Jean in Newcastle Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 that you just want to throw caution to the wind? I live in a pretty safe neighborhood. Most crime here is car prowl/theft. There is the occasional opportunistic b & e. There hasn't been a rape or murder here in years, according to the local paper. But normally I do close and lock the kid's windows at night because they are over the garage where it would be easy to climb up and into them. And I always lock the slider to the back deck because the dogs are in their crates at night and couldn't deter someone who came in through the back yard. (And truth be told, even if they were out there there is a 50/50 chance that they'd lick them to death before they bit them). But it is hot and we don't have a/c. I feel so tempted to leave those windows and slider open. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 I would. It is so d**n hot in this house I'd do anything to cool off. I'm awake at 2:36 because it is too hot to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hathersage Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 (edited) Can you have the kids camp out downstairs? I think it would be way to hot to sleep in their rooms. And yes I would open up the house. ETA: I think heat exhausion is much more likely than someone breaking in. Edited July 8, 2010 by Hathersage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 We open up the house, also sleeping under a damp sheet (I put ours in the washing machine for a rinse and spin) can really help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 another tip I have heard, is to put the kids PJ's in the freezer for 15 minutes before they go to bed. they usually stay cool long enough for the kids to fall asleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 We open up the house, also sleeping under a damp sheet (I put ours in the washing machine for a rinse and spin) can really help. Yes, we did this in both Japan and the Philippines. In Japan it would happen naturally because of the humidity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 another tip I have heard, is to put the kids PJ's in the freezer for 15 minutes before they go to bed. they usually stay cool long enough for the kids to fall asleep. Ooo. I'd never heard of this one! Forget the kid's pjs. I want to do this to mine! P.S. I was too chicken to not lock the windows. But I have certain windows that don't have easy access all open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 My kids are on the first floor, with sliding windows. Because they don't quite have the dexterity to use the special slider locks you can buy (our actual window locks are useless- just lift and slide from the outside :glare:), they have 2 dowels to put in the track - one long enough to keep it completely closed, and one long enough to open it for air, but not long enough to be able to climb through. Still, our kids tend to camp out in the living room when it's really hot (like now). Two are in top bunks, so the hot air tends to linger around them more. While each bedroom has a single window, our living room has 2 on each end, making it much more comfortable. Cool baths/showers before jammies seems to help, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisamarie Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 I wish my DH would read this. He thinks I'm crazy that I won't leave the windows open at night. Sorry, we live in a ranch, not gonna happen. Even when we were in our old house and on the 2nd story, it had to be really hot for me to leave the kids' windows open because they were by the garage and easy to access. When it got really hot, I'd open them because it could get REALLY hot in there (dangerously so I would say). I wish I'd thought of the dowel suggestion back then because the windows were side sliders. I remember one stretch where it didn't get below 85 at night and we ended up keeping all the doors open with fans blowing from our room with the window a/c unit into the kids' rooms to try to get some colder air into their rooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Ditto on the dowels. They allow the window to open enough for some air to get in, but not far enough for someone to climb through. The kids also have ceiling fans in their rooms, and when it's cooler outside I sometimes set a small fan near the partially-opened window in order to suck in the cool air faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Dogs are a good warning system. Even the sweetest mutt will smell a stranger coming long before you do. ;) Our dogs have always slept in on the floors of the kids' rooms. Another consideration (which will be cheaper in the long run) is to get one AC unit for a bedroom, and everyone camp in that one room atnight during a heatwave. One could also retreat now and again to that one room to get a break during the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 I keep windows more open but I also have my dogs loose in the house. I have in the past also booby trapped windows with empty pop cans on a cookie sheet & fishing line so that if they're opened further, there will be a racket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Needleroozer Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 We do not live in a super neighborhood. I only keep the windows open at night when it is really hot, and the Dude is home. If he is traveling, windows are shut....... tonight is going to be hot!:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 9, 2010 Author Share Posted July 9, 2010 We do not live in a super neighborhood. I only keep the windows open at night when it is really hot, and the Dude is home. If he is traveling, windows are shut....... tonight is going to be hot!:glare: I know. . .:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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