Preparing our children for the Harmattan Season

Its almost December and as the dry season creeps in on us, we know what comes along with it Harmattan! The season we all love and hate at the same time.

We love it for the holidays, schools are closed, no more long hours in traffic, and of course time to travel and visit loved ones. But then again we hate it for its tell-tale signs of dust, cold, cracked skin and allergies. With so much dust moving around, this season brings along cough, catarrh and sore throat.

The weather is very deceptive, this minute, it is very hot, the next minute, it is cold; or the sun is shining, yet there is a chill in the air. Parents need a lot of wisdom when it comes to taking care of their children during harmattan.

So the question is; how do we protect and prepare our children for during the harmattan season? Here are some tips that should help.

Care of the body

• Bathe them with warm water. This protects against direct cold, and many children seem to love it! You can also decide to put some Mentholatum on their chests and the soles of their feet at night to stay warm.
• With every diaper change, you may want to moisturize their buttocks. Some mothers do this with shea butter. After a warm bath, apply Rub on the sides, chest and feet. This keeps them warm.
• Always moisturize their bodies – Shea Butter is a great product to stay moisturized. Some mothers also mix whatever cream they use with olive oil.
• You may also apply a little Vaseline on the lips. You want to avoid the lips getting cracked and bleeding.
• Give them lots of water to drink and fruits to eat as this helps to build their immunity.
• Find ways to make warm interesting for them; warm food, warm tea, this is a season to stay away from ice cream and chilled water.

Dressing

This is a season to have an extra layer on, usually in the mornings when it is very cold you might want to wear a singlet or undershirt under their clothes. Also let them have a sweater handy at all times and they can cress up or down as the weather gets hotter during the day.

For the girls, please ensure that their hair is made and to keep it moisturized. You might want to let them spend more time in the house at this time to protect them from the dry, dusty air during Harmattan.

Deal with Cracked Skin 

• Dip black teabags into lukewarm water, when it is warm, place it over the lips.
• Honey is very useful when it comes to broken lips. Apply it to the broken lips and leave it there. Good it is sweet, trust the children will come for more.
• You can also use shea butter. Avoid using lip balms meant for adults as much as you can as children can lick these.

Health 

• It is common place to experience excessive sneezing, cough, catarrh and even nasal bleeding. Any pre-existing chronic chest infection like asthma should be dealt with special precaution by reducing exposure to the dusty atmosphere, in addition they should have their inhaler with them all the times.
• The harmattan also triggers sickle cell crisis in those with sickle cell anaemia. Oxygen in blood is usually reduced in extremes of temperatures, like cold. Thus, patients with Sickle cell anaemia should be take precaution and keep warm as much as possible to prevent a crisis.
• Prompt treatment of respiratory symptoms like cough, catarrh, and others is important so it does not lead to a secondary infection.

Courtesy: Lagosmums.com

Image (courtesy: google – children picture)

Security Tips for the Christmas Holidays

While the Christmas season is a time for giving, for thieves and burglars, it is a unique season for taking; stealing from you, your hard-earned money. For this reason, we can never be too careful, too prepared or too aware. Read more...

While the Christmas season is a time for giving, for thieves and burglars, it is a unique season for taking your hard-earned money, gifts and possessions. They may ultimately rob you of all the joy and sense of goodness that the holidays are all about. We must also be security conscious as there are people out there with a different agenda from ours. For this reason, we can never be too careful, too prepared or too aware.

Here are some security tips that can be of great value during this yuletide season.

Cars
• Park your cars in a well-lighted area.
• Avoid driving alone especially at night.
• Keep all car doors locked and windows closed while in or out of your car. Also ensure to set your alarm and other anti-theft devices.
• Don’t park your car too far from your destination and always take note of where your car is parked.
• Do not leave packages or valuables on the seat of your car. This creates temptation for thieves. If you must leave something in the car, lock it in the trunk or put it out of sight.
• Keep a secure hold on your purse, handbag and parcels. Do not put them down or on top of the car in order to open the door.
• If there are suspicious people in the area, ask the mall or store security for an escort before leaving your shopping location. Do not approach your car alone.

Children
• If possible, leave small children at home with a trusted babysitter.
• Teach children to stay close to you at all times while shopping.
• Never allow children to make unaccompanied trips to the restroom.
• Children should never be allowed to go to the car alone and they should never be left alone in the car.
• Teach children to immediately inform you if a stranger is bothering them.

Shopping
• It is advisable to shop during the day, but if you must shop at night, ensure to go with a friend or family member.
• Avoid wearing expensive items when shopping.
• Do not carry a purse or wallet, if possible.
• Even when in a rush and thinking about a thousand things, stay alert to your surroundings.
• Avoid carrying cash as much as possible. Pay for purchases with your debit card.
• Keep available cash in your front pocket.
• Notify your bank immediately if your debit card is lost or stolen.
• Beware of strangers approaching you for any reason.

Home
• Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even for a few minutes.
• Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied.
• Increase your home security by installing solid core doors, heavy duty locks and other security devices.

Traffic 
• Keep your bags and valuables out of sight, make use of your glove compartment or boot.
• Keep your car doors locks and windows wound up.
• Avoid street hawkers (some may be street robbers in disguise).
• Don’t be distracted while driving; pay attention to your surroundings.
The above tips could set us in the right direction for a safe Christmas celebration.

Merry Christmas!

Source: gtbank.com