To think DD didn't need to have suncream on?

[SunshineIsComing]

I just dropped DD off at nursery. It's 12 degrees and sunny with clouds. DD has very sallow skin and I would never have put sun cream on her on a day like today. I used to be deficient in vitamin D myself and know that it's important to be exposed to a degree of sunlight.

Nursery have just pulled me up for dropping her off without suncream on.

I should add that I have provided a bottle of suncream to the nursery which they apply as & when required so if today was to get much warmer, they have her suncream there.

I checked the UV levels (as suggested upthread) and it's saying it's 4? Which is moderate. Not sure if that means suncream is needed or not though?

I agree with you sunshine. We are designed to manage some sun exposure - indeed we actually require it for vitamin d purposes.

You can see her skin really isn't the sort which would be at risk of burning on a day like today.

She's gorgeous! Not only would she not have been at risk of burning at 9am, but she'd have been a bit chilly without a coat on.

I've never even thought to put suncream on before nursery but that's probably because they have their own on pump containers on the wall, he came home slimy last time it was sunny

To be fair tho, I’m a childminder and it’s hard work putting suncream on multiple children. They won’t want to take the risk of letting the children have free access to outside of some may not have it on. The onus is usually on the parent to put it on just in case. It can get hot very quickly and it’s one less thing for them to worry about. I always prefer it if parent pop the cream on first thing when it’s easier when they aren’t yet clothed.

I sometimes worried if I'm too relaxed because I've got used to her sallow skin and I only pop suncream on her mid morning normally and only on a warmer day. I've never made a big fuss of sun hats with her either because she has lots of hair and with factor 50 on her face I just didn't think a sun hat was essential but a friend with paler children recently made out that I was careless for not having a sun hat on her one day.

I think because most people in the UK have children with fairly pale skin, I'm made to feel like a bad Mum for the fact I'm not quite as religious about it all as they are. Maybe I'm wrong on this one, I'm not sure. That's just been twice in a matter of weeks I've been made to feel like a bad parent over sun protection.

i wouldnt put suncream on unless it was actually hot and sunny tbh.
My children go bloody nuts when i try and put cream on them (ASD - sensory issues) so I put it on when I think theyre at actual risk of burning.
I think many people are completely over the top about suncream, which is fine when its your own kid, but please stop going on about other peoples kids. If someones kid was actually getting sunburnt then yes, thats pretty bad, but I think most people can make their own judgements about their own kids and how likely they are to burn on an overcast drizzly day

BBC weather reports give a low, medium or high risk for UV rays.

It depends on the weather and UV I suppose.

It's sunny but windy here today so I've put a little on DDs face as I know that just because it's windy or cooler, the UV is still as strong.

As a responsible parent I would say that your judgement should be listened to.

One of my children has very dark skin (darker than OP's beautiful little girl). She never burns. Tanned skin is still damaged skin though. Tanned skin isn't healthy. However, even with suncream she still tans really bloody easily.

I still protect her from the sun just as much as I do my blonde, pale and easily burnt girl.

I wouldn't have put any on today unless I was going to be outside for an extended period. The breeze here is deceptive, but it is also mostly cloudy.

PS Sallow is usually taken to mean pale and unhealthy looking. I don't think that is what you mean.

PS Sallow is usually taken to mean pale and unhealthy looking. I don't think that is what you mean.

Oh I don't mean that 🙈 maybe olive skin is a better description.

The heat has little to do with how much radiation there is, as PP have said. A relative of mine has a story of being at the beach with a ginger paleskinned child on a very cloudy, overcast summer's day in the early 80s and the child being burned to bits. The doctor gave out to her but sure she didn't know you could burn yourself on a cloudy day.

I was in Ireland myself last summer and got a mighty sunburn on me - the day was sunny but with some clouds (hello, Ireland) but I wasn't hot at all, there was a good breeze.

That said I hardly ever slather my kids up actually, they're out all the time so build up such tolerance. I'd take out the suncream for the nekkid days at the beach alright but I'm a bit lax.

