How do parents deal with the heat

[Anonymous]

Hydrate really well. Not just that day but all week. Wear a hat. Bring a healthy snack to keep blood sugar up so you don’t faint. I wear flip flops when I time and when we are switching sides of the pool I’ll step into the top step of the shallow end stairs if I can, even just a 5 second dip helps a lot. There are cooling fans, cooling towels, these newer things that just looks like an iced back in the shape of a horseshoe. I haven’t used but looks nice.

It’s almost over!

[Anonymous]

I’ve also been acclimating myself to heat by minimally using the AC. Our indoor house temp is around 80. So when I go outside, it’s not a blast of heat. I use a neck fan, drink ice water, use a neck fan and stay in the shade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're not volunteering, there's no need to be there. Stay home. Or maybe if you were working the meet, you wouldn't be so focused on being hot. Drink a lot of water and wear a hat. It's not that deep.

It is that deep if you're not used to it, but my tip is make sure you're not dehydrating overnight before. Keep your room cooler if you need to. I feel a lot better in the heat when I've been drinking enough water all week and not already waking up dehydrated.

[Anonymous]

I work deck jobs every meet and here is what's been working for me - long-sleeved UPF 50 shirt (not a rash guard, a quick-dry white button up), hat/visor, cooling towel, neck fan, and a large water bottle with liquid IV or Gatorade. I make myself drink every few heats, even if I'm not thirsty.

The long-sleeved shirt has been a game-changer. My arms are so much cooler blocked from the sun. Neck towel gets dipped in the pool every new stroke, or doused in cold water (depending on where I'm standing).

I did still take a cold shower and a 2 hour nap yesterday, but I didn't feel awful, unlike previous meets. I just like to nap when I get the opportunity.

[Anonymous]

What I learned after my foray into surgical menopause (and can’t have HRT so I was doubly screwed):

1) Rechargable portable neck fan. I got a two pack from Amazon, so I charge and bring both. You want the kind where the air blows up around your neck from vents on the top.

2) Drink a substantial amount before you leave the house.

3) Don’t keep your water too cold (somewhat cold is okay, but super cold has made me feel hotter and sicker)

4) Have a packet of liquid iv or a bottle of Gatorade

5) If you’re volunteering, drink every chance you get

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your child’s actually swimming is over in minutes. Stay in the shade until his/her event.

Thank you, I’ll take this advice. Once my kid is done swimming 2/3 of the way through the meet, should I immediately put away the start system, or have you volunteered to clean up?

[Anonymous]

Frozen bottled water, cooling towel plus neck fan, hat and sunglasses, and of course sunscreen ( bug spray if sitting in grassy area). Find shade if possible.

[Anonymous]

These are great tips

I will add:
- Not all shade is equal - grass is 20-40 F cooler than concrete. Set up under a tree.

- pre-hydrate before the event

- take a cool shower before you leave and leave hair damp

- drink the coldest beverages that you can. Ingesting cold fluids is very effective in lowering your body temp. A smoothie in a thermos, drinks that are mostly ice, frozen blueberries, etc.

- bring a cooler with reusable frozen cold packs. I have ones from Amazon that are made to go around the neck and some that are arm sleeves. Put them over your arteries (radial, brachial) and right on your palms and soles of your feet (where your body excels at releasing heat) and they will cool you faster.

[Anonymous]

It’s been really rough on me this season and yesterday was no exception. I’m finding that I overheat easily this year—maybe perimenopause related? I drink tons of cold water, sit in the shade, wear a sun hat and wear breathable fabrics. However, I almost can’t function by the end of the meet because I’m so sweaty, uncomfortable and exhausted. One problem is that I have no appetite when I’m so hot, so I’m probably not eating as much as I should. I ended up with a bad headache yesterday and couldn’t do much the rest of the day. I’m kind of glad the summer swim season is nearly over.

[Anonymous]

At our pool the majority of the parents are under a canopy. It makes all the difference on a hot summer day.

[Anonymous]

I bring my suit to every meet and jump in at the end. When we are home, this is easy. When we are away, I usually tell a friend and they ok it. (Been doing this a while and have a bizarre number of swim friends) If you're at a B meet, this is going to be harder. Maybe a cool shower will have to suffice.

[Anonymous]

Freeze water bottles, neck fan, cooling towels, hats, lots of water, send spouse.

[Anonymous]

I’m an mcsl rep who posts on some of these threads — we’ve started doing a halftime tradition of everyone getting in the pool to splash around at our home meets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bring my suit to every meet and jump in at the end. When we are home, this is easy. When we are away, I usually tell a friend and they ok it. (Been doing this a while and have a bizarre number of swim friends) If you're at a B meet, this is going to be harder. Maybe a cool shower will have to suffice.

What? This is so weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bring my suit to every meet and jump in at the end. When we are home, this is easy. When we are away, I usually tell a friend and they ok it. (Been doing this a while and have a bizarre number of swim friends) If you're at a B meet, this is going to be harder. Maybe a cool shower will have to suffice.

Aren't you dying standing around sweating in a swimsuit under clothes?!

I only know one mom who jumps in adjacent to a swim meet, and she's kind of attention-seeking. I'm a swimmer and would love to be in the water the entire time the kids are, but it feels like it's not the time for adults to be doing that, especially since it's not the only way to cool off.