Preparing children for cold weather
The Northwest Missouri area is expected to experience polar air throughout the next week, leading parents/guardians to ensure that children are well prepared for the temperatures.
Stephanie Malita, a health educator with the City of St. Joseph's Health Department, recommends that children bundle up and wear several layers of clothing.
"The thing to do to help kids stay safe outside is layers," Malita said. "So layers of clothing, layers of coats. Make sure as much skin as possible is covered so we don't get frostbite."
Save the Children, a charitable organization based in Fairfield, Connecticut advises parents/guardians to dress infants and young children in an extra layer than the amount that adults typically wear.
After children come back inside from being in the cold, Malita suggests that cold and wet items of clothing, such as gloves and hats, should be removed so the child can be exposed to the warmer indoor air.
Malita recommends using a "buddy system" to make sure that kids are safe outside in the cold.
"If they're really young kids, adults need to be out there supervising," Malita said. "But even if they're a little bit older, you know in maybe that eight to 12-year-old range, have a buddy system so they're not outside by themselves and they can kind of keep an eye on each other."
The recent winter weather conditions created slick and snowy roadways, resulting in vehicles having trouble with stopping and sliding.
City road crews have deployed snow-removal vehicles and are working their way through the streets, making them safer.
Malita added that it is important to inform to children to stay away from the road, advising kids against walking or playing near vehicles as well as snow-removal equipment.
"And that sounds like a simple thing, but when there's not as much traffic, its a little more enticing to go down the street, especially if it's on a hill," Malita said. "But vehicles have difficulty stopping and making turns. So if there's a child out in the street on a sled or makeshift skis of some kind, a car may not be able to avoid them. So stay off the streets. Find a safer place at a park to ski and sled and that kind of thing."
Malita suggests making sure children drink something warm after coming inside, such as hot chocolate or hot tea.
A final, but vital warning shared by Malita is to ensure that children aren't outside in the cold for too long. Parents/guardians should remain vigilant for signs of frostbite and hypothermia.
