SIL wants her baby to 'catch a tan'

[LocksHear]

AIBU to be fuming?!

She refuses to cover him up and isn't applying any sun lotion. Baby is 10 months.

Apparently no one puts sun lotion on their kid's in her country, and they're just kept out of the sun when it's at its strongest (between 1.30/3)

She's adamant he doesn't burn, and she doesn't. Which is true. But burning isn't the only sign of skin damage by the sun. So is a sun tan. Any change to pigmentation is, isn't it?

I was at the park with her and all the kids yesterday, I made a point of putting sun lotion on all of mine, and made sure I had loads in my hands when I said "Oh I've loads left. Let me do yours. Might as well, loads left "

She was very and said I'd rather you didn't. I didn't know what to say to that. 5 minutes later she claimed to have a migraine coming on and left.

I've been advised to report her to her health visitor but I know she doesn't have one.

Tartan (guessing here but if I'm wrong so be it) I'm in Scotland too, 16 here. I'm burnt, just my shoulders and forehead but still.. it can happen. Also, I'm 33 not 10 months

I have olive skin and slathered myself in sun cream because I was told to do that when growing up in australia. But now I have medical issues due to vit d deficiency. I’ve stopped using sunscreen and put less on my kids. Olive skin takes longer to make vit d then pale skin. Regardless, I wouldn’t keep a baby out in peak sun - especially without sunscreen - as you can’t always be sure they won’t burn until they are burnt. But unfort I don’t think you’ll be able to do anything about it. At least as you have said the baby did not burn.

Yes and I was talking about my approach atm which is with a 4 month baby. It is ok to diverge slightly given our own situations - without such a reaction.

And yet you reacted to something you didn't agree with by calling me a dick!

A very young baby can easily be kept safe without suncream. Lay still somewhere shaded, in the pram etc.

Once they become mobile, crawling, rolling, wanting to sit up and see what's going on around them, it isn't as easy to keep them shaded.
Either they wear suncream or they could damage their skin.
The choice really is that simple. Anybody who chooses not protect their baby/child from prolonged strong sun exposure is irresponsible. I would rather 'chemicals' from sun cream any day over horrific treatments for cancer.

It's unbelievable how many people think the OP is unreasonable.

I never had sunscreen on as a kid and don't use it now and I've never burned or tanned.
She probably thinks your the crazy one for covering your kids in chemicals and not letting them get their vitamin D
We live in Britain not Gibraltar theres no need for sunscreen over here its just a marketing scam
If your that paranoid about a little bit of tan then use something all natural like coconut oil

@Praisebe I don't even know where to start.
The absolute rubbish being spouted on this thread is unbelievable.
Each to their own, but as mentioned earlier by someone, the 'chemicals' in suncream are much more pleasant than those in chemo.

I am quite paranoid about hats + cream + covering up for both me and DS as we are v fair and live in NZ.

I would probably be much more lax about an hour or two in London sunlight, esp if the child was olive skinned.

You certainly do need suncream in the U.K.

I was out on Thursday and burnt a little. Heat has nothing to do with being more likely to burn, either.

So you'd rather replace a common sense with chemicals ? Ok then your loss.
You could just do like the rest of us and stay in the shade and wear a sunhat and cover up but no that's too complicated apparently

wellnessmama.com/55366/sunscreen-is-harmful/

I imagine "the rest of us" is very much but minority.

Generally people who live in hotter, sunnier climates are advised to allow their children out before 10am or after 4pm without sun screen or sun protection. This is because we spend so much time covering up that many people in hotter climates have Vitamin D deficiency.

I'm sure she's been advised similarly, which is why she does it.

We live in Britain not Gibraltar theres no need for sunscreen over here its just a marketing scam

I'm lost for words!

Obviously a day like today and yesterday is fine, but when it's beaming down... no words.

I have polymorphic light eruption which means I have to stay out of the sun. Factor 50 every day.
I have vitamin D deficiency so take supplements.
Ten minutes in the sun would fuck my face up bigtime.

It was 19 where i was yesterday and i have 2 burnt shoulders from it. I was out in it unecpectedly for over an hr and no cream on. I normally wesr spf 50

I wouldn’t put sunscreen on my kids at this time of year because of low uv since the sun is further away than in summer

Well it's the same strength as August as the longest day is June 21st. Plus at this time of year they have adjusted less to it.

We live in Britain not Gibraltar theres no need for sunscreen over here its just a marketing scam

People in hotter countries have darker skin tones. I definitely burn in the UK! That said I don't think covering yourself in factor 50 from head to toe the second the sun comes out is healthy either. I don't use more than 15 usually on me or the dc in the UK and only when we'll be out for significant time.

Praisebe

I'm sitting here PMSL that you think a site entitled "wellness mama" is on any level a reliable source of scientific information 😂😂😂

I'm also staggered that all praisebe and her dc do when the sun is out is sit in the shade. They don't go for long walks, swim, cycle, play outside. I'll risk the chemicals on nice days when the sun is strong thanks .

@mummyof2boys30 maybe it's cause you're used to wearing factor 50 your skin had such a reaction? I wear factor 30 abroad, usually no more than a 15 here. It was 19 degrees where I was yesterday and I was out in the sun for around 3 hours and I'm as pasty as ever no sign of any burning

That wellness mama sites very irresponsible, my mother’s colleague died of melanoma in the early 1970’s & her cancer specialist said then they thought it was linked to sun exposure.

She’d been an early adopter of foreign holidays & had tanned a lot.

One of my lecturers wives was a researcher in cancer, she put sunblock all over her kids, she even put it inbetween toes. Her kids were half Greek & olive skinned but she still protected them.

Wellness mama probably just puts some coconut oil on it.

You’ve offered to put cream on her baby, she said no. You made it clear what you think, she disagrees. Now leave her alone. If you can’t be around her then don’t be, but don’t hang around her with this strong judgey attitude.

I think balance is needed fluffy as sun protection to that extent causes different problems. A lot of skin cancer is also linked to sunbeds which I can never believe people put themselves on tbh.

@CarpetMothsFuckOff or breast milk 🙊

My issue with the OP is the tone.
She is patronising towards her SIL
Is utterly sure she is totally right
and thinks this is worthy of 'reporting' to a HV ffs.
She has clearly been talking to other people about this because she has been 'advised' to report to the HV.

The whole OP is an excuse to be horrible about her SIL and superior about her own parenting.

The rest of the thread is a mixture of OTT from both sides (coconut oil for sunscreen???) and sensible advice.