be shady about it (Being a Parent)

Member Name: dibuzz

Product:	Being a Parent
Date:	27/08/01 (46 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: a little sun helps create vitamin D which kids need

Disadvantages: too much can result in sunstroke or cancer

How often do we see people coming back from abroad looking very tanned and say "what a lovely tan - you look great"?

What we should be saying is "you look brown, I wonder how many years off your life that's worth."

Today it is very hot and sunny. I look outside and see children playing out in shorts and nothing else. One little boy is lobster red from yesterday yet still wears no shirt. My kids keep coming in to ask if they can take their tops off. My answer is always the same."no".

On days like this I am one of about 5 mums who goes to school at dinner time to top up their kids' sun cream. Yes we get laughed at and our kids get called soft. Well I am sorry, I normally avoid embarassing my kids if I can help it but this is too important.

When my friend was a child she went for a day out with her family. It was a really hot day and they had a tiny baby in a pram with no sun canopy or hood. They were out all day and after a while the baby began to cry. They fed her and left her in the sun "to get some colour" while she slept. She never woke up.

When my kids were babies they were transported in a hard bodied pram with a large sun canopy which was lined and covered the whole pram. With that and the hood you could stop any sun at all getting in whatever its position.

What do we see now? Little parosols on buggies which have to be moved every time you turn a corner and are so thin as to be practically useless.

Babies and young children need to be kept out of the sun as much as possible but toddlers and older children obviously want to play. Make sure they are covered all over with a high factor sun cream. If they have no hair put it on their head too. Try to keep arms and legs covered if possible but this can be difficult as they will want to wear shorts. Make sure they always wear a hat, preferably with a flap at the back to protect their neck.


If your kids are having fun in a paddling pool ensure their cream is waterproof and applied more often than usual. Try to keep an area of the garden shady and make sure they drink lots, preferably water.I use a large insulated jug filled with ice cubes and water and they all drink it thinking they are getting something special.

Tell your children about the dangers of too much sun and make them come indoors or in the shade regularly. Tell them if they get a headache or feel sick they must come straight in and drink a glass of water as heat stroke is very dangerous. They should also be told about skin cancer when they are old enough to understand.

When my eldest son was young I hated to put sun cream on him as he was very ticklish and it was a nightmare getting him to keep still. There are new spray bottles about now which make it easier to apply.

Sun creams are not cheap but very important and I do think they should be cheaper than they are but if you buy an own brand such as boots you can save money while still getting a top quality product. Don't be tempted to buy cheap stuff off the local market as it may not be as high a factor as it says or not be as suitable for a child's skin.

A common disbelief is that we don't need sun cream in Britain as the sun isn't hot enough. This is simply not true and don't let clouds fool you. The sun's rays can still get through.

If the worst happens and your child gets sunburned (it can happen to the best parent so don't feel guilty) bathe then in cool(not cold) water with a little vinegar added. Apply lots of moisturising cream - you don't need anything special and if the skin is broken see a doctor or pharmacist for advice.

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