To think nursery should respect my wishes about suncream?

[SchroSawMargeryDaw]

I covered my DS1 (2yo) in once a day sunscreen this morning (as written on the suncream slip for nursery that I will do, I haven't actually given permission for them to apply it really) to find he had been covered in the nursery's suncream several times today. When I questioned them about it and said that I had put P20 on him this morning as I had said I would do and had said this morning when I dropped him off that I had done.

I was told that he had been doing water play (it's water resistant up to 80 minutes in water and I have told them this) and how one of the other nursery staff used a once a day on holiday and went in the pool was "burnt to the bone". I tried telling them that he has really sensitive skin and it's only the P20 that doesn't bring him out in rashes and was completely dismissed with them repeating about their work mate who was burnt on holiday....

I was then told that "well you look like you could do with some suncream too". My shoulders are a bit red but really that's none of their business, my kids are always covered.

DS is now covered, face, arms and legs in angry red rashes and I know it was their cream as it goes higher than I put the cream on him on arms/legs. I am fuming.

Landrover We have the spray now which isn't quite as bad as the bottle of loose oil was... Eeps.

Glakit I'm pretty pissed off at her too, but will let that go this time...

I can't imagine anyone would think it okay to give a child anything else they are or could be allergic to,another reason this confused me so much as it seems to be the opposite for sun screen!

a rash will go away though not nice sun burn can cause lasting damage

...and a severe allergic reaction can kill.
There's no need to risk it in order to avoid sunburn, you just keep the child covered up and out of the sun.

Op, of course it's your decision if you prefer not to complain, but I would make sure you have your instructions in writing and that they agree to adhere to them. I think you're completely in the right to be concerned.

Glaikit Is there none that can be prescribed for your DS? My best friend had sun screen prescribed as a child but I think it was just super super strength stuff, she explained it as an "allergy to the sun" but being a child and explaining it like that, I highly doubt it was.

I will be writing it all down and signing and taking it in to nursery with DS, the sunscreen and the instructions next week. I can't let it happen again, I worry about the reactions becoming worse as with some creams the rash and puffy eyes have been horrible and I never know if any others we haven't tried could be worse.

Certainly in the UK just keep them out the sun between 10am and 2 pm and you're unlikely to have any issues. It's the foreign stuff that's more problematic in my opinion

The ones you can get on PX all had the ingredient in it

I've just bought a new bottle tonight, £30 for 200ml!! Good job we are in Scotland and we don't have too many really sunny days. Hat and long light sleeves does the job most days.

Bloody hell that is expensive. I thought the P20 was bad, same as you we are in Scotland so it isn't needed that often, thankfully!

My mum is even worse than dd and is now on specialist prescription only sun cream my worry is when is it going to be an issue to me! Currently I use nowt in the uk, and rarely have any issues so I'm not seriously considering applying ant on my ancient carcass

No ants, any...

I would be upset with the nursery worker for ignoring my express instructions, and would raise this with the manager. Then, as most others have said, send in a bottle of your own sun cream with explicit instructions.

I'm glad your LO's rash has gone down now, poor thing.

yep totally ridiculous for the nursery to put any cream on without your permission, let alone in direct opposition to your stated request.

Can't really believe anyone has bothered to argue the toss...but then this is AIBU...

Okay, so his eyes are worse today. I don't know if putting the P20 on now is aggravating the existing irritation or it's just getting worse. I'm going to need to take him to OOH.

Oh no, can you give him some Piriton?

Have you heard from the manager yet? Make sure they know you have had to take him toOOH due to their neglect/incompetence.

He's been dosed up all day on Piriton for the hay fever. :( It's not helping this at all though.
I'm going to go in and speak to them on Tuesday morning, I want to go to the GP first and am going to see if there are any creams they will prescribe that I can send in. :(

I've used P20 in the past in Greece on dingy sailing holidays (so lots of time in the water! ) and found that it worked very well with a once a day application (and yes, I have a fair skin).

I moved on to Ultrasun which protected better against UVA and B (good to hear that P20 now does too) and again, it protects well all day, although sometimes in Greece, if I've put it on at 8am, I will supplment with some Soltan in the late afternoon. Dh and ds have olive skins and will do a couple of days on the Factor 30 before going on to F20 whereas I will stay using F30 almost the whole holiday.

I did use the Boots Once once on holiday and did indeed burn badly. I found it much more susceptible than either Ultrasun or P20 to rubbing off with friction (eg it was the bits near clothes/a should bag that really burnt - yet I always apply naked before getting dressed).

The only "problem" I find with the "Once a Day" suncreams is that you need to be meticulous about applying them. Miss a bit and you're metaphorically toast.

Shro - YANBU but I admire you for your reasonable approach with the nursery. You'd be entitled to complain (some kids get quite severe rashes to some suncreams) but you're trying to work it out constructively.

I hope your trip to OOH goes OK. I used to find that P20 did irritate my eyes slightly; that was another reason why I now prefer Ultrasun (the sensitive skin version which also gives your skin a lovely sheen) - you can find it in John Lewis in Buchanan Galleries. :)

I will have a look for the ultrasun and see if that's okay, it's about the only one we haven't tried!

I agree about being very careful putting it on, I also worry the nursery might not be as careful applying it as I am (lots of kids, in a hurry etc).

I'm usually a quick complainer but I do really like this nursery and want him to stay and for the staff to remain as friendly as they have, having said that, that doesn't matter if they don't take this seriously.

Buy him P20 to take to nursery.

YANBU - he is your child and you have given the nursery explicit instructions which they have chose to ignore. The result of this is now your son has a painful rash that could have been prevented.

I use P20 as I have very sensitive skin and everything else brings me out in a rash, even the prescription stuff people gave mentioned (MIL has this and I tried it) I am superpale (day glow white lol) and a once a day application of factor 30 is fine for me. I have used it abroad in 31 degree heat and not burnt even with swimming in the sea and laying in the beach all day. It is in my opinion the very best sun cream (or oil) that money can buy.

To all the people saying it wouldn't last allday etc. It really does. Try it and you will see. It is expensive but as you only use it once a day it works out about the same cost, if not less as the ones you need to reapply all the time.

OP could you print out all the facts from the P20 website about the 10 hours protection and give this to the nursery when you go in for your meeting? Don't back down on this. I know you like the nursery but the shouldn't be putting cream on him without your permission. It's not like you forgot to put it on, you sent him in with adequate protection. Now your poor so is suffering because of this.

Put in the cream you use and ask them to use that because of his allergic reaction. Also give them some piriton for if they give him the wrong stuff and he reacts.

I'd rather have a nursery that reapplies suncream than a school that refuses to let the kids take suncream to school.

I do get the people who think they'd rather have this than no sun cream (even though he did have sunscreen on), but if they were so bothered, they could have kept him in. The rash is very similar to a very sore burn, it's not nice and could have been avoided.

I'd also rather they didn't apply P20 all day as I don't want to risk him reacting to that. My GP agrees and is writing a letter to nursery and has also prescribed new sun cream to try and extra anti-histamine.

All this could have been avoided quite easily.

Have you had an opportunity to speak to the nursery manager about it?

Yes, she has apologised and said she will make sure all the staff are aware he has only to get his own prescribed one now, or P20 if I put it in.