Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to judge parents whose children have sunburn?

252 replies

StrandedBear · 26/07/2012 10:17

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?

OP posts:
Hownoobrooncoo · 26/07/2012 10:32

I am very careful with my kids but it is so easy to be caught out once or twice of the many times where you are careful.

UnChartered · 26/07/2012 10:32

arf at 'sun cream police' Grin

MadStaringEyes · 26/07/2012 10:33

No, they aren't burnt but they look it. I would be judged even though thry're slathered in suncream and totally fine.

FaceForRadio · 26/07/2012 10:33

I get burnt all the time. Even on the flipping golf course in October!

tryingtonotfeckup · 26/07/2012 10:34

I judge too, 5 dcs, that is unfortunate and I wouldn't have put sunscreen on in February. I can see mistakes happening, and make them myself but I judge when on e.g. the beach, in the parks etc and kids aren't covered up.

I do get a bit confused with the Vit D side though having read that to get Vit D you do need to be outside without sunscreen on for a short time. So, there are times if we're not out for long and its later in the day that I don't put sunscreen on and they have never burnt. If we're out over lunch or for a lot that day I do paste it on them though.

Mrsjay · 26/07/2012 10:34

arf at 'sun cream police'

I am though I run after children with my bottle and i have even offered other parents suncream Blush I used to be obsessed even with her factor spacesuit on dd2 got a little brned one year

carycach · 26/07/2012 10:35

You are wrong my Dc7 burnt in Fuerteventuira despite being slathered in factor 50 suncream and wearing a t shirt. Or maybe you thought we should sit inside for 2 weeks
Also (myself) i have burnt in February in Paris- silly me didn't pack any sunscreen for that trip!!

OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos · 26/07/2012 10:35

YANBU. There is no excuse for letting children get burnt, it doesn't exactly take a lot to prevent it.

My ex's family all seem to love children having a tan and go on about how 'healthy' it looks. Used to piss me right off, but I was always quite pleased with the fact that my dc could spend two weeks in Spain and come home the same colour as they left. Especially with ds1 because he has sensory stuff related to his AS and he hates suncream. But I drummed into him how important it was and made him have it anyway, and they piss all over it! Thankfully ex feels the same as I do. Except one time, they did come home red because he hadn't reapplied frequently enough, he was mortified and I went a bit batshit at him. In the long run it helped though because I no longer have to listen to complaints at sun cream time because the dc know what the consequences of not using it are.

UnChartered · 26/07/2012 10:36

oh yes, i am definitely assistant chief inspector of sun cream police Grin

Wafflenose · 26/07/2012 10:36

We spent the day on the beach yesterday. All of us wore hats and repeatedly applied factor 50 all over, especially after swimming etc. DD2 and I still managed to get slightly burnt - we just do, no matter what precautions we take. DD1 and DH have gone nice and brown.

TooManyDaisies · 26/07/2012 10:36

Ok, quick question. I've always thought that babies of ALL races should have sun protection. And small children too - even if they've got dark skin. Is this right? I often have a child to play who is Asian and her patents laugh at me for asking about sun cream. She doesn't burn, but she does go much darker. Isn't it all basically sun damage, regardless of skin colour? Anyone?

carycach · 26/07/2012 10:37

you shoukd also be aware that some children are allergic to sunscreen- particularly the high factor ones and also there is a school of thought ( and some evidence )that suncream can be a cause of skin cancer.

Lucyellensmum99 · 26/07/2012 10:37

I do think it is easy to prevent sunburn but accidents do happen.

The other day, DD was playing in her paddling pool, it was about 4pm and i had used sunblock, but had bought cheapo sunblock from the mini mart, still factor 50 so i assumed would be OK, she was in the pool for half an hour, and i noticed she was tanning up (she is lucky that she is like me and probably wouldnt burn quickly, but thats not the point). If i had been less vigilant paranoid i would have left her out longer maybe and she may well have burnt as it was bloody hot. Instructed DP to go and buy the expensive sunblock i probably should have bouht in the first place, but it IS expensive and we are skint just now.

