Living in the south, the sun is just too much, heat sickness and burns

[Elisabet1]

I had always been fair. Being in the south has meant many sun burns, despite using tons of sun block, and my skin is turning to leather. Plus, the sun gives my children car sickness. Today, just driving to an activity where I only drove 5 minutes, my blue haired, blue eyed, freckled face child ended up getting car sick. This is the norm for us in the heat and the sun.  Now, thanks to Facebook, every time I turn around, there is some article about sun block and cancer. 

 

Are there any solutions to the sun and the heat? I have lived here a long time. I never wanted to live here in the first place. Every year feels worse than the next.  I am afraid to put on sun block anymore, but it is that or burn to death and get skin cancer. 

 

I am pregnant too so maybe I am just extra sensitive this year. But it really has been getting to me. And it is end of October and I am still caking on the sun block and giving kids Zofran just to drive a few blocks. Usually, we stay inside the entire summer. When we go on vacation, we start driving at sun down and then by the time the sun comes up, we are far enough north that no one gets sick. This year, we did not go on vacation so this has been constant now, for some time. I look at my skin and it is becoming leather. I hate that. My northern relatives have such nicer skin.

 

Is there anything I can do to combat the heat sicknesses and burns other than what I am already doing?

[SwallowTail]

I doubt the sun is making them carsick.  I have never heard of such a thing.  Do you not run the A/C in the car? 

 

What clothing do you use to protect yourselves? Rash guards?  Hats?  Sunglasses?  We rarely, if ever burn in the sun, and we spend many hours in it in the spring/summer/fall. 

 

I have lived in the south a long, long time, and what you are describing just sounds extreme to me.  I mean, we avoid going outside unless it involves water (beach/pool/springs) in high summer, but the temps are currently very comfortable in FL, so we are out a lot now. 

[Artichoke]

We're all fair-skinned and have found that the sunblock with zinc works well for us. Hats are also helpful, and we wear them whenever we're outside in the summer. Can you turn the AC on in the car before getting in? How about using one of the windshield reflectors that block the sun from the car while you're parked? A cool, wet bandana placed on the back of your son's neck while he's in the car may help. Best wishes as you find a workable solution.

[Chris in VA]

The air inside a hot car will make me nauseous. Can you cool the car off before you leave (like up north, when people warm up their cars in the summer before starting, only in reverse!)? I would also be aware if you have any air fresheners in the car--they can trigger nausea in some people, as can mold in the air conditioning vents.

 

AFA sunscreen, I am out a lot, too--less now that I'm not dog walking, but still a lot. I am not buying the whole "sunblock=cancer" stuff. There are safer sunscreens out there, and I would never, EVER go without if my skin were getting leathery! Sun burns are big predictors of sun cancer!

 

Sorry it's so hard on you. I would get a very good sun hat and some sunbrella-type clothing--at least a shirt to throw on.

[Laura Corin]

We made use of the bath when we lived in Hong Kong.  I would take cool baths in the middle of the day when I could.  I would often put the boys in the bath to cool down and play for an hour in the afternoon.  We swung our days to be outside early and late, and inside (in the bath!) in the middle of the day.

 

L

[chiguirre]

IDK, I love this time of year in Texas. Lows of 60, highs of 80, lots of beautiful, sunny days. If you're still suffering from the heat, I'd check into other possible causes. The mold in the ac vents of the car sounds like a good place to start.

 

I burn easily too, but I avoid sunblock most days by staying in the shade if I'm outside. I have a huge floppy (okay, super ugly) hat that works like a charm if I do have to walk in the sun.

 

On the bright side (for OP, not so much for me), we'll need a jacket in about a month.

[Elisabet1]

Ok, I think I know the general area that you live....  The high today is 77!!!!  I can understand getting sick on the days that it is over 100 or in the 90's.  But today is a great fall day even for the South....

