Schools sun policy - am I wrong?

[Originalfoogirl]

Before I speak to the school about their sun policy, I wanted to know if others think I'm taking an unreasonable stance.

As soon as it starts getting sunny, we get a text from the school reminding us to send our children wearing sunscreen. Fair enough, a reminder is good. I also send our girl with a bottle of suncream and remind her to re apply it - as per the advice from cancer research and sunsmart. All day sunscreen is not effective. Yesterday she said she got in to trouble for asking for help to do it and was told "you're supposed to put it on before you come to school". At 7 she can kind of do it herself, but her disability does cause her some problems putting it on.

I know it can be a faff for a teacher to put sunscreen on 30 kids and there aren't enough assistants, but just as they have to help the littles get help changing for PE and for using the toilet etc, but to me, sunscreen is just as basic. I have friends who have had skin cancer.

I think the school should have a policy on this and build it in to their day. Schools in Australia seem to manage and before anyone says it, our sun is just as dangerous to children as theirs is.

I know many people just don't see the importance of it for their children and don't appreciate the risks of burning, but should I take this up with the school or not?

[blankpage69]

I agree with ohtheroses. I worry about my teenage DD not getting enough sun as she insists on wearing tights and keeps blazer on all day. I only put sunscreen on the face and arms I leave my younger DD'S legs as I think they need the sun.

Yes YABU. Tbh I leave sunscreen at the weekend unless we are out in full blazing sun all day.

[LunaLoveg00d]

I think it's very standard for children to be expected to put their own suncream on. I know that mine were certainly expected to do it by themselves from age 5 starting school. The letter usually says that parents are free to go into school themselves to apply cream if the child can't do it by themselves.

it's not just 10 or 20 minutes though - it was 27C in Glasgow yesterday and boiling hot all day. My 7 year old has red hair and freckles and if I hadn't slopped factor 50 all over him before school and reminded him to put more on at lunchtime he would have burned. Teachers are routinely taking children outside for lessons as the weather is so nice, and as today is sports day they will be out for most of it.

[Dolphinsanddinosaurs]

I think you are being a bit unreasonable. I have a very fair skinned child, who would burn easily, but with sun cream put on before school he has never come back even the slightest bit pink.

I think it would be different if they were outside for a lot of the day, like on a school trip or sports day. I would then expect the school to assist with applying sun cream, but for a total of less than an hour in the sun, split into three sessions, I think sun cream put on before school is enough. Children do need some sun for the vitamin D.

[AllPowerfulLizardPerson]

"Typically you have less staff at the times children are outside (teachers and TAs have to pee & eat at some point!"

Sunscreen needs to be applied 20-30 minutes before going outside, so won't impinge on staff breaks.

As YANBU, OP, Aussie schools incorporate this into the classroom day without difficulty.

[crje]

I think YABU

Do the sunscreen before school & provide hat or parasol if needed.

If you are very concerned could you call into the school and do it ??

[CallarMorvern]

We are having our own sun cream issues. DD has been applying her own sunscreen for years, she's 10. It is no issue. Recently she changed schools and hasn't been allowed ( by one specific teacher) to put any sun screen on in the day. Apparently they have to wear all day sunscreen, DD can only wear a couple of sunscreens as she has eczema, neither if these is all day cream. Teacher says this is rubbish, everyone can wear it. DD is a redhead and needs sunscreen. Does my bloody head in. The same teacher polices break time snacks and allows some snacks and not others, contrary to school rules. Meh.

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

This is what a school sun hat looks like in Australia
www.bedheadhats.com.au/shop-school-hats-australia/?rf=va&va=120

This is what it looks like in the UK
www.johnlewis.com/school-girls'-summer-boater-hat/p395047?sku=231874703&kpid=231874703
www.johnlewis.com/connaught-house-school-girls'-boater-hat/p206705?sku=231123396&kpid=231123396

[LunaLoveg00d]

We don't have uniform hats like they do in Aus, but I send my littlest one (who is the readhead) in one of those legionnaire's style caps with the flap down the back. He doesn't wear it inside and the school are perfectly happy with it. Don't think ANY schools in Scotland have a boater as part of their uniform.

[quasibex]

"At 7 she can kind of do it herself, but her disability does cause her some problems putting it on."

This to me is the flaw with the school's sun policy. I get that it's really difficult to ensure that 30 children are adequately protected but there should be a clause whereby children who legitimately require and request assistance should have it provided.

Your daughter has a disability that makes applying sun cream more difficult, any decent person wouldn't hesitate in giving her a helping hand irrespective of age...especially when asked directly.

This is why I think YANBU

[3dogsandacat]

I do wonder how the fuck myself and most of my generation survived childhood

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

Sun exposure here in Australia and in the UK are 2 very different things.
Here, it's possible to be burnt to a crisp on a cloudy/hazy day (tested it when I first got here, was really quite horrified). Never had that happen in the UK.
The ozone hole has already been mentioned too - it's more dangerous to be out in the sun here without protection. You can feel it scorching you!

I get that people are trying to avoid skin cancer; there is an awful lot of it out here. More so than in the UK. But this insistence on sunscreening the moment the sun pokes its face out isn't healthy - vit D deficiency is becoming endemic in the UK, hell, even rickets is being found again! And on the rise www.nbcnews.com/health/rickets-making-comeback-uk-doctors-say-8C11561862

I think it's unreasonable to expect teachers to help your DD. (I think it's unreasonable to have her fully sunscreened the entire day anyway but that's my issue, not yours). But teachers have to be so careful these days about touching children that I can entirely see why they wouldn't want to get involved with creaming a child's skin.

[TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams]

Proper sun hats with mandatory wear or kids stay indoors
All day 50 sunscreen applied before school
Schools reapply* if on a day trip/sports day/lengthy exposure /child with disability
Schools take 5 min break 30 mins before lunch to have kids help each other to reapply to face and arms.
Extremely fair children to wear hats as above and cover up if required.

I think that's workable for most?

*children with allergies will have to supply own brand if allergic to broad based child friendly sunscreen provided by school.

This is an interesting look at how it has evolved over the years in Aus.
www.generationsunsmart.com.au/how-accessible-is-sunscreen-at-your-school/

[3dogsandacat]

As a teacher I would feel uncomfortable applying sun cream to a child.

Exactly.
There's the whole safeguarding issue.
Parents forget about that.

[RB68]

I find the all day p20 factor 30 perfectly adequate for all 8 hr day for me and daughter and we are gingers. We use extra factor 50 on face and reapply but the rest of the body its p20 stuff.

I think the thing now is we are more aware of the burn factor - our skins are less exposed generally so more sensitive and we know the long term outcomes in terms of skin cancers. So we would be bloody stupid not to apply. Teaching them from a young age to do it and using cover up clothing is the way to go. SMall exposure is OK - 10 mins or 15 mins but take this week my DD has bikeability for three half days and the temp is sky high, she is outside 3 to 4 hrs in the day she needs protection - thankfully she is nearly 11 and perfectly capable of sorting herself.

[RiverTam]

We have used Ultrasun factor 30 for DD, she has never come home burnt or pink. And the situation is different in Aus and NZ, don't be so ridiculous. And it's necessary for far fewer days of the year!

[80Kgirl]

YABU

The sun is not as strong in the UK as Australia. London is 51 degrees north of the equator, Edinburgh is 55 degrees, while Brisbane is 27 degrees and Sydney 34. A massive difference!

I don't blame the school not wanting to be responsible for the effective application of sunscreen on children for the same reasons that they are wary about administering medicines unless they absolutely have to.

Put sunscreen on your own child in the morning and send them to school with a hat.

[80Kgirl]

Obviously the degrees for Australia are degrees south!

[MidniteScribbler]

I'm a teacher in Australia and I have never applied sunscreen to a child. We do have a large jug of it available next to the door of the classroom for any child who wants to use it.

On the ridiculously hot days, we play in the hall or classrooms at lunchtime, not outdoors. All of our play equipment areas have a sunshade over the top, and there are lots of undercover areas. We also have a mandatory hat policy with the style of hats a PP added a photo of upthread.

[SolomanDaisy]

Our school (Dutch) has never mentioned sunscreen. I put factor 50 on DS before he leaves, he spends at least two hours outside a day and he has never developed anything other than a very light brown cover over the course of several weeks. He sometimes likes to take in a roller sunscreen with him, but he's four so it's more the idea than any practical ability to protect himself. In northern Europe I don't think there's much need to reapply it during the school day.

[BaboonBottom]

When I've helped out at Beavers and Brownies (all DBS checked etc) we've been explicitly told no adult should help a child put sunscreen on.
i get the safe guarding issue, I get the allergen issue, but they are out in the sun all day and the places you are putting sunscreen on a child aren't exactly a problem for the safe guarding.

Them trying to put it on themselves ends in greasy carnage!

[wooflesgoestotown]

Ive never had a problem with all day Suncream for any of my DC in a normal school day. (You can get up to f50 if it's really sunny).

Is your dd really going to burn with all day Suncream on and max of an hour outside?

If DC can't wear all day Suncream then I think teachers should be willing to help those who need it.

[LyndaNotLinda]

The effectiveness of all day sunscreen decreases as the day goes on but it still retains a good degree of efficacy.

It is perfectly adequate for the amount of time a British child spends outside during the school day.

DS is very pale, two years older than your DD and has never got sunburned at school because I put P20 on him when it's sunny.

Not today though because its not that hot. And because he needs vitamin D

[cjt110]

Nursery here but we send our son in with suncream applied, as per their resquest, and they reapply. When it's sunny, they are out most of the day. They have maybe 15 toddlers to apply it to (aged 18m - 3).

[specialsubject]

At least someone knows basic geography and Australia's latitude!

But yes , you can get rapidly burnt in the UK and it is under 3 weeks to peak UV. Simple solution - kids pair up and put cream on each other before lunch play , and shade is also offered. Quick. No safeguarding issue .

[nokidshere]

Taking sunscreen into school and reapplying with the help of a buddy system for any bits they cant reach themselves is the best way to go imo. And a hat of course.

However, if a child has a disability that means they can't do it then it absolutely has to be done by an adult. And if a school is refusing to allow a child with allergies to wear and reapply a different sunscreen then I would be reporting them to Ofsted.

And I would not be sending my children to a school where the teachers were scared of touching a child. Screaming safeguarding in a job where you are a responsible for a child's basic needs, whether that's toileting, cleaning, comforting or suncreaming, is a pathetic excuse for getting out of doing something and putting the responsibility on the parents.

If its a time issue or a staff issue then just say so and find a workable alternative.