July 28, 2025

We Are The Hansons Surviving The Missouri Heat

We Are The Hansons Surviving The Missouri Heat

In this sweltering summer special of We Are the Hansons, the family battles the brutal Missouri heatwave with fans, popsicles, and a whole lot of sweat-induced chaos. From melting popsicles to a showdown with an angry sun, it's all about keeping cool while trying not to lose your cool. Join us as we share our funniest, most relatable moments of summer survival — including makeshift shade hacks, overheated adventures, and the real struggle of parenting when it's 105 degrees in the shade. Grab some ice water and laugh (and sweat) with us through another unforgettable chapter of Hanson family life!

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Hey everyone, and welcome back to We are the Hands,

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and today we're diving into something that hits far every

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single summer.

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The brutal, sticky, scorching Missouri he And trust me, when

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you've got a big family like ours, extreme weather it's

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never just as and convenient.

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Here in Missouri. We don't just get hot. We get

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the kind of heat that smacks you in the face

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when you open the door, like walking into a sauna

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that someone forgot to turn off. It's relentless, it's humid,

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it's dangerous, and as a mom, it's something I have

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to plan around almost daily. When the summer he rolls in.

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It doesn't care if we've got plans, kids with energy

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to burn or errands to run. It demands that we

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adjust our whole way of doing life, and in our family,

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we especially have to be careful with our sweet Anlin.

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Missouri summers aren't just high tempts. They come with heavy

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humidity that makes everything feel worse. Even when the temperature

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reads ninety, that heat index will tell you it feels

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like one hundred and five. We've had days where the

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weather app literally warns us to stay inside. And when

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that's happening, week after week. It's not just uncomfortable, it's

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a health risk, especially for the little ones. We've learned

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that we can't just play it by ear in the summer.

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We have to be intentional. We look at those hourly

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forecasts each morning and base our plans around the cooler hours.

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Sometimes that means letting the kids out super early in

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the morning, like eight or nine am, before it gets unbearable.

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Other times we wait until the sun starts to go down,

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and even it can still be too much. Now Annlin,

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especially because she is so sensitive to heat, it doesn't

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take long for her to turn bright red, and if

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we're not careful, she starts to feel sick. It's like

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her little body just can't regulate the wayte some of

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the others can. We've had a few scary moments times

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where she was playing outside, laughing and happy, and then

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suddenly she's flushed, dizzy and weak. That's when we knew

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we had to change the way we approached summer entirely.

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We keep a close eye on her, not just by

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watching her skin, but by paying attention to her behavior.

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If she slows down, gets cranky, or asks for water

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more than usual, it's time to bring her inside. I

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usually can really tell how she feels just by the

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way she acts. I've learned that sunburn and heat exhaustion

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don't always come with warning signs. Sometimes just sneaks up

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and with anlin It's always better to be extra cautious.

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We keep you know, sun hats, water bottles, sunscreen close

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and it's our summer survival kit. If we're stepping out,

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you're grabbing one of each. Shade is our best friend.

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If we're outside, we're under a tree, or a porch

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or a pop up canopy. We've set up like a

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mini shade zone in our yard just so the kids

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have options without having to come all the way inside.

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Water play has become our go to, whether it's the sprinkler,

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kiddie pool or just ice buckets with cups and toys.

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Staying cool is the name of the game. We've even

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rigged up fans for the airflow outside. It's not glamorous,

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but it helps, and if it means antline can enjoy

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fifteen minutes of safe outdoor fun, it's worth every extension

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cord we have to run. When it's too hot, we

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pivot inside. We built blanket forts, had movie marathons, done

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indoor scavenger hunts, and created obstacle courses in the living room.

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Sometimes we make summer smoothies together frozen fruit, yogurt, a

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little juice, and the kids feel like it's a treat,

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not just a way to cool down. We always have

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a ton of freezer pops on hand so that the

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kids can just grab and go. Our arts and craft

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spin gets a workout in the summer, painting stickers, slime,

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anything that lets the kids stay busy without overheating. We

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turn the living room into a dance party space. We

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crank up the music and let the kids burn off

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the energy and the air conditioning. And we also do

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that when we clean. Just turn the music up and

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just go to town and you know something to do.

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We also try to rotate which toys we bring out.

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Keeping things fresh helps kids stay excited even if they're

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stuck inside for several days in a row. It's easy

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to get frustrated when everyone's cooped up, sweating and cranky,

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but I've learned to give us all a little more grace.

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During the summer, I keep reminding myself it's okay to

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slow down. The tours can wait if all we do

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is survive the heat and keeping everyone safe. That is enough.

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We've had to lower expectations during the hottest weeks, and man,

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that's not a failure. That's just being realistic and loving

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our kids well. Because this last couple weeks it was

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scorching here. There's something about a hot day that makes

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even the calmest child melt down faster. We try to

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stay ahead of that with water snacks and cool down breaks.

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Jeremy and I tag team when we can. If I've

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been juggling cranky kids all day inside, He'll take over

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with the older ones in the evening for a little while,

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you know, just some outside time in the shade in

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the evening, just because you know, the sun stays up

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for a while, but it definitely cools down quite a

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bit at night. We don't always handle summer heat this well.

