So my mother-in-law was over the other day, and my son who is 17 months old dumped his water all over himself, so I quickly took his shirt off to swap for a dry one. She looked at him and said, "wow, look at that farmer's tan, don't you ever put sunscreen on that kid??" I'm so confused by how to take this. I just sort of laughed and said, "yes, of course, but we're outside a lot!"
It got me thinking, when I know we're going to be outside for a long time I always put sunscreen on him. But I don't put it on him every day when he wakes up, and sometimes if we're going for a walk, or he's sitting with us out on the patio for 10-15 minutes I don't worry about it. What are your thoughts on this? Do you put sunscreen on your LO every time the sun hits their skin? He's never gotten the slightest bit of sunburn. I also hate how sticky it makes him, so if I slather him up, I have to give him a bath later. I didn't think a little sun here and there was such a bad thing.... TIA.
Well, technically ANY sign of a tan is "damage" from the sun....
But, no, my son never did and still doesn't wear sunscreen EVERY and ANY time he's outside. Pool, beach, park....yes. Shooting hoops in the driveway in May...no.
We need sunlight to naturally generate vitamin D in our bodies. Too little sun is bad for us. A killer sunburn is bad for us. Healthy exposure is good. My son has a farmer's tan and to me it says he's outside playing instead of inside on computers or watching TV all day long. :) You're doing fine!
sometimes the sun is good for you! I never really put sunscreen on myself. Only if I'm going to be outside longer than an hour and at the pool or beach. Other than that, I never wear it. My kids are half Filipino. They tan with in 5 minutes, lol! In the summer I do put sunscreen on them when we are going to be outside for a while and just because of their naturally darker skin, they tan super easily and very fast.
As long as he isn't burning, I'd say he is just fine. Some people just tan even with sun screen on
sunscreen doesn't stop the tan from happening, it just helps them keep from burning
Sunscreen is important. I admit to not being vigilant myself sometimes, but my DH had a scare about a spot on his nose last year. He's a runner and often sweats off the sunscreen. We've been a lot more protective since then. I would put sunscreen on him often and make it routine before you go out for the day. It needs time to soak in. Remember that it needs to be reapplied, especially after water activities. You can also buy a shade hat and SPF clothing to help protect him.
Kids get a lot of sun in their early years - which can set them up for damage and cancer later. Melanoma killed DH's friend's first wife. It's not just a cosmetic problem. I would rather find a sunscreen that I liked vs not using it. I personally use a variety of kiddie sunblocks on DD and she wears a hat. I would try to limit the tan. If your MIL is commenting, think about whether it really IS just a "little" sun or if you're out longer than you think you are. Balance Vit. D with protecting his skin.
I put sunscreen on my kids. ALL the time. When they go to school.
Just from 10-15 minutes in the sun, at recess, they still get tan lines.
This is Hawaii.
A person still gets tan... even if sunblock is on. Or even in rainy weather.
We locals in Hawaii, even get tan lines from our flip-flops.
Even driving the car, people get tan on their left side.
My daughter is 1/2 Bolivian and gets really dark. Her tan lines are extreme. I'm like you, I sunscreen for long exposures, but not every exposure. Now, I look at my son and he is much more fair than my daughter regularly. He is only 3 months and when we are outside, I usually have a blanket over his car seat, but until I know how he will react to the sun, I'll either keep him covered or sunscreen him every time, especially since I can burn from just 5 minutes of exposure since I'm so fair.
A little sun here and there IS good for you! We live in Florida, we can walk outside for 15 seconds and come away with a tan. :)
My son has had a farmer's tan since we came home from the hospital! LOL I do not put sunscreen on him unless we are going to be outside for a few hours. Even then, getting him to stand still long enough to completely cover him is pretty much impossible.
My MIL tried this on me recently. Oh heavens above, terrible mother, your son has tan lines! *Gasp* After my husband translated her complaints and tried to hide his smirk at what he knew would be my strong response, I told her in no uncertain terms I take care of my child as I see fit and it's none of her business. For the record I do put sunscreen on my son almost every time we go outside BUT it hardly helps. Like others mention he tans quickly and in spite of the sunscreen. My husband and I are both the same way. Tanning through sunscreen is to be expected. The only way I could keep him or any of us lily white would be to stay indoors and/or keep us clothed head to toe which is ridiculous with the temperatures we get in Houston. Like you mention sunscreen smells and does leave a residue so it means a bath at some point. I agree with you...some sun is fine.
We try to let him get about 15 minutes of unprotected morning light a day for the vitamin D. But yes - we put sunscreen on him after breakfast and reapply (or they do at school) after lunch. He is 6 and does not have tan lines - never has and he is outside all the time and we have a pool. Wearing a full sunblock DOES prevent them from getting tan - it protects against both UVA and UVB. And yes - any sun exposure is bad - they don't have to burn to increase their risk of skin cancer and premature aging. Don't you have sunscreen in your daily moisturizer? I wear it all winter too.
My kids always get tan lines and we apply sunscreen on them always...not if they go in the backyard to play for 30 minutes in May...but once the sun is out more and they are outside for extended periods of time, they will get it.
I'm stocking up now for our two beach weeks this summer and our winter cruise. But those are HIGH sun times and I don't want the kids burned...or me or hubby.
My one year old has a diaper tan line. The kid doesnt want to wear a shirt ever and his favorite place to play is the back yard. I do sunscreen but even with high SPF we have intense sun. The temp can only be like 62 but the sun here burns like you wouldn't believe. My boy is naturally brown from being India - indian mix, though he darkens very quickly. If we are going to be out more than a half hour. I put it on, otherwise I dont. I always put it on my middle girl cause she has such white pale skin and burns very easy. She was born white blonde, but gets dirty blonde in winter, its not even June yet, and the sun here has re-bleached her almost completely white blonde again.
My boys have had tan lines every year since they were very young. No worries.
I remember saying something similar to my super tan girlfriend about her daughter (both tan easily, and spend ample time at a pool all summer), and she swore to me that she applied sunscreen on her daughter constantly and that it didn't seem to make a difference. Well, a couple years later enter my 2nd child who inherited my husband's naturally tan skin and he's the same way! I will put sunscreen (SPF 30) on his cheeks and neck say for soccer and he'll STILL tan! If I put it on me or my oldest son (we're both very fair skinned), he does not burn or tan - nothing! no color. Weird, but I've finally given up trying to figure it out.