It is the sun that gets to them. I run the a/c. But when the sun comes in, it always gets to them. and me. I think the pregnancy is making it way worse this year though. But 10 yr old got sick today from it. It is worse if we have to stop and go a lot in traffic. It is not a problem if it is not sunny, regardless of temp, that is why I concluded it is the sunlight.

 

And must not be the same area because I just checked the weather channel and it was 81 degrees.

[katilac]

It is the sun that gets to them. I run the a/c. But when the sun comes in, it always gets to them. and me.  

 

Get your car windows tinted! That will solve that aspect of the problem at least. 

 

To minimize sunscreen, wear hats and consider SPF rated clothing. All clothing will block the sun to a great degree, but the SPF rated stuff is usually specifically made to be lightweight, so you can wear long sleeves when it's hot. 

 

Good quality sunglasses may also help, as far as not feeling well in the sun, but I would definitely get the windows tinted and use a sun reflector. Oh, and when my kids were little, I had those sun shades are on their windows - they are too dark for front seat windows or windshields, obviously, but okay for backseat. 

[solascriptura]

Wow!  I'm so sorry!  This sounds really hard.  In no way am I discounting your situation or symptoms, but have you considered any other allergies?  Maybe mold in the car?  81 degrees is warm, but pretty common around the US.  I thought nausea was a symptom of heat stroke?  Could it be car air fresheners?  Definitely tint your windows darkly, get some roll down shades for the rear windows, and blast the AC.  I would also take along a lot of iced water.

 

About the leathery skin, please do not stop the sunblock.  Sun damage is causing that, not the sunblock.  Check out Paula's Choice for sun care advice and sun damage. 

[unsinkable]

I had always been fair. Being in the south has meant many sun burns, despite using tons of sun block, and my skin is turning to leather. Plus, the sun gives my children car sickness. Today, just driving to an activity where I only drove 5 minutes, my blue haired, blue eyed, freckled face child ended up getting car sick. This is the norm for us in the heat and the sun. Now, thanks to Facebook, every time I turn around, there is some article about sun block and cancer.

 

Are there any solutions to the sun and the heat? I have lived here a long time. I never wanted to live here in the first place. Every year feels worse than the next. I am afraid to put on sun block anymore, but it is that or burn to death and get skin cancer.

 

I am pregnant too so maybe I am just extra sensitive this year. But it really has been getting to me. And it is end of October and I am still caking on the sun block and giving kids Zofran just to drive a few blocks. Usually, we stay inside the entire summer. When we go on vacation, we start driving at sun down and then by the time the sun comes up, we are far enough north that no one gets sick. This year, we did not go on vacation so this has been constant now, for some time. I look at my skin and it is becoming leather. I hate that. My northern relatives have such nicer skin.

 

Is there anything I can do to combat the heat sicknesses and burns other than what I am already doing?

On sunny days, I can get sick from the alternating sun/shade/sun/shade/sun/shade while driving down a tree lined street. It has a strobe light effect. It gives me a headache and nausea.

[Annie G]

Did your doctor prescribe Zofran for your 10 year old?  If so, I would certainly go back to the doctor and look into the issue a little deeper.  Five minutes in a car- whether it's hot or not- shouldn't make a healthy child vomit.  And if you're rearranging trips and staying indoors all summer, that sure seems like something that will need a doctor to help you figure out. 

 

As for your leathery skin- that might be something not related to the sun at all. A dermatologist might be able to help with that. 

[BrittanyM]

Wow that sounds difficult, I've never heard of such a thing! (And I live in very hot central California.) Is there any chance you have some genetic issues that are causing it? I know there is that disease where people cannot go outside or be exposed to the sun at all and it sounds more like that than anything else I can think of. I know plenty of extremely fair people (my husband is half swedish so my kids are all blue eyed and blonde) but no one I know here has those issues.

[In The Great White North]

 

 

On sunny days, I can get sick from the alternating sun/shade/sun/shade/sun/shade while driving down a tree lined street. It has a strobe light effect. It gives me a headache and nausea. 