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There were years where we pushed too hard, stayed out

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too long, or didn't take the heat seriously. And that

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was when we first moved here, because you know, you

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think you can do it, but it was definitely too

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hot for what we were doing, lawn work, yard decorating, flowers, whatever.

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But after seeing Anelin's reaction, this past summer, the red face,

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the six stomach, the tears. We knew we had to

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get serious about it. Now we plan around the weather.

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It's like a major event, because in a family our size,

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it is a major event. It's also taught our older

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kids to be more aware. They help look out for

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the littler ones. They'll bring them water or remind them

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to sit in the shade or come in for a

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little bit. It's created a family culture of care. We

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watch out for each other. That's something I'm really really

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proud of. Anelin doesn't like being told she can't go outside.

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She's playful, curious, and wants to do everything her siblings

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are doing. So we've made it a point to create

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special cool down time for her, like a pobstacle on

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the porch, you know, a bubble bath with cool water,

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or a book and cuddle time in front of the

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fan watching some of her favorite cartoons. She's come to

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understand that her body needs extra care, but we try

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not to make it feel like a punishment. I usually

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make Torn come in as well and just sit with her,

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you know, we all just sit down and relax. It

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breaks my heart when she watches from the window while

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the others play. But it makes me smile when one

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of her siblings comes inside just to be with her.

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That's the kind of love that gets built when a

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family adapts together. Even with all the limitations, we still

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have summer fun. We just do it smarter and safer.

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Nighttime flashlight tag is one of our favorites. Ice Cream

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runs after dinner, movies projected in the backyard after the

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sun goes down. That's our summer magic. We found that

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memories aren't about being busy every second. They're about the

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little traditions that we create as a family. A hot

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summer day turns into a memory when all when we

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all end up on the floor, laughing over board games

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and sharing snacks. The heat may change our schedule, but

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it doesn't take away our joy. We've learned to find

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joy around it. We teach our kids the signs of

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heat exhaustion, dizziness, nausea, headaches, chills, and we don't take

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any of it lightly. We keep a close eye on

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the thermometer to check the heat index before anyone steps outside.

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There's always ice water, and you know, the rule is

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make sure if you're spending time outside, everyone drinks before

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they can complain of thirst. We always stay up to

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date on weather alerts. If there's a heat advisory, we

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treat it just like it's a storm warning. No outside toures,

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no long walks, no pushing the limits. I'm gonna give

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you some tip for you families out there with kids

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and yourselves. If you've got kids sensitive to heat like Anelin,

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you're not alone. Start by tracking their heat response, know

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their limits, keep indoor activities ready to go. Boredom breeds frustration,

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especially when it's too hot to be active. Prep snacks

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that cool from the inside out, which are watermelon, frozen grapes,

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cold yogurt tubes. Consider misting fan or cooling towel. They're

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small investments that make a big difference. And don't forget

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to take care of yourself too. Moms and dads get

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overheated just like the kids. Summer is a season of extremes,

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and it reminds me just how resilient kids can be

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when we create a supportive environment. It also reminds me

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how delicate they can be too, how much they rely

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on us to protect them from what they can't see

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or feel. Yet, watching Anelin has made me more compassionate,

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not just towards her, but towards all of my kids.

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It's easy to think they'll be fine, but what if

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they're not. I'd rather overprotect than underestimate the danger. It's

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not about fear. It's about love, loving enough to say no,

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loving enough to adapt. One of the unexpected blessings of

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this heat is how it's brought us together. We've learned

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to be creative, flexible, and grateful. The kids now understand

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that every summer day isn't guaranteed, so when we get

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a cooler evening or a cloudy day, it feels like

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a celebration to us. They look out for each other more,

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They pause and check in, and that's what being a

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family is about. We're not perfect, but we try, and

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that effort means the world, especially for kids like Anilin.

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It's not about avoiding the heat completely. It's about showing

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our kids how to live with it while still protecting

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the people we love. If you're a parent dealing with

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summer heat, especially with little ones or kids with sensitivities,

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just know I see you. It's exhausting sometimes, but it matters.

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Every extra step you take is worth it. I hope

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today's episode gives you some comfort, some tips, and maybe

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even a little encourage. Summer isn't always sunshine and smiles.

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Sometimes it's sweat, meltdowns and backup plans, but there's a

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beauty in the mess and their strength in the way

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we show up for our kids. Thank you for spending

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time with me on We Are the Hansen's. Sharing our

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story helps me reflect and I hope it helps you

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feel a little more connected. We'll keep navigating the heat

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wave one icy popsicle and shady tree at a time,

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and if you've got any tips or ideas, I'd love

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to hear them. You can send me a message on

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our We Are the Hanson's Facebook page, or you can

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send me an email on our We arethe Hansen's show

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at gmail dot com. Get on over to our YouTube

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channel and subscribe. Don't forget to give your kids a

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little extra water, a little extra patience, and a lot

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of love today. Make those memories, even if they're made

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in front of a fan in your living room, they

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still count. Until next time, stay cool, stay safe, and

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remember we're all in this together.