s/o Do your kids wear sunscreen?

[MtBikeLover]

So I was reading the other thread on the stranger asking if baby had sunscreen on and I saw a few people post that they don't use sunscreen. I am curious as to why? Not in a snarky "WHY?" way but in a "good, now I can feel better about not always putting sunscreen on my kids" way.

The only time I ever use sunscreen on the kids is if we are going to be at a pool on a very sunny day for a long time. So when we go to water parks or our neighborhood pool. When they are just outside playing, I never think to put it on them. And they don't burn...they just get a really nice tan (their dad is hispanic).

Should I be putting sunscreen on them more often? Is there skin getting damaged?

[Storm Bride]

We use it for some things - sailing, or being out for a long time in the middle of the day, especially on water. But, just for playing outside? No. We don't bother. I'm a firm believer that we're better off getting the vitamin D than blocking the UV...especially living where I do.

[Cujobunny]

Not always. If it's a super bright and sunny day and we'll be somewhere without shade then I do.

[sisteeesmama]

I am the same way with dd, we put it on if she is going to outside wearing something skimpy(ie a swimsuit) for a long time(ie 30mins or more). She is fair, but in the summer I put her in lightweight longsleeves if we are going to be outside. She refuses a hat and I do feel guilt about it, but she just won't leave it on and the alternative would be never go outside. I try to make the effort to be outside because I know she needs the VIT D.

I used to a sunscreen fanatic because I am very fair skinned but now I also just wear loose fitting long sleeves and a hat if I am going to be outside.

We don't wear sunscreen as a habit anymore because of the newer findings that are saying that maybe its the lack of VIT D and even possibly the sunscreen itself that is causing skin cancer.

Hopefully someone more organized or better versed on this matter can come along and give links and more info!


But I would also say that yes, your kids skin can be damaged form too much sun exposure even if they tend to have a darker complexion. I would suggest longer sleeves and hats for prolonged sun-times.

[HappilyEvrAfter]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

We use it for some things - sailing, or being out for a long time in the middle of the day, especially on water. But, just for playing outside? No. We don't bother. I'm a firm believer that we're better off getting the vitamin D than blocking the UV...especially living where I do.

Us too.

[sunshadow]

I put a little on her face if it's a hot day and we are going to be out for awhile. I want her to get vitamin D from the sun so I let her spend some time outside before I apply it. Usually we opt for clothing that has good coverage and hats and save the sunscreen for swimming and when we are outside a long time.

[RiverTam]

My kids are really, really fair so we use sunscreen daily during the summer, if they're going to be outside for longer than 15 minutes. Since they're outside every day, they get sunscreen every day. We put it on their face and bodies. My kids can and have burned their chest and back through a tshirt. (Husband also burns through shirts.)

We reapply it multiple times when we go swimming.

I find it easier to make sure that they get vitamin D from other sources then to deal with the painful blistering and peeling.

Not wearing sunscreen is not a big deal if your kid is in no danger of getting a bad sunburn. Allowing a child to get a bad sunburn though is reportable in many states as abuse or neglect.

[Drummer's Wife]

Only occasionally. I buy california baby brand and it lasts us a long time (even w/4 kids, and living in the sunny desert). If they are going to be out, in direct sunlight for an extended period of time (like when we went to the beach this summer) then yes; but for playing in the backyard, generally no.

My kids have skin that tends to tan more than burn. Mostly I worry about thier cheeks and little noses getting pink. I may smear a bit with the sunscreen stick on their faces before going to say, the state fair, but that's usually the extent.

[rightkindofme]

I think it is interesting that people consider 30 minutes a long time to be outside. But that's neither here nor there.

My toddler has had sunscreen on a couple of times in her life when she was going to be outside in skimpy clothing (bathing suit or sundress) for hours. We put more sunblock on when we were in New Zealand for two weeks than in the rest of her life. I keep her in hats and long sleeved shirts for most of the time if I worry about the sun. I'm not so keen on chemicals.

