to be cross about dd getting sunburnt at school

[iloveithere]

Dd is 10, in year 6. she had a school trip today, and has come back burnt.
AIBU to think that even at her age the school should have reminded the children to get and apply their cream, and given them time to do it.
I didn't tell her this morning, as I didn't know they were going out, it was just a local walk, we have signed blanket permission for this type of thing.

Should the school remind children of this age, or should she have done it independently?

[DuckandCat]

I'm a teacher (infants), never once have I been asked/ expected to apply sun cream.

I'd rather keep them all inside then piss about applying sun cream to 30 kids. How often would it need to be done? Once before play, again at lunch and once more for PE in the afternoon

Do some schools do this then? I make sure they all have a hat and advise them to sit in the shade and drink water if they feel hot.

I'm not even sure we are 'allowed' to apply it.

[bronya]

Most children will already have been wearing all day suncream. Usually in a school, either parents are asked to send children in with the all haday stuff already on, or a box will be provided in the classroom for the normal stuff. Where a box is provided, the teacher will remind the children. Where it's expected to be applied at home, they won't. What about break time? Lunch time?

[specialsubject]

this is where we need the Aussie mumsnetters (when they wake up) to advise how it is done there. They are closer to the equator than us and under an ozone hole.

I believe 'no hat, no play' is one of the rules. Time the UK did the same.

[sunshinecity17]

How come kids never got sunburnyt at school when I was a kid.I mean if you spnt all day out sunbathing you would, but surely a summer dress covers all the parts that would burn- the shoulders , upper legs, upper arms .What was she wearing?

[Hissy]

Ds (8) got burnt in an accident at home a few weeks ago (boiling water)

As part of his recovery/scar management he must keep out of the sun/use very high spf product.

I bought that P20 stuff. It's a 10 hour spray, 50+ spf. It means that I can send him off at 8, pick him up at 6 knowing the burns that are in the sun are protected.

On top of this he rubs in baby sun cream spf 50 when he goes out, but that's me being cautious, the 10hour stuff I buy is good, but him getting into the habit to use sun protection now, on his own, will set him up for later in life.

This is something to learn from OP, and it's good your dd takes it seriously now.

[iloveithere]

just to clarify, this wasn't a play time or PE lesson, this was a trip to a field with no shade, a trip that parents had not been told about. i think they were out for about 3 hours.

and I certanly wouldn't expect the teacher to apply it, but if parents had the foresight to send their children in with sun cream, those children should have had the opportunity to put it on.

Also amazed at how few people seem to take sun safety seriously, I was always taught to put on sun cream each time I went out in the sun, applying it at 7.30 wont be much use for the whole day. And yes, I know that you can get all day ones now, but i am old fashioned and didn't get that type.

Apparently several children were burnt, and one sent home sick, possibly due to the heat (I don't know if that was the actual reason, DD said it was, but I know 10 year olds are not medical experts) so all in all I think this unplanned trip should have been planned a little in advance and these issues thought about, and risk assessed.

[cardibach]

I am old (50 later this year) and never wore suncream until I went on holiday abroad aged 18. Nobody I was at school with ever did either. I don't recall any burning issues, even on sports day. What has changed? I have been very sun aware with DD, but I am a bit confused as to why it is so necessary now.

[Iamsuperluigi]

I work in a Y6 class and we would expect the children to be able to apply suncream if they have a bottle in their bag, which they would open several times during the day for food/drinks .We are taking about children who will be in high school in a couple of months.

[Fideliney]

What has changed?

The integrity of the ozone layer? Our attitude to burning incidents?

[Iamsuperluigi]

A bit shocked that the school did not announce the trip to parents though.

[fledermaus]

My mum is the same age as you cardibach, is pale and got burnt every summer as a child, and now has skin cancer.

[cardibach]

Sorry to hear that fledermaus. I and my friends must have been lucky. AS I said, I do recognise the need for sun awareness and am really careful with DD (18 now and never burnt) and my own skin.