 

Me too.  I get carsick much more frequently when there is glare from the sun. And the "heat" really only has to be over about 60.

 

Unfortunately, tinted car windows make it worse. Sunglasses help though (have no idea what the difference is). It also helps to have the a/c blowing as hard and cold as it can right onto my face.

 

It could also be a migraine.  Sun and heat are both triggers and I have read (somewhere) that there was a relationship between migraine and motion-sickness. And vision therapy sometimes helps both.

[Catwoman]

It is the sun that gets to them. I run the a/c. But when the sun comes in, it always gets to them. and me. I think the pregnancy is making it way worse this year though. But 10 yr old got sick today from it. It is worse if we have to stop and go a lot in traffic. It is not a problem if it is not sunny, regardless of temp, that is why I concluded it is the sunlight.

 

And must not be the same area because I just checked the weather channel and it was 81 degrees.

Would sunglasses help? Maybe it's the glare that is causing some of the problems.

[Garga]

I don't know what they are, but I know there are sun blocks out there that don't have the chemicals in them that are suspected of causing cancer. They're more expensive, of course. I think they're the zinc ones a PP mentioned. Google for them. My friend, a cancer survivor, uses them because she's very vigilant about things that cause cancer.

[MomtoCandJ]

We moved back to Michigan (we lived in Georgia for three years)

I know that's extreme but I couldn't handle it any more and dd1, even though she was born there, is extremely heat intolerant.

[KungFuPanda]

If you guys are a discussing how the sun makes you carsick, you can totally psyche yourself into making it true. It's like a Pavlovian response. Hopefully cooler winter days will break the cycle.

[Ausmumof3]

I used to get carsick on bright sunny days. For me it was partly warm air but also the flickering of bright and shade. You might find winding the window down a bit helps or the air con, also window shades for the back seat.

 

For sunburn, we go for covering style clothes as much as possible. Long sleeved rashies for swimming and light long sleeved shirt for full day outdoor days. Linen or wool are very breathable. Wool sounds like a hot fabric but it actually insulates really well so lightweight wool is good for hot days too. It also doesn't tend to get smelly like cotton. For the kids I get lightweight cotton as it is cheaper for something they grow through anyway. If using sunscreen we try to use a zinc type cream. One problem with some sunscreens is they only block rays which cause visible damage but not the cancer causing rays. This gives you a false sense of security so you stay in the sun longer and although you're not burning you're skin is being damaged.

 

I do think certain skin types are better suited to certain climates. Still you have to so the best you can with what you've got and adapt.

[Ruby Rose]

Perhaps dark sunglasses and window shades would help. It seems like it it the brightness that may be the problem. I've heard of people being allergic to the sun. Are they on any meds or supplements that would intensify the sun's effects?

[Tsuga]

I could never live in the south and I'm not even fair skinned.

 

Well, "never" is not the right word, of course, as I'm sure I would deal if necessary.

 

But I feel for you. I do think it's worth looking into other issues for your son's carsickness, though. Best of luck to you.

[Lisbeth]

I am sun intolerant, too. Many autoimmune diseases seem to have heat and UV triggers.

[PrincessMommy]

Perhaps dark sunglasses and window shades would help. It seems like it it the brightness that may be the problem. I've heard of people being allergic to the sun. Are they on any meds or supplements that would intensify the sun's effects?

 

I was going to suggest the same thing.   I get headaches from being in the sun and the brightness really bothers my eyes.  Wearing sunglasses, even on cloudy days, makes a huge difference for me.  I would get all  your kids sunglasses. Just make sure they're dark ones and not those fashion sunglasses that people can wear inside too.

[Night Elf]

Google for safe sunscreen. I found a couple of websites with recommendations. I don't know about any of them though. I just remember this advice on this board one time.

[Cindy in FL.]

I get headaches and nausea if I go out without sunglasses. I wear them every time I go out. Staying well hydrated helps me as well. I really hope that you can find something that helps!

