My kid is getting DARK and it seems his teacher only puts sunscreen on him during the summertime ... but the sun shines all year long! What do you do with your preschool and/or young elementary school children? Do you put sunscreen on them daily before school and just hope it keeps them protected all day long? How long do they stay in school and how much time do they spend outside? Thanks!
research is indicating that too much sunscreen is as or more damaging than the sun. my kids were in daycare, school and after-care for long days and i did not put sunscreen on them in the morning unless they were going to be outside all day.
khairete
S.
My basic rule is we soak vitamin D until around 11, and then go sunscreen free after 3. If we go to the zoo or something, I do put it on first thing so it's done.
No, it would be worn off by recess anyway. Our school wouldn't apply it without medical consent forms, keeping it with the school nurse, etc anyway. Seems like a lot to go through when they are only outside for a very short period. My kid has never come home from a regular day of school with a sunburn.
In Phoenix - yes
In Canada - no
In Irvine, CA - only on hot sunny days.
No. We are out of school now and it only got sunny and warm a few weeks ago. At school, the nurse and teachers won't touch the stuff. My kids are home with me now, so I can put it on when I need to. But even during school, I did not. They are outside for half an hour mid day. To me, they need the vit D from the sun. I also don't like how cavalierly we put chemicals on our kids' skin every day and don't think twice about it! When they are slated for a field trip or when we are in direct sun all day (like swimming), then yes, I put it on them and put it on at regular intervals. But no, I do not make them live in it every day. I believe we've become hypervigilant as a society. All things in moderation. Just like antibacterial soaps are now being shown to have a negative effect, I believe our obsession with sun screen will be the same.
My dd is 10 and I've put sunscreen on every morning since preschool. I had a skin cancer, so I am extra diligent with her. I also figure I've bought her about 10 years in looks...the downside is that it's a total pain...she hates it and fights it every step of the way. But I do it anyway.
I live in Indiana, so I really wasn't even aware that people do that. It's not a concern here. But I am moving to Georgia soon. Guess I'll need to keep this in mind. :)
Not for a normal school day. They only have about a half hour or so of P.E. My kids have never come home burned so I don't think that it is a problem.
They do Summer Camps while school is out. If they are going on an outdoor field trip, then yes I put sunscreen on them in the morning and send the bottle with them. I especially do this if they are going swimming. My kids are pretty fair with my daughter being a redhead, so they burn easily.
My husband puts sunscreen on our first grader every day before school, unless it's raining. The grandparents take care of the drop off for the pre-schooler, and I don't think they do but I know hubs would like them too. We have pretty fair kids. It wouldn't occur to me (I am olive skin, tan nicely, don't burn easily), but I am deferring to my husband because they have his skin.
I live in south Louisiana and I never put sunscreen on mine, nor did I send it to school for her teachers to apply.
When my kids were in daycare and spent a lot of time outdoors we used to have to apply before drop off and leave a bottle with their name on it for the teachers to apply again at around noon time.
In real school? Not even brought up except for field trips and field day, and that's only a reminder to apply it at home if your kid needs it.
Teachers here are not allowed to apply sunscreen. I would imagine that if a kid really needed it, it would have to be something applied in the nurse's office.
Nah. After 2-4 hours, it is all absorbed/worn off anyway, and needs to be reapplied. No point if it's going to be useless by the time they actually get to go outside!
If you are worried about it, maybe your best bet would be to send some wig a note to the teacher asking that she allows him to out some on before going outside. My DD is 4, and can apply her own sunscreen to her arms and legs, which should be all that is needed for recess time.
When my kids were little I put sunscreen on them in the morning in the summer only. In the winter we do not get enough sun where we live and the kids need what little exposure they can get. The only time a teacher ever put sunscreen on my kids was if they were on an all day outdoor field trip in the blazing sun and in nursery school. Once my kids hit elementary school they were responsible for their own sunscreen, with reminders from the teacher. The teachers do not put sunscreen on kids. My kids walk to and from school, they spend about 15 minutes on the playground before school starts, 15 minute morning recess, 40 minutes outside at lunch, 15 minute afternoon recess, and they play outside after school.
YES! If I forget they come home burnt...especially my son! I send them with hats also. And I give them a spray bottle of sunscreen in their backpack. My son can spray himself, but he always forgets. Putting on good rub in sunscreen every day before school really helps a lot though.
If my girl were coming home sun-burnt, then I would do one of those sprays. Hit up all her pinkie parts after she's dressed and send her on her way.
So far she's good, there hasn't been a need. When she's home, she's usually an hour outside then an hour inside and back again. At school, a hour after lunch outside maybe, tops.
Per my kids' school, Teachers cannot apply sunscreen on the children.
Parents, IF they want to, they need to apply it on their child, before they go to school.
Me, EVEN if I have sunscreen on, that is 50+ SPF, I STILL get tan. And I can get sunburned. Still.
Sunscreen does not mean a person will not get tan.
Even if a person is in the sun on a cloudy day and under shade, they still can get tan and/or sun damaged, because of reflective heat/sun rays etc.
At my kids school and in my State, even if you are in the sun for only 10 minutes, you can get red or tan.
And, with students being outside for recess or P.E. they DO get sun burned, and/or tan.
And it also depends on your skin type.
Sunscreen is not permanent nor does it last for 24 hours.
It needs to be, ideally, re-applied.
Or there are water resistant or sweat resistant sunscreens. But those are typically for 8 hours.
Down here we always did during the bright months,. Right before we walked outside I would apply it.
I also kept it in her bag,.
No, if they go to school or child care they shouldn't even be putting sun screen on your kids. Seriously, we can't in Oklahoma. We can't even buy wipes and use them. Too many kids have allergies and their parents are liable to sue.
If your child is sunburned then I'd say be upset. But if he's just getting tan, right now, but the sun shines all the time, then why is he only getting dark now?
I'd ask the school what they recommend doing.
Yes, we usually put sunscreen on both kids before school. That's around 7:45 a.m. and my older one doesn't get home until 3:00, so I'm sure it wears off but we do our best.
I apply 70 SPF on both mine (toodler and preschooler) each morning. I do this starting in the spring and running until the early fall. The sun is intense here and without sunscreen at all they both get exceptionally dark within a short period of time outside. Also if I use less than 50 SPF, I am wasting my time. Our daycare allows us to bring a tube for each child and then it is reapplied after lunch. I did have to complete a consent form for the sunscreen.
For what it is worth I prefer creams to sprays because the sprays feel heavy, greasy and/or slimy. In contrast the creams come in a nongreasy formula which is light to wear and doensn't make you feel like you are smothering under a blanket in the humidity we have here. Good luck.
It's always been the parents responsibility to apply in the morning in every school we've been in.
For preschool, we are allowed to send a bottle with our kid so the teacher can reapply in the afternoon.
Updated
It's always been the parents responsibility to apply in the morning in every school we've been in.
For preschool, we are allowed to send a bottle with our kid so the teacher can reapply in the afternoon.
I have 3 and 6 year old girls. After breakfast, I wash their faces and apply baby sunscreen afterwards. Also on bare arms and legs. The sun in So. cal is very strong and they spend some time outside every day. We wash faces and rinse off at the end of the day before bedtime.
