Advice please - toddler and sun exposure

[IslaSkyla]

I suffer from depression and anxiety and am aware this might be a dumb question!

Since Oct I have taken my now 18 month daughter out for a walk every day around lunch time. It's never occurred to me to check the UV rating and, if necessary, apply sun cream to her face.

Do most mums do this for their toddlers? I feel dreadful it's never entered my head. The sun is often out but not warm. Do most mums just avoid mid day exposure? I see lots of mums with prams on my walks and my mum friends have never mentioned it. If it's ever a quite warm or hot day I go for a walk first thing instead, and for the past 6 weeks she's napped during the peak hours so we have avoided been out lately.

Please no one come at me for not doing a basic check. I have lost sleep over it and feel horrendous. She has has had mild sunburn once (red cheeks no blisters or peeling) when the sunshade came off her window in the car and i was stuck in motorway traffic. Otherwise nothing.

I'm aware UV is irrespective of temperature and can penetrative clouds. I have no idea how I never bloody thought of it.

What do most mums do? Tia.

My DS is slightly older now (4) but, yes, I tend to use sun cream on his face/neck and make him wear a hat in the summer. If he has a t shirt or shorts on, he also has suncream on his arms and legs. I would definitely start doing it. I'm not sure where you are but it was over 30 degrees here today and last week I got sunburnt in 15 minutes.

@calypso thanks. I'm in the UK, for the past 8 weeks I definitely haven't been out during 11.30 to 3. And I never go out on hot days.

But the slightly warm or coat days are the days I've stupidly presumed are fine and not checked.

Mine are 7&5 now, but I've never checked uv levels. If it's sunny, I put sin cream on, but on days where it's cold enough for a coat I wouldn't, unless we were going to be out all day and it was bright, but with cold wind.

UV exposure is much more during the middle of the day so if you're avoiding that it's a good start. I would definitely start putting a hat on her for the walks, and some suncream on the sunnier days, but please don't beat yourself up about this! The fact that you're thinking about this now means you will be doing so much better than basically all of our parents' generation who had much less info about sun damage and children were regularly sunburnt. I wince to see the holiday photos of myself as a child now!
I understand the worry but if she's never had much of a sunburn then she's probably not been exposed to any problematic UV. I live in a very hot sunny country where I am extremely paranoid about my very fair child's skin (she looks like a ghost next to all her olive skinned Mediterranean classmates). Ironically, the only times she's had a (very mild) sunburn was when we were visiting England 😫😫 - I let my guard down! I felt so terrible, but the redness was gone in 12 hours. You are a caring mum doing the best for your child - please try not to worry!

Sorry... You've never been out between 1130 and 3... All summer!?! What!

I put suncream on my two every day from May to September usually, unless it's absolutely pouring down. But they are outside all the time at nursery.

I think babies under one aren’t supposed to use it anyway are they ?? so you haven’t missed “much” iyswim.

I do check UV ratings for my (older) child, and put sun cream on him most days May- September (and on mid to high UV days year round ofc), unless it’s completely overcast with low UV. (Which has been most of this year anyway). Though tbh he almost always has a broad brimmed hat on, and seeks out shade naturally, which is half the battle.

I wouldn’t worry. Just incorporate into your routine from now, and I’d encourage you to explain to her in an age appropriate way why we use sun protection- DS is really clued up, in large part thanks to his fab preschool doing “sun safety week” years ago that really stuck with him, so we never have to fight to get it on.

My MIL is a GP and she always says kids need vitamin D and to let them get at least 20 mins sun before applying cream as so many people are low in Vit D and it can cause all sorts of problems. I definitely don't think you need to worry, I worry about everything so I do understand.

Unless it's really grey, rainy and cloudy I would use sunblock on your little one before going outside and put a hat on her too. Don't forget cream on back of her neck and ears too, they often get overlooked and can burn easily! August and September sun can be very strong even if the day isn't that warm.

You're all very kind, thank you. She's virtually always in her pram with the hood up so her head/back of neck is automatically covered, just her face exposed.

