To contact the HV or SS ?

[organixeveryday]

DS (20mo) came home from contact with his father today (goes Sunday morn to Monday bedtime) with red arms , legs, face and a rash on both his chest and back.
I asked if he had applied sunscreen and was told that he was in the shade in just a nappy in the paddling pool so sunscreen wasn't needed.
I'm cross about this as it's not the first time my requests have been disregarded (doesn't have his own room as court order states he should have, various issues surrounding formula feeding and weaning age etc you get the picture).

Aibu to contact the HV, doctor , SS, or anyone?!
DS father lives with his mother and his GP's are there all day on a Monday also so must have some brains put together which is why this basic disregard for a child's health is baffling me.

Yours Crossly

A rash? Not sunburn, a rash?

I think if every child with heat rash was reported to social services today there would be almost no one without a referral.

He was red and hot to the touch in those red areas so I'm assuming that was sunburn

Can you provide a pic OP? Just of his arm or something, there's a big difference between rash and sunburn

He's gone to bed now , but there was a rash AND sunburn quite visibly. I managed to take him out on Saturday and have neither happen so it's obviously possible to not damage a child's skin if proper precautions are taken surely.

Has he blistered?

Ok but it's not a mistake is it, we all know (and it's on the NHS website too) that sunscreen should be applied to children even in overcast conditions. I do think it's negligent, maybe I'm the only person who thinks that though .

Calling SS for sunburn (unless truly horrific) is a bit much tbh.

Not everyone does know that you need to apply sunscreen in the shade. I didn't know myself until recently

There was a lady on the beach a couple of years back got pissed with her baby no sunscreen etc she had the police called on her

In my personal opinion it is neglect failing to protect a child

Getting pissed at the beach with a baby is slightly different to playing in a paddling pool on the shade.... No?

Is he uncomfortable enough to not sleep?

If he is sleeping and fine in himself I would leave it but mention to ex next time with a firm "he needs sun cream on before you do ANYTHING" type message! Poor DS

Fairly certain he's asleep, although pain doesn't faze him at all , and he will sleep through any kind of issues anyway.
I would've put it on just as a precautionary measure anyway even if I wasn't sure or ... ask me if he wasn't sure whether to?!

You've bigger issues and you're fixing on this. I don't think on it's own this is the issue really.

I'm well aware though that any pleas I make fall on deaf ears ( as well as court ordered stuff ) so I might as well sit back and let it run its course I suppose. Nobody has died after all!

If he was feeding him incorrectly as a baby then that was the time to go back to Court.

Take pictures and if you feel that he is at risk of harm on a very sunny day, then refuse to hand him over. He can see him on another day, or learn to meet his needs.

What is the issue with him sharing a room?

Court ordered that he would have a room to himself , but this was disregarded by ex so DS wakes frequently there to "play" in the night as there is a captive audience (ex) whereas at mine he sleeps alone.
Very frustrating all in.

It might be frustrating, but he's not actually harming him, he's parenting differently to you. You say he could call you if he wasn't sure; how many times have you rung him when you were unsure of what to do for the best?