My kids are tanned

[hipslikecinderella]

We haven't been abroad but they do masses of sport and outside activities. Dd is 8 and ds 9. They rarely burn but are fairly pale normally.
Aibu to have (inadvertently) allowed this to happen?
I do put suncream on them for a day trip/sports days. But not every day and clearly not enough to prevent a tan.

Both mine have My Mediterranean skin so all the have to do is think about the sun and they’re browner than usual!

I don’t tan from being out in the sun, I’ve worn factor 50 every day for 20 years, I think my skins forgotten how.

My mums friend died from melanoma in the early 70’s and her oncologist said then they thought it was linked to tanning so I was covered in sun cream as a child too.

I'm just home from 10 days abroad! My 2 kids would be fairly pale usually but myself and my husband do tan! Both had UV swimsuits on them and factor 50 on them also and they have come home with tan marks on their arms and legs. They were just playing in the pool and walking around during the day! Neither got burnt so theres not much I could have done to stop it happening bar keeping them inside. Which is not healthy either.

DS's arms have caught the sun since starting nursery. I put the 8 hour cream on him before he goes, but he plays in the water a lot, and I'm not there to re-apply after so his arms are never properly protected. Uniform doesn't include anything long sleeved aside from their jumpers so I don't see anything else I can do.

My toddler has a proper trucker tan, face and arms. I always put factor 50+ on him with 5 star uv but he will still tan. I think he's inherited DH Cornish tan

I remember DS1 getting more tanned than me despite him wearing a sun suit, having SPF50 and sitting in a sun tent.

There needs to be a balance between sun cream and needing vitamin D.

my children are similar heritage to @saynotoselfid - both are quite fair skinned (darker than me, lighter than their fully middle eastern cousins), one has reddish hair. They are tanned. I can't really stop it - well, I suppose I could if I never allowed them to see the sun and smothered them in sun cream all day every day, but I don't. They get tanned from walking to school, or playing outside for half an hour. I put suncream on them at the beach, or at any other occasion where they will be out in continuous sun for any period of time. I don't habitually put sunscreen on them for school because they're inside most of the day and eldest has moderate eczema which is exacerbated by sunscreen. I have really quite fair skin but we all follow the same procedures: avoid the sun where possible, protect when needed. I don't think their being tanned makes me a bad parent, neither have ever been sunburnt. I love seeing them looking healthy (not because I think being tanned is healthy, but to me it shows they've been having fun outdoors).

I only put sun cream on mine if they're going to be out all day in the sun, say for a day at the beach. I used it more when they were under about 7. For school, so mostly indoors, I don't use it. They're out max an hour at lunch time, and wear decent hats which cover their faces. I've made a conscious decision for their arms and legs to get an hours max (well they'll be playing in and out of shade) exposure for vitamin d.

Oh, and before anyone wants to start banging on at me about UVA and UVB - this is very much an informed decision. I'm fortunate to work in a field that means I understand the chemistry involved in sunscreen (and in skin damage), but I still wouldn't smother them in cream all day every day!

I've got two red haired children and two darker olive skinned children. (Dh Irish family and I'm half italian)
I factor 50 on everyone religiously the red heads stay the same colour but the olivey kids tan.
I don't really know what else I can do.

My kids have never ever burned. I put cream on for long and direct sum exposure, holidays, day trips, beach. Day to day they dont wear any, and spend a lot of time outside. They are tanned, and they need to be. Humans need the sun. I think people need to become more informed about the dangers but also the benefits of the sun, rather than taking blanket advice to cover and cream them constantly.

I noticed DS was looking a little tanned this morning having been out all weekend. BBQ Friday evening, out all day Saturday just running errands and then at a carnival yesterday. He had sun cream and a hat buts its so much time outside it’s unavoidable really, and I think getting out and active in the few sunny months we have is just as important as protecting the skin. It’s a balance but I’ll take a slight bit of colour over sitting inside in the summer.

I don't think my skin knows how to tan. But I wear SPF 50 on my face all year and on my body when the UV is higher
I can burn within 10-15 mins at 10am so I try to avoid unless I'm wearing SPF

Were nearly all tanned in my family(there's 7 of us)like a PP mentioned about vitamin D,it's so important that we all get some sunshine.

The only one in our family(our DD) who isn't tanned has been put on vitamin D,she's pregnant bless her and has struggled with the heat and over worried about getting to much sun whilst pregnant so has gone to far the other way.

Mine is tanned too despite regular factor 30 and staying in the shade as much as possible etc. I think most of it has been caught playing outside in school where they're a bit less militant with the sunscreen than I am. He has fair hair but a very 'golden' complexion. I just dread to think how burnt he would be if we didn't follow all the sun safety rules.

The only bits of him that aren't tanned are where his clothes /sandals /glasses have been. He'd have to be covered head to toe to not get one, and I think catching a light tan is preferable to heat stroke.

Is tanned children a shaming thing? Have I missed something?

Suncream doesn't stop you tanning it just blocks the harmful UVA & UVB rays. So if children are outside a lot they will still tan.

I would only raise an eyebrow if I saw a burnt child, not a tanned one.

My eldest (10) is tanned. I have done similar with him as you have done. But he still has a tan, he’s also never been burned. He has sallow toned skin and dark hair, so I think it’s quite Normal for him to tan. My middle child is pale and blonde like me, and I have to be more on top of his sun cream/hat/in for breaks from sun. Even though I’m very careful with him his skin is still a few shades darker than the winter months. My mum said that she doesn’t remember putting sun cream on me as kid and she can’t remember me being burnt apart from 1x on my nose and cheeks. I think we are made to worry over every decision we make for our kids these days. As long as you are trying that’s all that matters. We all lived to tell the tale!

my kids are always tanned in the summer. As long as they dont burn I dont mind. Yes I know its already damaged etc

DD is 3 and more tanned than me. I put factor 50 on her every day, throughout the day if we are playing outside. Not much I can do! Sometimes I feel a tad jealous to be honest as I only stay pale or go red!

Poor children don’t sit inside on their iPads, they are more likely out playing in the street, rickets is due to poverty and diet, not overuse of sunscreen.

When I lived in London my GP told me a lot of the rickets is in Muslim communities where people are dark skinned and covered up. In sunnier countries they could get enough Vit D from their face and hands being exposed but in the UK there's not enough sunlight for that to work. In general dark skinned people struggle to get enough Vit D in the UK whether they cover up or not. I was given a massive supplement on prescription.

I have 2 kids (different dads which may explain genetics) they both wear the same factor 50+ suncream, applied by me. One is pure white, the other is positively golden.

Ever so slightly off on a tangent but my adult son recently went somewhere in Africa and being pale and redheaded he was quite concerned but found some Factor 100 on Amazon (think it was by Neutrogena) and it worked very well for him.

My kids are tanned. They are 5 and just under 2! They wear appropriate clothes, hats, factor 50. They are outside a lot but I try to keep them inside during the hottest part of the day. All genetics I think.