[dementedma]

We live on Scotland where it mostly rains. Ds was outside all day on Tuesday for activities and he has a badly burned face and neck. It isn't standard to apply suncream in the morning on the off chance the sun might break through.
Dh,dd1 and Ds have pale skin, freckles and burn to crisps.dd2 and I have olive skin and tan nicely. Life's a bitch sometimes

[AliceinSlumberland]

ilove out of interest, would you expect her secondary school to remind her?

[wobblyweebles]

I am old (50 later this year) and never wore suncream until I went on holiday abroad aged 18. Nobody I was at school with ever did either. I don't recall any burning issues, even on sports day. What has changed?

I am only slightly younger and we used to burn every summer. I vividly remember peeling the skin off my nose and long strips of skin off my stepbrothers' backs. We would be horrified if our kids got that sunburnt nowadays.

[goodasitgets]

I'm 30 and I remember having to put sun cream on at school, and burning quite a bit

[sarahquilt]

I think at that age it's up to parent and child tbh.

[ApocalypseThen]

Also amazed at how few people seem to take sun safety seriously

I know you say you didn't put cream in her because of your beliefs or whatever, but honestly, you can't have it both ways. If you take the sun seriously you cream the child up before she leaves for school and tell her that she has to put it on herself if she's going out again.

If you don't do these things, you don't take the sun seriously and ropey old excuses about being old fashioned don't cut it when you are blaming someone else for your mistake.

[Delphiniumsblue]

Just make sure that from now on your DD knows it is her responsibility.

[CrayolaCocaColaRocknRolla]

It really gets on my tits how schools can't help children put suncream on as they will get in trouble for touching a child. They can't even help a child up off the floor if they've fallen down. I'm sorry but 50SPF only works for 50 minutes. It does need to be reapplied every hour. At school, not so much, only once at lunch time. Thats it. At nursery/kindergarten/whatever you want to call it it SHOULD be re-applied all day if they are out in it, the point is play, not sat on a classroom. They will be outside all day and need it re-applying.

[Hakluyt]

"t really gets on my tits how schools can't help children put suncream on as they will get in trouble for touching a child. They can't even help a child up off the floor if they've fallen down."

They can,you know. Both things.

However most schools choose not to apply sunscreen for loads of reasons. Being accused of inappropriate touching is one. But also, being blamed for not doing it properly. And the sheer practicality of sun screening 30 children - even if it only takes a minute a child, that's 30 minutes before everyone can go out to play.

Never heard of anyone not boing helped up.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

If nursery staff had to re-cream every child every hour they wouldn't get much else done. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon plus sensible clothes, hats and shade to play in should be enough.

[MrTumblesBavarianFanbase]

SPF50 doesn't mean 50 minutes protection, unless you usually burn after 60 seconds... it means 50 times ypur unprotected safe exposure. The length of time SPF protects for will ne different for each person, but if 5 mins without protection is safe for an individual, SPF 50 will allow just over 4 hours... Or am I mistaken? I am sure it is not number of minutes - that would make no sense anyway, as some people burn far, far quicker than others.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

I'm sorry but 50SPF only works for 50 minutes

This is completely incorrect.

SPF means that the cream gives you X times whatever time you could spend in the sun without burning.

This level of protection being given, depends on the cream being re-applied according to the formulation. All creams, even water resistant, say to reapply after swimming. Some creams the formulation will last for 8 hours, others will say to reapply every 2-3 hours.

Even with an 8 hour cream, you still need a strong SPF.

What really needs changing though is the attitude of some teachers, who still refuse to accept that spending several hours outdoors in the middle of a very sunny day is a bad idea unless you have access to adequate shade.

[sunshinecity17]

would you expect her secondary school to remind her?

yes they do! At my dcs school anyway. Suncream must be applied for PE and there are school supplies (and lunchtime detentions) for those who haven't brought their own.