[bolt.]

The above ideas / analysis is good stuff.

 

One off-chance idea... Is it possible that your car AC has a leak or something, so that a chemical is entering the car when you use it heavily? That might also make your son "car sick" on very bright days.

[In The Great White North]

 

 

 

If you guys are a discussing how the sun makes you carsick, you can totally psyche yourself into making it true. It's like a Pavlovian response. 

 

That's insulting.  I definitely do not psych myself into it and I doubt if the OPs child does either.

[bolt.]

It's not insulting to imply that most normal people have normal psychological responses to various situations.

 

Many nausea triggers (as well as hundreds of other real physical symptoms) involve brain and memory. Why would that be an insult?

 

Of course you have a brain and a memory. Of course your brain governs your body. That's the way it works.

[bolt.]

In fact, motion sickness in particular is almost entirely a brain-body issue. The symptoms are usually attributed to the brain detecting a mis-match between eye and inner ear data, and inducing vomiting in reaction to 'possible toxin'.

[In The Great White North]

 

 

It's not insulting to imply that most normal people have normal psychological responses to various situations.

 

Many nausea triggers (as well as hundreds of other real physical symptoms) involve brain and memory. Why would that be an insult? 

Most normal people don't get carsick. The whole thread is not about normal.

 

It is insulting because it implies that I can control it, am doing it on purpose or am imagining it. "It's all in your mind" was the doctor's response to migraine for decades, til they discovered was more and actually did respond to treatment.  It was also their response to tuberculosis, hypertension, stomach ulcers and Lyme disease.

 

It doesn't take it seriously.

 

I thought the medical profession was over that.

[Lady Florida.]

I've lived in Florida 45 years and have never heard of this, and I know plenty of pale people. Could it be the fact that you hate it is confirming your belief that it makes you sick? I don't mean the burning, which I know is an issue for fair-skinned people.

 

BTW, 81 degrees is considered beautiful weather around here. Why, that's almost below 80 and anything below 80 is a bit chilly. :)

 

As for the sunscreen issue, it's not true.

 

http://www.skincancer.org/media-and-press/Press-Release-2010/sunscreen-criticisms-unfounded

[Elisabet1]

Most normal people don't get carsick. The whole thread is not about normal.

 

It is insulting because it implies that I can control it, am doing it on purpose or am imagining it. "It's all in your mind" was the doctor's response to migraine for decades, til they discovered was more and actually did respond to treatment.  It was also their response to tuberculosis, hypertension, stomach ulcers and Lyme disease.

 

It doesn't take it seriously.

 

I thought the medical profession was over that.

My husband always got motion sick. Took him on a boat once..it was awful. Each of the kids has gone through it. When I pick up oldest from college, I try to do it when the sun is going down. Only time it ever affected me was when pregnant. And obviously, being pregnant was more the issue. Oldest daughter never did the car sick thing. But so far, three of the boys have. It is never a problem when it is dark out. I realized that yesterday, I had 10 yr old practicing math facts on my phone while I drove. It was 5 miles, not 5 minutes. So in the stop and go traffic, that took much more than 5 minutes. I need to remember to never have them read anything in the car and look out the window. That helps a lot. I need, also, to replace all the sunglasses. They keep carrying them in the house and then they get walked around with so that is not helping. I also need to re-put up the sun window covers. I have new ones, I need to get going on getting them back up. These are all great ideas! Thanks!

[Elisabet1]

I've lived in Florida 45 years and have never heard of this, and I know plenty of pale people. Could it be the fact that you hate it is confirming your belief that it makes you sick? I don't mean the burning, which I know is an issue for fair-skinned people.

 

BTW, 81 degrees is considered beautiful weather around here. Why, that's almost below 80 and anything below 80 is a bit chilly. :)

 

As for the sunscreen issue, it's not true.

