To be concerned at the lack of Sunhats...

[Dinojump]

I'm at Chessington (for my sins).

I would say that at least 90% of people don't have sunhats on - including the kids.

Am I just too precious about it?!

Having got sunstroke as a kid (80s - no sun cream, no hat, no sunglasses), hats are a must in this household. We all wear them on sunny days, and feel much cooler because of it. We just attach them to the rucksack if going on a ride.

I don't ever wear a hat and neither do ds's apart from very occasional baseball cap.
Plus won't it fly off on the rides? When I go to Thorpe park, on stealth, wearing a big rimmed humongous straw hat wouldn't be my priority.

I am 70. At least half of my contemporaries have had basal cell carcinomas removed from their faces or arms. My DH rarely wore a hat. A year ago he had to have half his nose cut off, and it was reconstructed using cartlidge from his ears and a flap of skin from his forehead. A long operation, he was under general anaesthetic for 8 and a half hours while the work was done. A successful op, but he now had a lumpy nose, a cracking scar from his nose up his forehead, and the site on his head where the graft was cut has still not fully healed. He now never goes out without a hat. He was lucky as it was the least dangerous form of skin cancer, if it had been a melanoma there is a good chance he would now be dead.

Skin cancer can have that effect.

Why have that battle? Just use scalp spray.

It's not a battle. They know I'm serious. So they wear a hat.

Having moved here from a hot country and married to an Australian we’re always amazed at how few children and adults are especially sun smart here. We hat up at the slightest glimmer of sun and wear long sleeved swimwear, factor 50 etc.

We've never needed them. All of us have thick dark hair that protects our scalp from burning, and wear sunscreen and sunglasses to protect our skin and eyes.

None of us wear sun hats. Well sometimes the kids choose to, but mostly we don't.

We use sun cream on our faces and necks, and we rarely sit/walk in the full sun for hours on end. We don't burn.

I'm an Australian too and tbh still a bit gobsmacked by the attitudes and misguided beliefs - so much focus on 'my scalp doesn't burn' rather than 'I'd rather do things to reduce the risk of my kid having to have half an ear removed in 20 years' time.'

That and the 'sunscreen is more than enough' approach. Particularly considering how poorly I've seen many British people apply sunscreen.

No wonder melanoma rates are through the roof.

I have to say I've never worn a sunhat (since the age of about 3). I used to make my DD wear one when she was a baby/toddler but never since then. Neither of us has had sunstroke.

Honestly I find it slightly bizarre to be that concerned about other people's life choices.

I don't wear a hat. I have a sun umbrella instead. People stare. I don't care. (And I love it when my family try to snuggle under it too)