Keep Your Kids Sun-Safe

Fun under the sun is always a great treat for your kids. However, no matter how much you want them to enjoy all those sunny afternoons without end, those bright rays are packing more than cheery sunshine. Even if you’re not worried about sunburn, prolonged exposure to those ultraviolet rays could lead to dryness, premature aging of the skin and other forms of skin damage. So make sure your children are sun-safe. Here are some tips from the Center for Disease Control, Abes Market and Kids Health to give you some handy pointers on how to make that happen:

Get Some Glasses

Eyeshades are great for keeping your children’s eyes protected from harsh UV rays that could cause cataracts years down the road. Pick out some sunglasses that block out as much of the sun as possible. The bigger those glasses are, the better.

Go for the Shade

The midday sun often gives off the strongest UV rays. So keep your kids indoors at this time. Plan indoor activities they can’t resist. Board games, painting lessons or even a couple of rounds of short storytelling sessions would be fun. Plus, these will keep their attention away from playing outside until cooler temperatures set in. If this simply isn’t possible, then soak up some shade by making sure you and the kids are all under a convenient cover of trees. If you’re at the beach, then going for a huge umbrella or a pop-up tent works too. Anything that keeps the sun off your children’s skin would be great.

Apply Sunscreen

Don’t forget the most important rule of all: apply sunscreen—consistently. Don’t have off days, especially if y tiny tots are out in the sun every day. If you’re all at the beach, apply it continuously. Brands like The Honest Company offer a water resistant, hypoallergenic and natural sunscreen that’s great for kids.

Want to know how to make sure the sunscreen is doing its job? Here are a few tips:

• Don’t apply it a minute before your kids go out. Put it on 15 to 30 minutes before they race out the door for their afternoon play.
• Ready for some beach time? Make sure you don’t just apply the sunscreen on their arms and legs. Cover every inch. Make sure they’ve got sunscreen on their hands and ears as well as their feet and shoulders. Also, remember the back of their neck as well. To for their lips, make sure to pack along an SPF 30 lip balm.
• Don’t be stingy with the sunscreen. Apply a generous amount.
• Reapply. Sunscreens work so long as you continuously reapply it. 2 hours between applications is enough. This goes for your kids too if your children are swimming or sweating.
• Water resistant sunscreens are available and could last up to 80 minutes when your kids are in the water. Some sunscreens too are sweat resistant so that works best if any or all your kids have sweat a great deal.
• Don’t remember when you bought that sunscreen? Doesn’t matter. Just remember to throw out any sunscreen beyond 3 years or beyond its expiration date. It’s not safe to use anything beyond that time frame. It could lead to itchiness and other skin problems for your kids.
• While sunscreen sprays could be convenient, it could increase chances of your kids breathing in the spray. That’s not good and could lead to an irritation in the lungs. There’s also the fact that some sprays are made up of flammable elements and so mustn’t ever be inhaled or taken into the body. Also, sprays can make it a bit difficult to tell if you’ve put enough sunscreen or not. That could lead you to miss a few spots, which could cause your kids to get sunburn. Basically, it’s all around safer and more convenient if you go for sunscreens that don’t use sprays.

In Case of a Sunburn

If any of your kids do end up with a sunburn, despite your best efforts to prevent it, here are a few helpful tips for you:

• Get your children to take a bath. The water temperature should be cool but not cold.
• Don’t want a bath? Then get a soft cloth—don’t use rough fabrics that could rub against the sunburnt areas. Gently apply a cold compress to the skin. This would help ease the pain as well as the heat.
• Anti-inflammatory meds to take some of the pain and itchiness away works too.
• Topical moisturizing creams can also help rehydrate the skin as well as keep the itchiness to bearable levels. If the sunburn is more serious, try putting on a thin layer of hydrocortisone cream. That’ll take the pain several notches down.
• If the sunburn persists and you see blisters starting to form, it’s time to pay a visit to your doctor. Make sure your kids don’t scratch or pop the blisters to avoid any infection.