@youandmeandthem for the last 8 weeks shes napped during those times and she only properly naps in her cot so we've been indoors. I'm a weirdo and hate hot days so it suits me!

I forgot to make this point about Vitamin D in my earlier post but it's very important! Some sunlight is definitely a good thing.

It has never occurred to me to check UV ratings. My kids wear suncream if it is going to be a sunny day and they will be outside for quite awhile. Same if it's summer and it will be overcast but they will be outside a lot and not totally covered up.

My eldest is 6 and has a couple of times got slightly sunburnt on her ears at school, but not sure what I can do about that as they can't reapply it there. Kids also have sunhats and sunglasses on almost all the time if it's sunny, regardless of the temperature/time of year.

My kids have my middle eastern skin and don't seem to burn easily thankfully (unlike their fair white DF) and I agree that some sun exposure is needed for vit D. My son actually recently was found to have insufficient vit D and we're giving him a supplement as the doctor recommended. For short trips like for example my little one coming on the school run or a quick nip to the shops etc, I wouldn't put suncream on them just for that type of thing.

I just put sun cream on every day between May-Sep. I don't check the forecast, just make it part of the morning routine. We often end up spending longer outdoors than I planned, or the sun comes out after a cloudy morning, and it's just easier if I've put an all-day sun cream on than having to chase a toddler around to put it on in the park. They are always dressed in clothes which covers arms and legs, and have hats and sunglasses. I am a bit relaxed about reapplying cream though as my ethnicity means they never burn and we tend to be in the shade where possible, plus a bit of sun exposure is needed for vit D.

If she’s in the buggy with the hood up I doubt she’d have been that exposed? And it sounds like you’re avoiding the hottest parts of the day anyway! So I think you’re fine. I definitely don’t put it on mine every day but do when it’s warm and we’re going to be outside for a while. Only one of them has ever been mildly sunburned and that was from going out at 9am in a heat wave. 🤦‍♀️ I like my kids to get some sun as I worry they don’t get enough vitamin d.

I've never checked uv levels but if it's sunny in spring and summer I'll put suncream on my DC, even in the morning or afternoon, unless were only outside for 10 mins.

I only put sun cream on my 3yo if we're out in the sun in the middle of the day and it's summer, not if we're just popping to a shop or something.

I usually don't put it on myself at all unless I'm going to be out in the sun for a while, with the exception of my make up on my face. I usually just cover up in loose clothes

I actually don't like using sun cream unless really needed, it's good for you to get some sun.

For context myself and my daughter are both fair skinned, she has never been burnt and I have a dog so we have to walk the dog every afternoon without fail. So even if we do inside stuff in the morning we are always outside in the afternoon

It's under 6 months they advise against sun cream

I never use sun cream in the spring, autumn and winter. Only summer if it's actually sunny.

I saw a woman comment on Facebook that she puts it on her children everyday even if they are just going somewhere indoors in the car.

It can't be right to do that, we need sunlight on our skin. I think some people really take it to an extreme

No I don't check UV rating, I just put suncream on when it's sunny.

It's August tomorrow. Why haven't you thought to put suncream on at any point since October?

I've got a 5.5 year old and I've never checked uv ratings. In the summer we put it on every day if we are gong outside. He wears a hat.

He hasn't ever been burnt, I think you'll be fine

UV exposure matters irrespective of temperature BUT we are exposed to much less UV in winter for two reasons - firstly we are all more covered up by warm clothing, and secondly - we are literally further away from the sun because of the earth’s tilt. I wouldn’t worry too much about that small amount of exposure between about October and April. In summer I’d avoid full exposure in the middle of the day for a baby and go out in sunshine in the morning or evening instead.

Definitely! I was listening to a podcast recently about how important vitamin D is and how we do really need some sun exposure and not immediately slather on sun lotion, wear a hat and long sleeves and put sunglasses on straight away when we go outside. I now consciously try not to put my sunglasses on when I first go outside on a sunny day.

There’s a balance between needing sun exposure and not burning. In summer, if we are out in the midday sun or for long periods etc I’ll put it on them. Popping to the shops or a quick run around the park in the morning or late afternoon I don’t.