[Evergreen]

Yes. We're fair redheads who live in the Southern USA on the beach and my mother has skin cancer.

[artgoddess]

I'm so fair skinned I can get a sun burn if I have to cross the parking lot at Target. That said I don't put sun block on my fair skinned children daily. I do if we are going to be playing in direct sunlight for a long period of time, absolutely at the beach, always, and at places like Disneyland etc.

[mamazee]

One of them isn't particularly fair, and for her I only put it on if the sun is particularly strong or if we're at the beach or something. She's never had a sunburn yet.

The other one is quite fair so I'm more careful and use it much more often.

[Alyantavid]

Only when we're going to be out for extended periods at places where there isn't easy access to shade or if I don't know about the shade factor.

Playing out in the backyard for an hour? No.

[AllisonR]

My kids are outside every.single.day. I mean rain, shine, snow, wind, hail... they are out. At home we use no sunscreen. But every spring and summer the daycare puts signs up that we should drop off our kids with sunscreen on because they will be outside. It totally cracks me up. We are in Denmark. The sun is at an angle. It would take 5 hours for the sun to even tickle you in the middle of July. Having come from Georgia and spent time in Florida, I think it is absurd and ignore the signs. Babies here get vitamin D supplements - gee, I wonder why? Sometimes they ask why I won't use sunscreen at day care, and I laugh and say to come back when the country moves to Florida, then I will use it.

[SuburbanHippie]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid

Only when we're going to be out for extended periods at places where there isn't easy access to shade or if I don't know about the shade factor.

Playing out in the backyard for an hour? No.

Same here.

[LynnS6]

Only if we're going to be out for more than about an hour in the sun. Our whole family is very fair, so worrying about sunburn is a legitimate concern. But dd reacts to a lot of sunscreens (and it seems to change every year as to which one single one she can tolerate), so I don't want to do that to her skin. In the summer, the kids are in and out a lot. So, I don't know how much direct exposure they get.

If we're out in the sun a lot, or at the beach, then yes, we slather up.

[babynatasha]

I have never put sunblock on my daughter (25mths). We live in New Hampshire and started going outside everyday in May and June before the summer solstice. It is my understanding that the summer solstice is when the sun is closest to the earth. In the months immediatley following the solstice, the suns rays are strongest (hence it is also hotter here). My doctor said to make sure that we got her out in the sun each day so her body could build up a tan before the solstice. Then her body would be able to tolerate the sun better. What do you know it worked. She has never used sun block and has never had a burn, even with being out for hours, in and out of the water. We are NOT dark people, she is blonde haired and blue eyed, same as me. I found when I used sun block on myself all the time, if I forgot, just for one minute, I FRIED! I would also get sun poisoning a lot, even with the sun block. Since I have been following the same "rules" as my daughter (I have not used sunblock in 7+ years), I haven't burnt either and not one problem with sun poisoning. I don't think my skin can be that damaged either, as I am 31yrs old and I get carded all the time (not just in the polite way either) So thats how I justify it to myself

[JavaJunkie]

We use sunscreen if we will be outside all day with no shade, like at Disney or the zoo. Okay, there is shade at both of those places, but we spend the vast majority of the time out in the open.

We've only used sunscreen at home maybe a couple of times. The kids will work out in the garden in the summer with dh, during the worst time for getting a burn(10am-2pm), for hours...but most of the time they don't last that long, so no sunscreen is necessary. LOL

ETA: I forgot to add, none of my children have ever had a bad sunburn.

[babynatasha]

I also just wanted to add that I would not recommend just taking a child out and not wearing sunblock without building up some tolerance to the sun first. That would be very bad indeed and they would most likely get a bad burn!

[betsyj]

Like RiverTam we use sunscreen most days and get Vit D elsewhere. We have to anyways because we live in Cleveland, OH and I swear to God the sun doesn't shine from November to April.

But, I do not put sunscreen on until we have been out for 15 minutes or so in the spring and summer. That way he gets vit D directly from the source.