UV index chart, Britain: www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/uv-index-forecast/#?tab=map&map=MaxUVIndex&zoom=5&lon=-4.00&lat=55.71&fcTime=1525982400

Sallow does NOT mean pale and unhealthy looking! It means yellow toned , pale olive skin!
Regardless. It's chilly in London despite a forecast of 20 degrees so unless v pale I can't imagine anyone would burn in this.

The only school days my DD and DS wear sunscreen for is sports day. They have hats though.
In my defense they both have ASCs and massive snesory issues and putting sunscreen on them is hell. Both are shade seekers and hate the sun with a passion!
At nursery my son was told sunscreen or no outdoor play - he chose no outdoor play! My DD complied but then hated outdoor play because all she could feel was the sunscreen!
They wear sunscreen if we are out and about in the sun - I use the 8 hour stuff.
They wear sunscreen at the beach and when we go to my Dad's in France as the no swimming pool no sunscreen rule applies but DD will cry for an hour at the feel of it on her arms.
I work in a school and watched a gaggle of infants (year 2) miss most of their lunch play as they were applying sunscreen........ Sadly our school has very little shade and it was needed yesterday. DD hid inside!
I am very aware that this attitude may make me seem neglectful and I do worry but I have trained them to stay out of the sun where ever possible. DD takes me very literaly and will walk from patch of shade to patch of shade, often hiding in my shadow if no others are available.
OP sunscreen didn't even occur to me this morning!

That said I hardly ever slather my kids up actually, they're out all the time so build up such tolerance.

Everyone always thinks burnt skin is dangerous, and of course it is but tanned skin often gets forgotten about.

Tan is a sign of skin damage. It still increases your chances of skin cancer.

lots of things about modern life increase your risk of cancer tbh.

Putting cream on on a hot sunny day is sensible. Freaking out about skin cancer on overcast days is your own issue You know your own skin and you know your childs skin.

I like the way so many people now insist on leaving thick visible suncream on their childs face now, just to virtue signal. It must feel horrible and sweaty on the skin to be so caked in cream

My understanding is that a tan protects to an extent against sunburn (UV-B damage) but does not protect you from UV-A damage. Both can cause cancers. Good suncream these days protects against both, and therefore is recommended even for those who don't tan.

Haven't read it in full, but this looks like an easy to read fact sheet www.bad.org.uk/for-the-public/skin-cancer/sunscreen-fact-sheet

Sorry typo:

Good suncream these days protects against both, and therefore is recommended even for those who have a tan / darker skin tones.

My DS has sallow skin (as does DH) but I still put suncream on him. We've had three skin cancers in my immediate family so are very conscious of the dangers.

@Miaowmix

www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/look

sallow1
ˈsaləʊ/Submit
adjective
adjective: sallow; comparative adjective: sallower; superlative adjective: sallowest
(of a person's face or complexion) of an unhealthy yellow or pale brown colour.
"his skin was sallow and pitted"
synonyms: yellowish, jaundiced, pallid, wan, pale, waxen, anaemic, bloodless, colourless, pasty, pasty-faced; More
unhealthy-looking, sickly, sickly-looking, washed out, peaky, peakish, peaked;
informallike death warmed up;
informalwabbit, peely-wally;
rareetiolated, lymphatic
"his lips were blue with the cold and his cheeks sunken and sallow"
antonyms: rosy, glowing

The key to avoiding danger is to not be exposed to high UV for prolonged periods. Getting 1 hour of sun in one go is far more dangerous than 3 20 minute exposures, say, due to how cells degenerate. So it may be reasonable to ensure she's protected if they're going to be playing outside all day (a sports day, say) but not if it's just normal break times.

www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/sallow

Sorry, link fail.

@SamHeughansLeftEyebrow

I'm more of an Oxford dictionary girl, but fair enough. I have always known it to mean yellow-toned (as opposed to pink or pale really).

en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/sallow