But then there is a horrible story - my friends DS had to be hospitalised and legs bandaged when he was in his pushchair (this was 18 years ago now) and his GGM had taken him for a walk on the beach, she had one of those parasol sun shades and hadn't realised his legs were in the sun - she was devestated of course, as was her GGM but was anyone really at fault? Yes they should have maybe applied more sun cream, but they had a sun shade. Accidents happen. If that had been my DDs they probably would have just tanned as we are pretty olive sknned and dont tend to burn but this poor lad was ginger and it was awful for him :(

Floggingmolly · 26/07/2012 10:39

You don't have to be otherwise perfect yourself to judge people putting their kids at risk, ffs!

zzzzz · 26/07/2012 10:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lucyellensmum99 · 26/07/2012 10:40

Toomanydaisies - that is a good question, i dont know the answer, i know that black people have more melanin in their skin to help protect against the sun, but i think that they generally need to protect just as much. My mum has a medical condition that means that her skin is very dark (as dark as a black person) and i don't THINK i ever recall her having sun burn, despite worshipping the sun and getting darker and darker Confused Grin

Chandon · 26/07/2012 10:40

Oh I let me children out in the sun without suncream, unless it is crazy hot/sunny like this week.

They don't get burned (I do put sun cream on them after an hour or so), but get a slight tan if weather is sunny.

I always thought a BIT of sun on your skin is a good thing, as it is the only way to get vitamin D (essential for bones) and prevents rickets (which is making a comeback). It also does wonders for clearing up DSs eczema.

But we don't spend days on the beach, or things like that, don't go in sun between 12 and 3 if sunny, wear hats etc. So I'd say, sensible but not paranoid.

There is no need to think a bit of sun, or a hint of tan is bad IMO.

OP, yanbu, I know what you mean, but then accidents can happen. I would maybe judge if they were sunburned and STILL in the sun.

Lucyellensmum99 · 26/07/2012 10:41

zzzzzz - of course it is worse!!! sun burn is a terribly painful thing, skin cancer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,well

Mrsjay · 26/07/2012 10:41

oh yes, i am definitely assistant chief inspector of sun cream police

we should get a hat and badge Grin

Lucyellensmum99 · 26/07/2012 10:42

sun cream doesn't prevent Vit D production as far as im aware, however i am like you Chandon and only really use sun cream on mental hot days now that dd is 7

freddiefrog · 26/07/2012 10:42

My 10 year old got sunburnt yesterday.

She was taking part in an activity on water with her scout group.

She was out for half an hour wearing a wetsuit, a life jacket, a hat and lashings of factor 50 'very waterproof' suncream from a brand new, bought that morning bottle

Judge away!

KellyElly · 26/07/2012 10:43

YANBU if you are talking about serious sunburn due to parents not applying cream regularly. I remember in the news that mum who sunbathed on the beach while her baby got such bad burns it was screaming. That's just neglect. Bit of red sometimes can't be helped if kids have very pale skin. My DD has an Irish dad and I have to apply factor 50 every half hour and make sure she keeps her hat and sunglasses on. No young child chould be exposed to the sun for hours on end with no shade as they can get heat stroke.

Chandon · 26/07/2012 10:45

I remember this article about suncream and rickets:

www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8268321/Schoolgirls-rickets-blamed-on-sunscreen.html

but don't knoiw if it is just an assumption?

TitsalinaBumSquash · 26/07/2012 10:46

My family call me PC sun fun destroyer Grin

This was after many lectures if their children running around topless with no cream, hats, drink etc in blazing hot sun at the top of a hill on a 2 hr walk. My kids hate me for it when I'm insisting on all of the above before leaving the house.

I will however say now my opinion is skewered after many admissions to hospital with severe sun stroke/ burns as a child/teen (I have that delightful skin that only has to sense sun and frazzles) and my BIL has had cancer.

whois · 26/07/2012 10:47

I judge people with sunburn. But I got sunburnt on holiday at Christmas, was on a lilo on my back reading in the pool. Turned over onto my belly and then burnt my back and legs quite badly because the water/lilo combination rubbed off the suncream. Blush

Saying that - child abuse to get your kid sun burnt and then have them out in the sun again!