to turn a blind eye to this?

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Neighbours don't put suntan lotion on their DCs.

Their 5yo DD was round today and I was putting lotion on my DCs. She asked if she could have some. I said to go ask her mummy if it was OK for her to have some. She didn't go.

About 5 minutes later I saw her taking the bottle and putting it on herself. I pretended I hadn't seen, because tbh I worry about her not having it on.

I'm not sure exactly why they don't suntan lotion their DCs, but I expect it ties in with their anti-vacc and no-medicine stance.

But, is there any specific reason (other than distrust of everything "medical") you wouldn't put lotion on your DCs? Are some people intolerant / allergic to it? I will bring it up when I next see them, but in the meantime I just wondered if I was rash to assume it was OK for the girl to have lotion?

But ... surely the DCs are going to burn this summer?

btw I don't plan to make a habit of giving her lotion when she's at mine as then the mum might think her lack of sunburn proves it's OK to go without! But today I felt, if she was actually doing it herself, I wasn't going to be the one to stop her.

WIBU?

"would have been irritated by someone else putting lotion all over my children."

I didn't put it on her. When she asked I said she should get permission from her mum. I just didn't stop her when she later did it herself.

Another thread of people avoiding chemicals!?

Unless your bottle contains a strong vacuum, it contains chemicals.

I would only put lotion on if it was very hot and dcs were going to be in it for a long time. They don't burn easily, and sun tan lotion affects the amount of vit d that gets through, which is very limited in this country.
I wouldn't care if they or someone else put some on on the odd occasion though!

www.doctoroz.com/videos/your-sunscreen-might-be-poisoning-you

A quick google brings up one report that might have a bearing on the decision.

I live in the south and limit the amount of time we spend in full sun. It's really quite easy. Even confusedf you are out and about which we often are with dogs etc there is always plenty of shade

It may not be hard for you but it is not always that easy. As an adult I have never had the sunburn I had as a child but I have 'caught' the sun through car windows, through a T shirt, through sleeves and in the shade.

I'd take Dr Oz's medical and scientific credentials with a pinch of salt, he also recommends homeopathy.

Skin cancer is the fastest rising cancer in the UK. Coming from a country where skin cancer is on the decline and sun protection is taken very seriously, I find the British attitude to the sun pretty shocking.

Sure, inform yourself about the ingredients of sunscreen and avoid those with ingredients you're worried about. But even the Dr Oz link and US pressure groups quoted in media articles don't say to avoid all sunscreens. Make sure you're getting enough sun to get Vitamin D, but after that cover up whether with sunscreen and/or clothes and hat. You don't have to burn to get skin cancer.

OP, I think at the end of playtime I would have said something to the girl's mum along the lines of "I spotted your DD putting suncream on herself - I think she must have been copying what I was doing with my DD. I didn't make a fuss about it at the time as I didn't want her to think she'd done anything wrong, but I thought I'd better let you know in case she has sensitive skin". That would then lead on to you being able to clarify if she has a problem with you putting a token amount on in the future so both girls are the same/her DD doesn't feel left out, or if she'd rather avoid it altogether even when her daughter is temporarily in your care.

As a PP has said, it's the UV intensity not the heat which is the risk factor. I'm in Northern England and it was definitely sunscreen weather yesterday after the first hour or so. There is a balance to be struck between OMG the evil chemicalz and risking skin cancer.

It is possible to be allergic to the sunblock itself, not the carrier cream - I had a friend at school who was.

We don't use so cream.

I'm really surprised by some of the comments here. Skin cancer is a real threat, I had a friend who died of it in his 20s. He wasn't a sunbather, just caught too much sun when out and about.

I'm allergic to a lot of suncream, and have low calcium, but I'll still wear suncream if I'm going to be outside a lot. On Sunday I was in and out all day and it didn't occur to me I might burn, but I did despite being mostly indoors. It's really very difficult to avoid the sun sufficiently unless we cover up lots.

I don't think suncream is essential in Britain.

Better to avoid the chemicals and stay out of the sun in the middle of the day for the few strong sunny/uv days we have.