 

http://www.skincancer.org/media-and-press/Press-Release-2010/sunscreen-criticisms-unfounded

I am not the one getting sick. My husband and some of the boys have been getting sick from the heat. I am quite fair skinned and not made for the sun. I am having issues with burning very quickly and still have to wear sunblock in the car this time of year. 

[Annie G]

Do you think perhaps the reason it's not an issue when the sun is down is that they aren't seeing things move outside the window as much as they would in the daytime?  

[mommymilkies]

I believe you.  I burn just thinking about the sun.  And my body can't take the heat.  I get a horrible bout of stomach cramps in weather over about 75.  No joke.  It makes me feel physically ill.  And the sunlight gives me migraines which can make me nauseous.  I know I'm not the only one, too.  My Dad lived in Jamaica for many years and still feels the same way I do in the heat and sun.  I went to Florida for the first time in August and felt very happy that I lived farther north.  If I could move to Alaska, I would. :p

 

ETA: I've also started getting hives from the heat and sun.  I have some horrific pictures of me on the beach.  I look like a walking medical experiment if I go swimming.

[bolt.]

Most normal people don't get carsick. The whole thread is not about normal.

 

It is insulting because it implies that I can control it, am doing it on purpose or am imagining it. "It's all in your mind" was the doctor's response to migraine for decades, til they discovered was more and actually did respond to treatment. It was also their response to tuberculosis, hypertension, stomach ulcers and Lyme disease.[

 

It doesn't take it seriously.

 

I thought the medical profession was over that.

I'd say about, maybe, 15% of people get motion sickness.

 

I don't think anyone implied that people can control their psychological responses. That's a myth almost no one believes. People who believe that are the idiots who imagine depressed people should "cheer up" or ADD people should "just pay better attention" or what-have-you. I haven't met a single individual on this board that has that kind of irrational misunderstanding of psychology.

 

In fact, the poster you responded to used the word "Pavlovian" which refers to experiments where the subjects were conditioned to exhibit real physical symptoms that were *absolutely* beyond their own control. "Pavlovian" means "not consciously caused or controlled."

 

If it is possible (and it is possible) that real, physical symptoms are being cause by brain and memory -- the way to take treatment most seriously is to test that theory by trying solutions that involve brain and memory. It has nothing to do with not taking it seriously, and everything to do with overcoming the stigma against "brains and emotions might be involved with illnesses" and actually pursuing that line of research,

 

Don't you know that nausea often involves brain and memory in simple cases? People who were sick on a roller-coaster often feel ill just looking at one. When people sick-up a particular food, the person feels revolted if they contemplate eating it again (or see it, or smell it). Smelling vomit makes many people vomit. Panic attacks can include nausea... These are not physical reactions. They are psychological. Your brain matters to your body. It guards and protects your body. It manages your "emergency responses" -- as it should!

 

It doesn't need to be an insult unless someone is using it to write you off, shut you up, or refuse to treat you. (That's appalling.)

 

If they are suggesting a possibly productive avenue of investigation towards a solution... It might be wiser not to take offence. Otherwise they might not be looking into all the possibilities. Is it really ok to say, "Please solve my illness, but only deal with the lower functions of my body. Leave my brain out if it. If it can be solved psychologically, I'd rather suffer, so don't bother."

[prairiewindmomma]

Severe photosensitivity usually has an immunological component. You might want to explore that a bit. People often assume PMLE is the only manifestation of a sun allergy but sometimes people react with vomiting, etc. Hydroxychloroquine is sometimes a drug used to help with PMLE...not sure if it would also help....but since the immunomodulating effect isn't understood with hydroxychloroquine fully, it's worth chatting about. The other point about light/shadow triggering migraines is also worth investigating, IMO. It is a trigger for mine.

[prairiewindmomma]

Also, cover up....big hats, long light cotton clothing, and sunglasses. I am an alabaster girl myself. My kids wear uv resistant clothing. rEI, Columbia, Patagonia... A number of places sell it.

