To think children don't need a bloody tan!

[GordontheGopher]

4 year old mindee came back to my house after school with really bad sunburn all down one leg.

This parent almost refused to give me suncream for her daughter, and when she finally did it was a factor 12 and I was to only put it on her face .

Now she's got sunburn (happened over the weekend btw) and was complaining how sore it was poor girl.

I cannot understand why parents do not put factor 50 on their children. What's the point in a child having a tan? Possibly increasing their risk of premature aging and skin cancer later on in life?!

It really baffles me tbh.

[differentID]

I am really shocked. I am using factor 50 myself at the moment- I burn really easily even though I have dark hair- I have very fair skin.

[SoupKitchen]

I don't put suncream on my DS- due to severe eczema, but he does wear long sleeves and long trousers/long long shorts.
I do put it on his face if he is not wearing a hat.

IMO if there is no medical reason then suncream should be put on( i do on DD)
I do however think factor 50 is over the top.

[Desiderata]

Maybe the parent has a problem with sun cream?

There is a train of thought, (which some dermatologists are trying to prove), that sun cream is carcinogenic.

I'm not saying I agree, but if she read the same article I read, it might explain her reluctance.

[nickytwotimes]

I don't know why peopl edon't cover their los up in the sun either, either with clothing or cream. Factor 50 isn't necessary though. Using a 15-20 and applying it every hour is as good as putting on 50 and not repeating.

[misdee]

i dont use suncream on my dd's.

but i do have two bottles this year and am trying to work up the courgae to use them on dd's.

for the same reason as soup kicthen as well.

they all have hats, dont go out in midday sun if we can help it, have shoulders covered and longer shorts.

[GreenElizabeth]

Well, I don't put factor 50 on my children. They are (genetically, but not culturally, if this makes sense) half latin American.

They don't look so different in winter, but now that the sun has been out for three weeks I am getting funny comments about their tans.

I totally agree with your point, and I wish my own mother had put sun tan factor 50 on me when I was growing up!! BUT, don't assume that every child with a tan has a careless mother. My children have light eyes and mousey coloured hair. Their skin is tipp-ex white until the sun comes out and then they go nut brown. People think I've put them out on sun loungers until they are browner than my handbag.

[Twelvelegs]

I use factor 30 for mine as I think it's good to get a little sun, not for the vanity of a tan but to give them a good base so they don't burn. If it's really hot or near lunchtime then factor 50, I use 15 but then I am olive skin as are the dcs and dh. The dcs and I have never burnt, dh has those sun freckles where his parents let him fry as a kid, isn't that the worst thing for skin cancer?

[minorityrules]

A tan helps protect them from the sun, so if caught out, the risk of burning is lessened. I think I read somewhere that suncream blocks vit D (is that the one we get from sun???) Might have dreant that one tho

I hate seeing my kids whiter than white in the summer, but I don't let them burn either, they use factor 15 if backs/chests are exposed, nothing on arms, neck, legs or face

[BouncingTurtle]

I know what you mean, GreenElizabeth, me and my brothers are half Spanish and they go brown very easily and did so as children. Sadly I take after my mum and go beetroot red.
I do use some sunscreen on ds, but tend to cover him up with clothes, hat and keep him in the shade.
So the OP is sort of NU inthe case she has stated, but it should be borne in mind that some kids like GE's and my brothers tend to tan at the drop of a hat

[GordontheGopher]

OK I get that... perhaps a lesser factor would be appropriate.

But I still stick by my guns when I say all children regardless of skin colour should use suncream.

[alittleone2]

Message withdrawn

[SquiffyHock]

Did the mother say that she wanted the child to get a tan? If so,

I am another Mummy with a very brown DD though - not because I don't protect her, she has never burnt and has a beautiful tan despite the sunscreen.

[madamez]

At the risk of slight hijack: I have psoriasis too but am also a pallid unded-looking type who burns really easily. So I don't know whether to suffer the sunburn to shift the psoriasis, or put up with the psoriasis to avoid getting sunburned.

[tortoiseSHELL]

Ds1 and dd both have amazing skin that goes brown at the first sight of the sun. 1 minute is enough to give them a really deep tan. They also have white blonde hair, and black/brown eyes, and I'm sure people think I make them lie in the sun! But they NEVER ever burn - they have some Australian blood and I think that is where their skin comes from. So I am a bit lax about putting sun cream on, although they do have hats, and I make them wear t-shirts in strong sun.

Ds2 seems to be a bit fairer, so I tend to keep him out of the sun, (keep him in shadier areas, rather than indoors) - I would use sun cream if it was really sunny though on him.

I burn really easily - I go pink, then red, then peel then go white again. So I just stay out of the sun - not worth the hassle.

[LavendersBlueDillyDilly]

I am a lax mother. My DS burnt his shoulders yesterday, after playing cricket without his shirt on. I did feel very bad.

Aftre several holidays in the sun where I applied factor 50 religiously and my Ds's returned home as white as they went, (which is very white) I decided that actaully a lower factor which allows a slight build up of colour surely couldn't be too bad.

So now we use factor 25. Or even sometimes 15!!!!

Or yesterafy none.

Must tyr to be more vilgilant about this again.

But it's another measure of 'good parenting' to bash each other with, and I have to admit my natural tenency is to then do the opposite.

[CaptainUnderpants]

Even if the Mum does want her to get a tan it is still no excuse to get a child sunburnt !

I use factor 30 on my two but you can still see the 'tide marks' on arms and legs , a bit of colour but no burning.

No excuse for getting a child sunburnt.

[misdee]

no gordon, not All children should. when they are allergic to it then its not possible.

the two creams i have will be tried on dd2+3 first, if they dont react then i will try it on one patch of dd1 skin. but considering she has reacted to everyone i have tried in the last 8years, i really dont think we'l have much luck this summer either.

[KristinaM]

there is information here about assessing your skin type so you can know your burn risk
cancer research

although skin cancer is less common in people with darker skins it does happen

all children should wear factor 15+ protection and cover up in the sun
sun protection for children

The number of cases of skin cancer has tripled since the early 1980s. Why would you not want to reduce your children's risk?

[LuckySalem]

I dont think kids need a tan. They WILL get one though with the amount of time they're outside but I think you should put the highest you can get to keep their skin as safe as you can.

[KristinaM]

I knwo its not easy for parenst whose children have allergies, but i cant understand why others woudlnt protect their children.

misdee - i heard that Aveeno???? lotion is good for some children with atopic disease

[GordontheGopher]

Well obviously if there's a medical problem then they need to be covered with clothes instead. That's not what I'm talking about - if they're covered in clothes it does the same job.

I also hate seeing young children out in the lunchtime sun - it's so strong at that time of day.

[BouncingTurtle]

Madamez - have you been offered use of sunbeds by NHS? My friend also has psoriasis and when she has had it severely she has been prescribed a course of free sunbed treatment, and when she can't get it free, she has paid for it herself. It has really helped her. At one point after she had a particularly stressful time, she had over 50% coverage, and the UV treatments helped a lot.

[nzshar]

You do know that you could be setting your children up for cancer in the future to all those that dont use at least a factor 15 sunblock. This applies to whether you suntan easily or not. It is also a known fact that early exposure to UVA and UVB rays (which sunblock helps to avoid) ages the skin early and that most of the damage is done before the age of 20! Man everyone is so hot on smoking,emissions,chemicals in our food etc and yet this is ok according to some of you. It is a myth that the sun in the UK is not strong enough and have just been on the research for cancer site and it says that skin melanomas are on the increase especially in the 24-35 year old bracket which again only shows that the damage is done in the early years.

[GordontheGopher]

Amen nzshar.