It’s nearly summer and the sun is shining. Hurray! Unfortunately, that also means that we need to be careful about how much sun exposure we get.
It’s especially easy for kids to get distracted by having fun outside and they end up getting burned or dehydrated. In this blog post, we’ll share some tips on ways on keeping kids safe in the sun.
Keeping Kids Safe in the Sun
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With summer temperatures on the rise, it’s important to take steps to protect your children from the sun. Follow these simple tips for safe sun exposure all season long.
Keep Them In The Shade As Much As Possible:
When playing outside, try to keep your child in the shade as much as possible. When you can’t find any shade, make sure that your child wears protective clothing including hats, long sleeves, and pants. Don’t forget rashguards when engaging in water play or swimming.
Apply Sunscreen:
It’s important for kids to wear sunscreen when they’re outside so that their skin doesn’t get burned by the sun! Most people think of this on sunny days, but the sun’s rays can reach right through the clouds so it’s important every single day.
We send a sunscreen in stick form along with Walter when he goes to school. It doesn’t seem to provide as much coverage as a lotion would, but it’s a form that he can manage so it’s better than nothing, especially when combined with other mitigations.
Spray sunscreen can be really helpful but it’s super important to make sure that it’s not being applied in such a way that kids could be breathing it in or getting it in their eyes. Also, with the stick or spray, you still want to rub it in so that you’re sure you’re getting full coverage.
Be sure to apply enough sunscreen. You need about 1 oz. per application to get full body coverage. We like to ask our paediatrician for recommendations when it comes to brands and SPF ratings on sunscreen.
Remember to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours – more often if getting particularly sweaty or getting in the water.
Stay Indoors:
Keep your child indoors in the summer, if possible, especially on days with high UV index and be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight for long periods of time as well! You should also make sure that you’re taking breaks from play when it’s too hot outside, so they don’t become overheated.
Wear Sunglasses:
Along with wearing hats to protect their eyes and faces, it’s important to get good quality sunglasses for your children too. It’s not always easy to find ones that are tough enough to withstand children’s activities and that are truly protective of their eyes. Most are novelty items that aren’t the best quality and they scratch easily.
Drink Plenty of Liquids:
Water is the best way to stay hydrated, but If needed, make sure your children are drinking fluids other than water as well in order to avoid dehydration. Keep water bottles handy so everyone can take sips often during the day to stay cool and refreshed.
Use SPF Lip Balm:
In order to avoid sunburned, chapped lips, make sure they’re wearing some SPF lip balm.
Avoid the Sun:
It sounds obvious but you’ll be surprised at how many people forget this: try not to spend too much time outside between 10 am to 4 pm when the sun is at its hottest! This will help make sure that your child doesn’t overheat or burn in direct sunlight.
If they’re going out for a brief amount of time during those hours, just keep them covered up and by wearing hats and sunglasses if necessary and make sure there’s some shade where they’re standing/sitting.
You can create some “artificial” shade by using a tent or umbrella with sun protection in it.
The above tips should help ensure that your kids stay safe while out playing in the summer sun!