People, their children and babies with no sun hats

[SimplySteve]

Was at Alton Towers yesterday, DD was visiting with a friend and her GF was working, so I was right by the entrance for an hour in the morning as park opened, then an hour as park closed (4:30-5:30). It was high 20s/low 30s.

I was astounded at the amount of people of all ages be it teens, young adults and families, some with toddlers/youngsters on shoulders/in strollers and babbas in prams. There were so few sun hats being worn, and could clearly see sunburn on those with exposed shoulders/backs and arms. I mean it's fair enough if you want to take these chances but young children are reliant on a sensible adult to protect them.

Or I'm talking crap?

Ok, here may be a good place to ask a question that’s been bothering me. What is the purpose of a sun hat? I always assumed it was to keep the sun out of your eyes, so if a child preferred to be dazzled that was a reasonable choice.
How do those little bucket hats so beloved of English parents protect from sunburn, given how little they cover?
FWIW, I’m a strong believer in staying out of the sun, but use factor 50 or UV-proof clothes on my children. Just never saw the point of hats once they’re past baldy-baby stage.

I’ve given you a source written by people who test those magical nets, showing they create heat in the hood. “Normal parents” yeah I’m judging you now for thinking you know fucking everything when they’ve been tested and shown to be dangerous.

That's why I put suntan lotion on him - to keep the sun off.

I have asked paediatricians and dermatologists, and so far the answer has always been not to put any such product on a baby. Good enough for me to reassure us we were doing things right.

I don't use a sun net because (as evidenced by the Which link further up the page) they can make the buggy up to 4 degrees hotter inside. I use suntan lotion on exposed skin, put the hood up and angle the parasol to create some shade.

It’s common knowledge that you shouldn’t cover the pram. Factor 50 is better than a net.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/uk-heat-sun-pram-stroller-parents-blanket-over-baby-pram-in-hot-weather-put-their-children-at-risk-a7145311.html

Mymycherrypie
I don't need to use swear words to tell you that I don't put my babies in the sun, I have an appropriate pram and sun net are better than a towel.

If you need to read reviews to get a minimum of common sense it's a bit of a worry! I did read reviews before buying all my baby's equipment, but some things should be obvious for normal parents, shouldn't they?

My son won't wear one. If I persisted it would end up in a violent meltdown. We don't spend much time in the sun.
He doesn't wear one at school either

Allfednonedead Sun in your eyes is very damaging, it's worst than a bit of sun of your nose.

My kids were these kind of things, but I agree with you, shade is better for the hottest times of the day.

The problem with the UK habit of putting kids in bed at 6pm is that the children miss the best time of outdoor play when it's summer.

You aren't supposed to put sun cream on babies under 6 months anyway..

"Why is using sunscreen on newborns controversial? There are key differences between infant and adult skin. First, infants’ skin is thinner, with a thinner stratum corneum, the dead outermost skin layer. It thus protects the body less effectively against outside agents; the chemicals in sunscreen might penetrate deeper, making newborns more vulnerable to contact dermatitis (skin reactions, like rashes), allergies, or inflammation. Newborn skin is also missing a functioning acid mantle, the film on the skin’s surface that protects the skin from bacteria, viruses, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), a condition that can lead to dehydration.3,4,5 Lack of the acid mantle could leave babies more vulnerable to the chemicals in sunscreen.

In addition, babies also have a higher surface area-to-body weight ratio than older children and adults. A baby’s body surface area is about four times the body surface area-to-weight ratio in adults, which again leaves them exposed to greater penetration by chemicals. In adults, most sunscreen ingredients don’t get absorbed systemically (by the bloodstream) — and those that do are absorbed in insignificant amounts — but a baby’s skin may be considerably more vulnerable to this absorption; thus, it is wise to avoid any ingredients that could cause babies problems.

Whether or not the ingredients in sunscreen can penetrate babies’ skin significantly, they are not meant to be ingested, and infants could very well lick them off their fingers or any other reachable body area. That’s the main reason The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends holding off on sunscreen until baby is at least six months old."

I don’t put mine in the sun either, I just find it strange that you think it abnormal to walk outside in the shade with the correct sun protection, whilst evangelising about a net which is more dangerous.

because if you had tried a net needed when you cross a sunny road or a sunny playground to reach the shade for example, you would have noticed that you can still let some air going through and it's a lot safer than putting suncream on.

Basic common sense?

In Australia all kids wear sunhats, usually the baseball cap type. It’s a rule at school too.
As far as I know there’s no ‘keeping a hat on’ gene so maybe those parents just tried a lot harder and didn’t give in when their DC kept removing the sunhat.

It’s not basic common sense to cook your baby inside a pram when all the evidence tells you not to use a net. Sorry if that upsets you.

^ this

How many children do you have I wonder? Are you Gina Ford?

It’s not basic common sense to cook your baby inside a pram when all the evidence tells you not to use a net. Sorry if that upsets you

if you are talking to me, you completely misunderstood and are missing the point completely. I can reassure you that none of my babies had ever cooked or over-heated, and we didn't need to cover them in chemicals either

I find it really stupid that some people think suncream is only for when you’re going out in the sun we wear it all the time, whether you’re in sun or shade isn’t a factor.

My DD (3) will wear a hat. We have a very jazzy purple leigionairres type number. BUT. She has autism and she seems to be obsessed with wearing it in the sun because she can't have her cardigan or coat. The beginning of summer was not so fun having her wail for her one of her coats. She is also not too good at keeping a swimsuit on if not atually sat in the paddling pool. She must have her clothes.

I think as parents you can't win. Either they will have a hat or they refuse. As most pps have said. Sunblock and shade.

I might show this to my DM. She is always complaining about DD having a hat on in the sun. We are talking in weather like now she wil actively try to take the hat off DD so she can see her 'lovely hair'. Ffs.

glintandglide aside from babies obviously, you do know that we all need a little bit of sun, don't you? It needs to be safe and very much in moderation, but it's not healthy to smother kids in sun block all year round either.

Yes of course I do. No misunderstanding of that here

I have a Scandinavian friend living in the UK who is appalled every winter at how few small children wear hats in very cold weather.

I did try to explain how hard/impossible it is to keep them on. I dare say it's easier where she's from - maybe the fact that it's often that much colder than here means that even very little ones see the sense of it.

I always wear a hat in the sun as I get awful headaches if I don't. It was easy enough to get my dds to wear hats when they were younger but they don't want to wear them (even though one of them gets heaches like me)

I'd probably try to avoid going to somewhere like AT where you're going to be exposed to the sun all day on such a hot day personally.

I remember when DD1 was still small and I had her in the sling on the bus, took her hat off as we were on the bus and got a right bloody lecture off someone about how I needed to have a hat on that baby, who didn't stop when I took the hat out of my pocket and told them I'd only taken it off for the bus ride.

Meant when DD2 came along I remember sobbing walking along a street in the city centre with a double buggy as DD1 was at peak hat-refusal age and kept removing it and throwing it away. She must have removed it 25 times in about a 100 yard walk and I just cried with fear someone would have a go at me for not having a hat on my child once more.

They're both fine wearing sunhats now - outgrew it no problems... just lose the buggers constantly.

I use one like this

The mesh is breathable and the child can still see out

OH and I open the back vent too so the air has somewhere to go out

I can’t really superglue my kids hats on, and that’s what it’s take to keep them on!