What is the best way to check if a baby or toddler is too hot?
The most reliable way to check if a baby or toddler is too hot is to touch their chest or back. These areas reflect core body temperature accurately. Checking extremities — hands or feet — can be misleading and should not be used as a guide.
This is a surprisingly easy mistake to make. On The Toddle About Show, Bill Clapson shares that it took a long time for his family to learn this — despite having owned five thermometers at the same time, including head-reading, mouth, and gun-style devices. Having the equipment is not the same as knowing where to apply it.
The episode was recorded in early July 2026, after four heatwaves had already hit before August — a summer that left many families genuinely struggling. Clapson describes the heat as uncomfortable and disorienting for the whole household, and the chest-or-back check came up specifically in the context of parents anxiously trying to assess whether their young children were overheating at night or during the day.
"Put something cold on your wrists because the blood vessels are much closer to the skin and then you're almost cooling yourself on the inside."
— Bill Clapson, The Toddle About ShowSee also
Parents can use cold showers, paddling pools, wet towels placed in the bed, and frozen flannels to help children regulate their temperature. Keeping fans in rooms and adjusting routines around the coolest parts of the day are also effective strategies.
No — the sleep consultant industry is not regulated and does not require a qualification to practise. Parents are advised to do their research, ask about credentials, and seek recommendations before choosing a consultant.
Broken sleep does not just cause tiredness — it makes parents short-tempered, more anxious, and less enjoyable as a parent. When working on children's sleep, the wider impact on the whole family needs to be considered.