Medavakkam rainy-season survival kit for families with toddlers

Between October and January, Chennai tries its best to dissolve. Medavakkam’s lanes puddle fast, some roads flood, and a 3-year-old wants to step in every single one. Here’s how to handle it without losing your Monday.

What Medavakkam monsoon actually looks like

• October: steady evening showers. Manageable. School day usually fine.
• November: the big one. Heavy rain bursts, brief flooding in low-lying lanes. Schools occasionally close.
• December: tapering. Cooler mornings.
• January: occasional showers, but mostly gone.

The Medavakkam rainy-season bag

Keep this permanently in your car or entryway from October to December:

• Small child-size umbrella
• A light raincoat + hood that actually fits your child
• Two spare pairs of dry socks
• One full spare uniform
• A plastic bag for wet clothes
• A small towel
• A pair of “extra pair of shoes” at school (ask the teacher to keep them)

Which Medavakkam roads flood

• Low points off Vadakapattu Main Road — particularly one cross lane near the corporation park.
• Sections of 200-ft road near Sithalapakkam.
• Some inner lanes in BHEL Nagar after 3+ hours of continuous rain.

Your regular drop-off route may not work after a heavy night. Have a back-up in your head before you need it.

Preventing monsoon illness in a preschooler

• Dry wet clothes immediately. The cold-damp combo is where colds begin.
• Warm food at lunch and dinner. Skip cold rice and cold milk for a couple of weeks if your child trends that way.
• Extra hand-washing. We do it 4–6 times a school day in November.
• Watch for mosquitos — dengue season overlaps. Use age-appropriate repellent, cover arms in evening.
• Humidifiers or steam at home at the first sign of congestion.

What we do at school during monsoon

• Indoor play takes over completely — obstacle courses, dance circles, puppet shows.
• Covered drop-off and pickup area so no one arrives soaked.
• Increased hand-washing frequency.
• We send children home early if rain is forecast to become dangerous. Watch your WhatsApp.

A preschooler in monsoon boots jumping in a puddle is a very specific kind of joy. Just carry a dry spare pair.

When to keep your child home

• Cold / cough / mild fever — one full day at home is usually enough.
• Roads flooded on your route — don’t risk it. Send a WhatsApp, we’ll catch them up the next day.
• Heavy rain warnings from the Met department — we’ll usually have already announced a closure.

Read also: Chennai summer and small children.