to judge parents whose children have sunburn?

[StrandedBear]

Seriously there is no need for children (or adults for that matter) to get burnt. It is fairly easy actually, suncream, cover up, stay in the shade between 11 and 3! So when I see a small child with bright red shoulders I want to shake the parents. The sun is dangerous! Then again most of these parents resemble over done lobsters themselves.

Is it a lack of education? Or do they actually not care about the possible damage to themselves and their children?

That's really helpful, thanks Look. Glad they all turned out fine and sorry to hear about your dad.

Suddenly DS has developed a horrible skin allergy to the sun/sunscreen. So even though he's not burnt because he's wearing factor 50, he looks as though he is.

Judge away

Dowagers, have you tried la Roche Posay? It's pretty good for sensitive skin.

No worries about my dad Gnab. He's had it for years and every now and then has a bit of skin lasered. It was very painful when they were treating his scalp. I do tend to evangelise because a check up only takes 10 minutes

You can't always stay in the shade between 11 and 3. Unless you want to miss out on things. We went to a family fun day yesterday - between 11 and 1. Some of it involved queuing in the sun to go on a bouncy castle. DD2 looked a bit pink as she is fairer, but it was mostly because it she was hot. She isn't burned.

Those of you using 'green' as in some kind of organic/natural sun cream are you aware that they usually have a higher content of zinc oxide than 'regular' sun cream and that it is the zinc oxide in some sun creams that is considered carcinogenic and to contribute to skin cancer?

Zinc oxide is usually very safe and considered healing hence sudocreme, until, that it you expose it to sunlight.

I used to smugly use green stuff until an Aussie friend told me I was crazy and I switched back.

There are many posters that seem to think that it is easy to stop a child getting sunburn. It's really not, it's fucking hard work.

Actually I'm lucky that my dc are mixed race and so have some natural sun protection so I don't need to be quite so hyper vigilant, though of course when needed they get sun cream applied and hats put on.

I was a completely different story, I burnt many many times as a child, as an adult too in fact. But not because my mum was uneducated or uncaring but because sun cream is not sun block, it does not block out all of the sun's rays, even smothered in cream and wearing a t-shirt and hat. Although my child hood was back in the day when we were allowed to play out outside of our parents view, I was running around so clothing rubbing it off and sweating it off and when on holidays I always wanted to be in the water and my mum was constantly dragging me out to out more cream on. And I would still burn every year without fail.

So I think YABU, it is not always easy, and even after I was burnt I still wanted to go out and play with my friends the next day.

Put suncream on them and try to keep a hat on them. Neither of mine have ever burned but I certainly wouldnt care enough to notice anyone else's child having slightly red shoulders. It happens.

I like seeing tanned children in the summer. I'd rather them be out and about enjoying themselves than sat at home in their cotton wool prisons. See, people judge about the funniest things.

And Kayano, I really hope nobody judges you on your first trip to casualty with your dc when they are older. That was a horrible thing to say. Accidents happen!

You don't have to spend hours in the sun to get burned. Most people get caught out when they aren't trying to catch the sun.

Thanks lookbehindyou. I've just ordered some Eucerin which is designed for people with the same skin condition I have (and presumably DS has inherited) - polymorphic light eruption so am hoping that does the trick.

We live at the seaside and it would be a real shame if we couldn't go to the beach until 3pm when all his friends are packing up to come home. If it's really sunny we try and get the kids to stay in the shade and always put long tops on them but it's pretty much impossible to keep them out of the sun between 11 and 3.

RubyFakeNails Am LOLing at the image of thick white suntan lotion on her.

And dark around the edges is a very good way to describe it. Must remember to use it in a few months.

my SIL told me a pretty terrible story today about a 4/5 year old who was at the hairdressers - she was sunburned and when someone commented on this her mother said 'I told her to put suncream on; well, that will teach her a lesson'! The child was 5 max! I'm afraid I am quite judgmental about it - in adults as well as children, although I have been known to turn a little pink myself. I think that it's one of the things in children's lives that you actually can do something about!

My 8 year old got sunburn yesterday. He was a bit pink but not blistered or

He was in the garden without a top, hat or sun cream on for 4 hours between 1 and 5.

It'd gone by this morning.

I've already told myself off OP so you can rest easy. :-)

it is certainly more tricky in our unpredictable climate - it's easy to get caught out - e.g. you set off to the swings under grey, damp skies, but 20 minutes after getting there the sky clears and kids are playing in full sun...it has to be said though that you see this most often after a day or two where the weather has been very good. Keeping the stuff on them is a pain in the arse - one upside of not being able to afford not going to the South of France this year

I'd be more judgemental of people that aren't educated enough to know that lack of vitamin d is far more detrimental to health than sunburnt shoulders.

The sun is not dangerous, what absolute bullshit, we evolved to bloody worship the sun... I feel sorry for your kids OP, not the sunburnt ones.

oh good lord, the crazy is out in full tonight.

DS2 is a redhead and has spent his whole life (he's 19)slathered from head to foot in factor 50. He never bears his body to the sun other than arms and legs and always wears a hat. He regards it as a personal challenge to go to sunny places, enjoy what they have to offer and not get burnt. He is pretty successful.

DS1 (26) has deep brown eyes and dark olive skin. You can literally watch him turning brown before your eyes, but he isn't sensible about tge protection that he needs just as much as anyone else.

Guess which one of them will be nagged by complete strangers to be careful in the sun, and guess which one we as parents would be nagged about by complete strangers when they were little? As if anyone would turn a redhead out without suncream? We got told off warned constantly that we were putting him at risk, almost hysterically so by Spaniards in the village where we had a flat .

My point is that no one sets out to burn a child, sunburn is unpleasant, but probably won't kill them on the odd occasion when it happens by accident.

Brandy it was GREEN, thick green lotion all over her, she's had a bath tonight and half of its come off in that, she looked like shrek was hilarious although she didn't see the funny side.

I'll have to buy something clear for her, she won't be able to wear anything white. The joys of having children.

RubyFakeNails I would have made camaflage (spelling sorry) stripes and took photos the nivea spray one goes on clear just slimy lol.

www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=509

Benefits of vitamin D.

Brandy, I think I would have been told rather indignantly that this week she is a princess not a soldier. Am busy wondering if I could get one in pink, she would love that but again look ridiculous, and of course the bloody thing will get in her hair.

I guess it's just going to be one of those issue. Fun times at our house.

Vitamin D good. Sunburn still bad. Not very hard to understand.

It is possible to still get sun burnt in the shade!!