Quick straw poll: would you put sunscreen on your child at 4pm today?

[YoureBreakingMyHeartCecilia]

We are off to the park with friend.

I’m absolutely religious about sunscreen between the hours of 11 and 3.

Would you slather her in spf 30 (which is all I’ve got) to be outdoors 4-6pm today?

I’m in two minds! It feels crazy given that by about 5pm surely the sun is nowhere near strong enough to cause damage?

But am I irresponsible to let her be out in the sun without it?!

Please give me your advice!

Check the UV rating.

I'm a sunscreen nut (born and raised in Lisbon and lived in Oz), but if the UV rating is low I let my children out without.

I also insist on vitamin D supplements, but we live in Scotland so we're depleted even in the summer.

Yes I would

Raining here, UV index is 2, so nah I personally wouldn’t bother. But I haven’t a notion what the UV index is where you are. So no one can answer your question.

It will take less than 5 minutes to stick some on face and arms as a minimum. It's still going to be roasting 4-6 today.

I would. But then I have a ginger toddler who can go pink very quickly given the chance.

Uv rating is 4 here. I'd do face, neck and shoulders and leave it at that.

Yes. My DD (8) is applying as we speak. The sun is still strong; I’d not bother from more like, 6pm?

UV rating where I am now is 5, I always put it on for 4+. Under 4, and I leave it off

Nope its torrential rain here, i may put wellies and a raincoat!

Absolutely

I definately would. The sun is so damaging.

Because the UV index is about 2 at 5pm. Makes no odds how hot it is.
I genuinely just thought it was about how hot it was!!

Depends where you are in the country. In North London the UV index right now is 4, I’ve just come to sit outside and can feel the strong heat and will burn if I don’t go in soon or put on sunscreen.

Yes why wouldn't you? I put spf on myself at 5pm last night. I know my chest would have burned if I hadn't.

@mencken agreed! Check the UV index people, that's all. Above 3 and sunscreen. Applied every 1-2 hours.
If the sun is up it will damage your skin either by ageing it but not tanning it, or by ageing it and tanning/burning it.
Strikes me as ludicrous that people are happy to walk around in what is akin to a full skin bruise and not protect their largest organ.

Yes. 26° UVI 4 ... I'd burn within 10 minutes.

The dog and I have been held captive indoors since about 10am. Neither of us will step outside until much later this evening.

Yes - it’s a cloudless day very close to the solstice

No

Only over the nose and cheeks if she's fair

yes...just did.

If shes white yes, my boyfriend went our for forty minutes at about 3pm, he was sun burnt when he got home. We also have to remember the damage being done that we can’t see.

How long will she be in full sun? If it's really hot will they not want to play in the shade?

I think it depends on skin tone as well. I have one very freckly pale skinned child, she always wears sunblock, as do I, if we're out for the day and there is a chance of sun. I have been known to go pink when it's cloudy in the north of Scotland. I have another child with olive skin who hates wearing sunblock and so rarely does. He has never burnt (admittedly thanks to the Scottish parts of the family we aren't really sun worshippers) and for most of the year in the UK I think his need for Vit D outweighs the risk from the sun.

It is 28 C here and UV index is 2. Son in park playing football. No sunscreen, but he has a hat and plenty of water.

Also it doesn't matter if you "tan", have "olive skin" or are "white". Any alteration (or tan) in your skin is sun damage.

As I said above, I've lived in very hot and sunny countries all.my.life and there's a lot of education around this, but it doesn't cease to amaze me that people in the UK take sun damage so lightly.

Take some vitamin D supplements (you can't stockpile it and the winters are long here) and use sunscreen if the UV rating is medium or high. Regardless of the fact you can "tan" beautifully.or not.

@MrsTerryPratchett but I will burn at 5pm very easily - and have done unfortunately.

@Bmidreams I’ve sat in many beer gardens after work but have suncream on.