Why are you letting your children get burnt?

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

At a large park and keep seeing fair skinned, blonde/ginger children, running around with no tops going increasingly lobster pink.

Mine are olive skinned with dark hair and eyes, but are still covered up and have factor 50 and hats on. I wouldn't have thought I was an especially protective mum, either.

Ok, I shouldn't judge, but it just looks so sore.

I can't understand it either. I can't imagine how awful it must be to have a burnt child who must be in agony and I doubt would sleep well! Rash vest, shorts, hat, suncream and plenty of water, it's a bit of a pain but so worth it.

Two of mine have red hair (as do I) and they have hats, t-shirts and factor 50.

However DS2’s face goes very pink when he’s hot. It’s not sunburn, it goes away immediately when he cools down. I always worry that people will think he’s burnt

I hadn't noticed their faces, tbh, it was their little pink shoulders. A couple of them are properly tiny, too, I'd guess under two.

Yes MayFayner, my red-headed DS looks like a tomato when he gets hot too. He’s never been sunburned in his life though.

My ds goes very pink when he’s hot too.

In fact he’s flushed bright red now. It’s not sun burn he’s just very very hot

I’m very on the ball when it comes to them and burning though. They must wear their hats (which I will soak down if really got), and plenty of sun cream.

I also get them into the house between the hours of 11-3 which they hate me for but I would rather them hate me a little than get burnt.

Sunburn is bad enough as an adult.

Right, I'm sure there are legitimate reasons why people go red other than sunburn. But still, pop a t-shirt and a hat on a little one in this weather, surely?

We went out recently when it was 30C+ and I put a different type of sun cream to normal on DD1&2. Before long they were bright red and I was really worried they had burnt so we went home. Once they cooled down, they stopped being red and hadn’t caught the sun at all. Before that day though, I would have assumed a child as red as they were in the heat was sunburnt but now I know it’s not necessarily the case.

So YANBU if they are burning but make sure that is the case first of all.

Yeah, it's shit OP. For every one who fits with some pp replies there are 5 who are happy for them to 'tan'. My dsis once offered an acquaintance some sunscreen for her toddler in searing sunshine to be told: 'Oh no thanks I think he looks cute with a tan'. 😬 😠

I’m fair, I go pink even with factor 50 on. You have no idea what sunscreen they do or don’t have on. Stop being so judgmental

I hate seeing burnt kids. It’s bloody awful to not protect your children from the sun, I had a child in my class last week or the week before who was blistered all across his back and shoulders - said his mum didn’t put any on him and then sent him off to the park for the day with a can of Coke and a bag of crisps so he was majorly dehydrated aswell. He vomited, we sent him home - then I had the thought that he was probably safer at school
And I’m talking about sunburn not other medical issues when I say burnt kids.

"I’m fair, I go pink even with factor 50 on. You have no idea what sunscreen they do or don’t have on. Stop being so judgmental"

Shan't. They need a hat and a fecking top on.

My dd tans very easily....

Her father (my dh) is of Romany gypsy descent, and she has inherited that skin.

I do what I can to prevent it, but she still tans very easily

Unlike ds who seems to have my skin and goes pink as soon as the sun shows its face

I'm not talking about a tan. I'm talking bright pink shoulders, backs and chests on toddlers.

Ginger DS1, now 18yo, is always lobster red around the face, ears and neck as soon as it gets warm. He's not sunburned though you have to go outdoors for that

I have a friend who believes that the chemicals in suncream are more dangerous than getting sunburned. Her toddler is always running around in the midday sun including on holidays in Portugal and Greece without hat/tshirt etc and now has a 'lovely healthy tan'
I judge too OP!

I go pink within 15 mins in the sun with factor 30 on. It's the sun causing a reaction rather than burn though. Those kids may have sunscreen on, we cannot forbid paler kids from playing outside (though clothes would protect them)

My DS is mixed race and I still religiously apply factor 50! Their skin is so sensitive

Agree I was burnt a lot as a kid I can't believe my parents were so irresponsible

My kids are head to toe in factor 30 if we go out

I'm with you on this OP. We get far too many children coming into school with bad sunburn who've been playing out all day topless. It's just downright neglect in this day and age. Even if suncream is applied, after an hour sweating in the heat that becomes ineffective thus leading to an increased risk of burning.

I wouldn't say I believe that TiredAdelie, but I do think a lot of the "research" around just how dangerous a little sun is has been funded by the skincare industry, that it's entirely possible it will be subsequently discredited and that we may well find that many of the dangers of sunbathing actually came from the products that were supposed to protect us.

We do, afterall, know that sunlight is essential for life. Nature doesn't usually get it that badly wrong.

I don't let me or my DC burn, we avoid being out at the hottest part of the day but on an average summers day in UK would cover up in preference to being slathered in chemicals and a I can'r believe a little colour is all bad.

I do agree though, seeing sunburned little ones is horrible. Or any sunburn really,

Round here we don't see too much sunburn but what we do see a lot in colder weather is very young children/babies with no socks on and mottled blue feet and kids out in winter with shorts and tshirts or a tutu because they're allowed to choose what they wear.

'Right, I'm sure there are legitimate reasons why people go red other than sunburn. But still, pop a t-shirt and a hat on a little one in this weather, surely?'

Could agree more Op

Plus....plenty of total block 50 and shade.

Stunned at the amount I've seen out today clearly burning to a crisp

Should say 'couldn't agree more Op'

I agree that you shouldn't leave your children to get sunburnt.

However, I don't understand all this alarm at children getting a tan. If they are getting a tan without being burnt in the process, that will actually protect them from sunburn!
I come from a country where every child is sun tanned in the summer, and we have lower skin cancer rates than in the UK.