... or a shopping centre that has free air con???

DO you have one room thats coller than the others? Our lounge is coller in the afternoon as the sun is other side of the house. We stay in after lunch for a few hours for a rest.

Eat cool things, make ice lolllies (frozen fruit juice etc)

Imagine its 6 months ago....

thanks appplepie! Hmmm yes 6 months ago we were snowed in and wearing 5 layers...

Liking the wet wipes idea. Sadly nearest shopping centre/library is a two hour drive and the air con in the car doesn't work.

I'm thinking that I need to change the DCs routine and persuade them to rest in the afternoon and play out in the evening when it's cooler but I really really value having quiet free evenings

yes, thats a good idea - up early in the morning, afternoon rest then up in the evening.

what do other families do? like the afternoon sleep and play in evening and early mornings. fill the bath with cold water and use it as a play area
portable air con units aren't really that much. use in a small room in your house and play there

Most DCs here stay up late anyway so I guess they probably so something like the afternoon rest thing. There certainly aren't many children out in the day time (unless they're looking after the cows!).

Air con isn't really a possibility because our power supply is a bit dodgy and I already have to unplug everything before I turn on the oven or hoover or it trips the switch .

I have discovered that one of the shops in the village has air con (I think they've got a generator) but it's the size of a small newsagents so has limited hanging around potential

Definitely go with the afternoon rest thing if you can... we lived in the south of France for several year, with similar temperatures to what you describe, and I resisted it with small DC for the same reasons as you - finally got into it in the last year and it made a huge difference. Put 1yo down for a nap and tell the older two they have to rest/read (if not sleep, though they probably will sleep after several days of new routine) in their own rooms, and then go and have some child-free time in your own room or lounge or whatever.

Do you have shutters at all?

Cool showers help a lot, even if they're really short.

Are there any swimming pools or water parks nearby-ish? That kind of thing can be great in the morning or very late afternoon.

Take towels and make them damp, lay them on the bed, lie yourself down and put an oscillating fan on. Works a treat. And when the towel dries, just re damp :-) When we were kids we used to ake it one step further and sleep on the kitchen floor, coolest tiles in the house!