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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

primary schools and suntan lotion

54 replies

1dilemma · 09/05/2008 19:42

So what does your school do?
What about those dcs who are very fair?
dc1 in reception and burnt today, this will be ongoing as younger sibs follow through.

Any idea how I can get school to help apply it?
I'm guessing it's only going to get hotter....

OP posts:
nkf · 09/05/2008 19:43

I don't think they ever do agree to apply it. You mjust have to slap the lotion on and cover them up.

Original poster
1dilemma · 09/05/2008 19:43

I'm sure they'll quote 'elf and safety or maybe child protection at me in exactly the way it's not supposed to be used.

OP posts:
Original poster
1dilemma · 09/05/2008 19:44

thanks uniform so no real chance of covering them up

OP posts:
nkf · 09/05/2008 19:44

Or they don't want to spend breaks with a queue of children and some messy bottles. It's not practical really.

Original poster
1dilemma · 09/05/2008 19:44

Oh and I thought lotion only lasts a very short time? Does anyone know if that is true?

OP posts:
BBBee · 09/05/2008 19:44

at our schjool they are encouraged to have their own labelled cream and they are told to put some on themselves before they go out under the watchful supervision of the teacher and LSA

nannyjo · 09/05/2008 19:46

pre school do it so why not primary?? I did have to sign a form to permit it to be applied to exposed areas which i thought was very thorough but I guess nowadays you need to be

hana · 09/05/2008 19:49

because there are 30 kids in each class and would be a logistical nightmare every break and lunch time - they just don't have the time to do it.

buy a hat with flappy sides
school should have shady bits for children
ummm.....bring bottle and keep in tray for hot days?

I slather on the cream usually in the school playground and bring it at end of day as well if really hot

brimfull · 09/05/2008 19:51

If you're worried you need to use some of that stuff that lasts all day ,tis called P20 or something I think.

gingernutlover · 09/05/2008 20:26

am a reception teacher and we do try ot keep them in the shade as much as poss and also try not to be out in the vey hot part of the day in the direct sun but have to agrees that if i had to apply sun cream to 30 children every day they would never go out to play at all, and i would never get my break (which, before anyone says anything, ensures i am refreshed enough to teach the next lesson) and also some reception classes like mine, do not have a TA to help all the time - it's just not practical to cream them all

but most of my children come in slathered up in the morning and they are allowed to bring in a bottle of suncream to apply themselves or an older chi;ld can help them

does your child have an older sibling at all?

mollymawk · 09/05/2008 20:29

I use one which lasts 10 hours (allegedly) - Piz Buin - for my fluorescent white DSs (offspring of fluorescent white me and fluorescent white DH).

yorkishbirdy · 09/05/2008 20:37

My 6yo went for a trip today, it was in the afternoon (i.e. the hottest time) and meant spending 3 hours outside in an area with no shade. The children were told to put cream on before school, with the sun at the moment being very strong.

I know you can get long acting creams but these only last 6 hours or there abouts and they are only really reliable for the first 4. The children were expected to change into shorts and t shirts (rubbing off any cream that was left of course!) and not being able to cover up (as it is too hot for long sleeves apparantly ).

Luckily I was able to take time out of work and go in at lunch time to reapply cream but most parents can't do that. I was horrified to see 4 from a class of 30 with really bad burns at the end of the day (i.e. bright red with those pinprick white blisters).

I know it is tough for a teacher to ensure children have cream on but I really feel that it is part of the duty of care, they are in-loco-parentis IMO!

JosafineArmarni · 09/05/2008 20:43

our school recently sent letter out asking for bottles of water every day, sun hats and a liberal layer of cream on every morning..my dd was very proud as teacher pointed her out(bright white factor 50 soaked face/arms/legs, with cool hat and new bottle with ice chamber inside)and said look X's mummy is very clever, she already does all this..so now all the children in dd's class think im brill..although their not quite sure why

they keep them in shaded area through day and if this not possible, they use the nursery playground as that has lots

mindees turn up here every day this week, some going to school, some coming back with me..2 out of 7 with suncream on

JosafineArmarni · 09/05/2008 20:44

oh and P20 lasts for 10 hours(apparently) and is much cheaper in local chemists and MATALAN

Original poster
1dilemma · 09/05/2008 21:23

mollymawk snap
dc2 glows in the dark

does your ds burn with pizbuin on? do you keep him in during the heat of the day as well?

no older sibling (and even if we did they play in sepatate playgrounds)

I can see this might be an issue, I know we're going to burn, and as I posted this I knew someone/school would say you can come in yourself and apply it at lunchtime and then I will see red.

Since we now know that blistering sunburn as a child predisposes you to skin cancer later on
so what happens if I write a letter saying if they can't protect properly no going outside at lunchtime?
(really don't want to do this just thinking through)

OP posts:
bluenosesaint · 09/05/2008 21:33

Can you just give your child a bottle of sunblock to take in with them?

I just plaster dd's before they go and they reapply at lunch. They are 8 and 5.

Orinoco · 09/05/2008 21:36

Message withdrawn

Original poster
1dilemma · 09/05/2008 21:37

I shall have to try that but dc is terribly poorly coordinated, really so cups go flying, falls over repeatedly walking down the street and also a bit kind of dreamy and forgetful so I don't hold out much hope!

OP posts:
marmadukescarlet · 09/05/2008 21:48

Ultrasun has a much higer UVA block than P20.

P20 imho is sticky and gloopy and aimed at adults who wish to tan.

mollymawk · 09/05/2008 23:02

1dilemma, so far DS1 hasn't burned at school with the Piz Buin on. I put it on him at about 8am and then he is out of school at 3.15pm so I can put on some more. At school they go out at lunchtime so I guess he is out in the heat. He is only in Reception so I wouldn't expect him to remember to put any on himself. I think the school makes them all wear their sunhats (only useful for the face though I guess).
On non-school days I would re-do it after about 4 hours though.

SniffyHock · 09/05/2008 23:07

I have read lots of these threads in the past couple of days. Is the sun really so much worse than when we were children? I'm not trying to be facetious at all, I just know that my siblings and I are all very fair skinned but never had suncream when we were children. We did, however, play out all day.

What has changed?

harpomarx · 09/05/2008 23:12

also interested SniffyHock, we're all so incredibly careful these days, not saying it's a bad thing at all, but do wonder...

SniffyHock · 09/05/2008 23:15

I really do want to know if global warming has already made such a big difference. My DD has lovely olive skin and I am sometimes a bit lax about applying cream but she has never burnt - could it be causing damage anyway?

bluenosesaint · 09/05/2008 23:23

We are now more aware of the dangers of the sun sniffy ...

saadia · 09/05/2008 23:34

our school also asks for labelled cream for children to apply themselves. I think they have been going on about sun danger as ds1 (Yr1) asked me straight after school if his cheeks looked red.