Raise your hand if you’re lovin’ this summer weather! June is one of my favorites, because it’s not quite the hottest part of the summer, and everyone is still hyped up on the excitement of being out of school! It’s easy to find things to do outside and it seems that most of the day is spent outdoors. This is a great way to get fresh air and sunshine- and also heat stroke. As much fun as the summer weather is, if you’re not careful, you can be in a world of dehydration hurt!

We learned this the hard way a couple weeks back. We went to breakfast as a family, and spent hours outside at various nurseries looking for a tree to plant in our front yard. I brought water bottles with us to make sure everyone was staying hydrated…. Unfortunately, my 6 year old got too caught up in the fun and never drank from his! I’m usually pretty good about reminding my kids to drink water, but I definitely failed this day! Later that evening he didn’t want to eat anything, which was a big hint to me that something was wrong. I thought maybe he had the sore throat and fever I had had the previous week- but then he threw up, and I realized the problem. He literally hadn’t drinken anything all day! After looking around at the nurseries we had visited Grandma and Grandpa’s, and he was too busy playing with cousins to care about water- until he got sick that is ;).

Luckily, that was the worst of it and we were able to get him to keep water down and everything turned out fine- but it easily could have resulted in a much scarier scenario! This was a great reminder that as we’re out and about and enjoying the sunshine- hydration is critical. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are no joke, for kids or adults. The obvious solution is to drink tons of water- but sometimes that’s easier said than done. Here are few helpful tips to make sure you and your family are getting the water intake you need.

*Bring water with you EVERYWHERE. Even if you’re just running a quick errand, you never know when an emergency will hit, when an errand will take longer than expected, or if it’s a little hotter than you predicted- it’s always better to have water on hand! Don’t rely on the fact that there may be water available where you’re going- just be safe and bring it with you anyway!

*Set alarms/timers. Some people just really don’t think about drinking water- if you’re one of them, there are apps, and even water bottles you can purchase that can literally remind you to drink water. But you don’t need anything fancy- just a basic kitchen timer can be a great tool to help you remember to drink water! Keep in mind- if you’re already thirsty, you’ve waited too long!

*Eat summer fruit. Eating fruit in it’s season has many perks, and in summer time one of those perks is hydration! Produce like watermelon, raspberries, and cucumbers have a high water content and are a great way to get a little extra water intake. Many summer fruits also have electrolytes, which aid in hydration- so they have an added bonus as well!

*Make it fun- for you and kids! Add some Crystal Light, make frozen watermelon popsicles, get a fun water bottle or crazy straw- anything that makes water intake more exciting and less mundane ;).

*Keep a water bottle around the house. We don’t always want to take the effort to walk downstairs to the kitchen, but if you carry a water bottle around the house with you, you’ll be much more likely to take sips as you’re going about your daily tasks!

*Avoid going outside in the heat of the day. Try to get your outside playtime during the cool morning or evening hours, and leave the hot, sticky afternoons for inside reading time! If your family is going to be outside, bring plenty of water, remind your children to drink frequently, and try to keep as cool as you can by wearing appropriate clothing and sticking to the shade!

What do you do to make sure your family stays hydrated in the summer months?