Canicule !

We all love hot sunny weather, particularly when on holiday however with a heatwave (or canicule as it's known in France) about to descend on us here in the Charente Maritime it's important to know how to look after you and your family as the thermometer rises.

Temperatures this week are set to reach 40c in some parts of the region which is exceptionally high for any time of year not just in June. When temperatures reach this level - that is equal to or above body temperature you have to give your body a helping hand to keep cool. The elderly and very young are particularly vulnerable and if you arn't careful there can be very serious consequences.

Do what the locals do ! When it gets this hot people sometimes ask why we don't have air conditioning - the reason is it doesn't get so hot so often that we need to ! With these old stone buildings with thick wallls and tiled floors it's actually quite easy to keep the cottage cool - you just need to do what the locals do.

• Keep doors and windows and shutters shut during the day - from 9am to 9pm at least. It's very tempting, particularly if there is a breeze to open the house up, but all you are doing is heating it to the outside temperature and it will feel like an oven at night.

• Open the house up at night. Keep your windows wide open to let the cool night air in and open the front and back doors up as early as possible so you get a few hours of cooler air circulating in the gite.

• If you a worried about mosquitoes, all the cottages have plug in devices, you just need to pick up the tablets to put in them. There are plenty of natural citronella type repellants you can use that are safe to use in the childrens rooms. Most people however get bitten, not when in bed but sat out in the evening when they are having a few drinks, so remember to put spray on at about 6pm or have citronella candles burning .

• Use the fans to circulate air in the room and have them blowing over bowls of iced water.

Follow the tips below to help keep your children cool and safe during hot weather.

• Playing in a paddling pool is a good way of keeping babies and children cool. Keep the pool in the shade during very hot weather and supervise the children carefully at all times. Use the curtains to help shade the toddler pool. The main pool has shade in parts in the late afternoon.
• Run them a cool (but not cold) bath before bedtime.
• Keep your child's bedroom cool during the day by closing blinds or curtains. You can also use a fan to circulate the air in the room. Do not have the fan blowing directly onto a baby but you can have it blowing over a bowl of iced water to help cool the air in the room.
• Keep nightwear and bedclothes to a minimum. Just a nappy is fine.
• Your baby will sleep most comfortably when their room is between 16C (61F) and 20C (68F). But this can be very difficult to maintain when outside temperatures are very hot. Hang damp sheets over the side of the cot (out of reach of baby) or around the room and as the water evaporates it will help cool the air a little.

• Babies less than 6 months old should be kept out of direct sunlight. Their skin contains too little melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their colour, and provides some protection from the sun.
• Older infants should also be kept out of the sun as much as possible, particularly in the summer and between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is at its strongest. If you go out when it's hot, attach a parasol or sunshade to your baby's pushchair to keep them out of direct sunlight.
• Apply a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to your baby's skin. Make sure the product also protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Many brands produce sunscreen specifically for babies and young children, as these products are less likely to contain additives that might irritate the skin. Apply the suncream about 30mins before going out and again just before going out to get maximum protection and then regularly throughout the day, particularly if your child is in and out of the sea or paddling pool.
• Make sure your child wears a sunhat with a wide brim or a long flap at the back to protect their head and neck from the sun.

• wear sunscreen, re apply regularly
• wear a hat which covers your neck too
• wear sunglasses
• stand in the shade as much as possible
• avoid physical activity
• avoid the hottest part of the day - stay inside, or visit an air conditioned attraction, the aquarium perhaps

Like adults, babies and young children need to drink plenty of fluids to avoid becoming dehydrated. With temperatures rising above body temp you should be drinking a sip or more every 15 mins

• If you're breastfeeding your baby, you don't need to give them water as well as breast milk. But they may want to breastfeed more than usual.
• If you're bottle feeding, as well as their usual milk feeds, you can give your baby a little water. If your baby wakes at night, they'll probably want milk. If they have had their usual milk feeds, try water as well.
• The tap water here is not recommended to give to infants regularly as it is high in nitrates so pick up some baby safe bottled water from the supermarket that has the 'baby bottle' symbol on it

For young children (and everyone) you can

• offer fruit snacks like watermelon
• ice pops
• diluted fruit juices (pure juice can increase dehydration)
• as well as plain water
• avoid icey cold drinks for young children as they can cause cramps

Have fun, enjoy the sun but STAY SAFE !!