If you look at uv forecasts (in the middle of summer) you will see that uv is only high in the middle few hours of the day so I don't see the problem with avoiding the sun this time. There is still plenty of sunlight in the morning, afternoon and evening.

I think the increase in skin cancers is more likely linked to increase in summer holidays abroad.

Please don't put suncream on children without checking with their parents first.

I'm shocked too

"Not sun tan weather" err.. UV anyone? And general use of "sun tan cream" (not heard it called that since the 80s).

I don't think suncream is essential in Britain

You are wrong. I think you have little idea just how fair skinned some Celts are and how unable we are to withstand any sun. I used to burn painfully every summer as a child - pre-sunscreen days, we just got clamamine lotion after.

My DH & his sister were admitted to hospital with severe burns when they were children - Scottish kids on holiday in the south of England, they ended up in casualty.

Celtic types need very very little sun to get their VitD - this is really an issue for darker skinned people.

I am well aware of the Vit D/MS connection as my dad had MS. He grew up in Glasgow slums when the heavy industry & pollution led to the poor air quality that also meant rickets were prevalent. It is a different world today.

Failing to protect your child from the sun because you are scared of 'chemicals' (everything is made of chemicals) is the kind of anti science woo that makes me want to snort derisively. In fact, I think I will. Snort.

This thread is very strange to me! Do you not have the slip, slop, slap and wrap campaign in Britain?

Fair enough if there is an allergy etc but otherwise children (and adults!) should all wear sunscreen! The advice given out by the cancer society is to first apply 15 minutes before going outside, and then to apply every 2 hours after that, or immediately after swimming or vigorous exercise. It's important to remember you can be burnt through clouds!

In answer to the OP, I think your course of action was reasonable (asking her to go see her mother first) and if there was no rash or harm done maybe keep quiet, but next time she comes over take her to ask the mother yourself so you can ensure she asks.

I am very wary of sun exposure because I am living in New Zealand, which has very high rates of melanoma and sun burn.

Kids dont need suncream as soon as the sun comes yabu would you have given her a spoon of calpol with our asking her mum,

You don't have to slather children with Factor 50 at the drop of a hat but I can't believe some of the attitudes on here.

You really think you can't burn easily in the UK?

By all means let them have 10 minutes in the morning or late afternoon with no lotion but other than that they need protection.

The number of people I have seen since the 'pleasant' weather over the weekend who look painfully red and sore because they didn't realise they needed suncream...

The incidence of skin cancers - melanomas and even basal cell carcinomas (which aren't quite so critical) is growing. And whilst a lot may be down to foreign holidays, why take the risk with your children's futures?

Oh a absolutely nannyogg I didnt mean to never put sun cream on children and adults but vit d is important for children

I can burn within about 15 minutes in the UK, easily, and have done so in November. I feel the heat of the sun so quickly these days. Because I know I feel the heat so quickly I slap cream on me pretty fast, but leave DD for a bit longer. I thought you only needed to expose an area of skin about the size of your hands for 15/20 mins to get the Vit D (i.e. your body won't produce any more vit D after that amount of time) but I could be wrong.

I try to keep out of the sun but it's not always easy, sometimes you just are out and about at midday and there's not much shade.

Yes it is easy to stay out of the sun/cover up for the few hours in the middle of the day for a couple of months in Britain, compared with avoiding the sun for 6+ hours every day for many months/year round which is what is required in so many other parts of the world which have much higher uv levels.

That is why suncream is not essential in Britain.

well, a 'few' hours by most definitions would be around 3/4 - and again, I could burn at other times, easily. It's a stupid sweeping statement. You don't want to use suncream - fine, don't use it. But your opinion isn't fact for the 60-odd million people who live here!

I'm outside an hour or more a day, don't use sun cream except when very hot, and take cod liver oil, yet have just been told my vit D is less than a quarter what it should be, and am now on maximum dose Vit D, and told to stop using sun screen, which I hardly used much anyway. Also cannot do any sort of medium or high impact exercise as would risk breaking bones.

I don't understand how this happened realy. Has this happened to any one else?