[unsinkable]

Severe photosensitivity usually has an immunological component. You might want to explore that a bit. People often assume PMLE is the only manifestation of a sun allergy but sometimes people react with vomiting, etc. Hydroxychloroquine is sometimes a drug used to help with PMLE...not sure if it would also help....but since the immunomodulating effect isn't understood with hydroxychloroquine fully, it's worth chatting about. The other point about light/shadow triggering migraines is also worth investigating, IMO. It is a trigger for mine.

I was one of the posters who mentioned the light/shadow thing. It makes me nauseous and gives me a headache.

 

It is one of the things that also triggers my DD's seizures. Strobe lights, movies, fluorescent lights, sun/shadow alternating very fast in a car...all those flickering situations bring on seizures for her.

[MBM]

I was one of the posters who mentioned the light/shadow thing. It makes me nauseous and gives me a headache.

 

It is one of the things that also triggers my DD's seizures. Strobe lights, movies, fluorescent lights, sun/shadow alternating very fast in a car...all those flickering situations bring on seizures for her.

 

My youngest brother had seizures beginning in his tweens that was the result of strobes and computer screens. He did not take any meds, although Depakote (IIRC) was suggested, but did wear sunglasses to help. He eventually outgrew the problem. Still, very scary stuff.

[MBM]

How about wearing SPF clothing? Coollibar is one brand. Amazingly, I do not overheat in their clothing, either.

 

We're going to Florida and the Cayman Islands soon and I plan to wear long sleeves, swim pants (even if I look like a dork!), and a big hat as well as sunscreen on my face. I love the beach but don't want to burn.

[raptor_dad]

I am sun intolerant, too. Many autoimmune diseases seem to have heat and UV triggers.

 

Also various drugs and supplements can have light sensitivity and/or dizziness as a side effect. For instance St John's Wort can "rarely cause photosensitivity. This can lead to visual sensitivity to light and to sunburns in situations that would not normally cause them."[1] Depending on your situation this might be something to consider if you are taking any drugs or supplements.

 

[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypericum_perforatum#Adverse_effects_and_drug_interactions

[unsinkable]

My youngest brother had seizures beginning in his tweens that was the result of strobes and computer screens. He did not take any meds, although Depakote (IIRC) was suggested, but did wear sunglasses to help. He eventually outgrew the problem. Still, very scary stuff.

I'm always happy to hear good outcomes!

 

Unfortunately for DD, these are only one of the types of seizures she has. The doctors told us she is seizing in so many different ways, it was hard to know what to address first. Plus her EEG and body were not in sync. IOW, what her body was doing should have been showing certain pattern on the EEG that they weren't seeing.

 

She takes a bunch of different meds to try to hit the worst of the seizures.

[VeritasMama]

I burned very easily when I lived in the South as well. My MIL once took my children to the beach in Florida, and I warned her to reapply their sun block several times during the day to avoid burns. She didn't, of course, and they came back burnt to a crisp, she didn't take me serious because in the far north where she lives you don't burn as easily. I was pretty irate.

 

Wear sun hats, cover up with clothing, and make sure not to spend more than 15 minutes in the sun without taking a break in the shade. Bring water wherever you go. And tint the car windows.

 

When I was pregnant in the South, I stuck to the shade or stayed inside :). We had a very shady yard, over 30 trees, and all the parks had shade trees as well. We brought shade umbrellas to soccer games, the beach, etc. I had a baby in the Deep South in the middle of July, honestly I spent the last month trying not to leave the house :).

[MBM]

I'm always happy to hear good outcomes!

 

Unfortunately for DD, these are only one of the types of seizures she has. The doctors told us she is seizing in so many different ways, it was hard to know what to address first. Plus her EEG and body were not in sync. IOW, what her body was doing should have been showing certain pattern on the EEG that they weren't seeing.

 

She takes a bunch of different meds to try to hit the worst of the seizures.

 

Oy. I hope your daughter will see some good improvement at some point.

 

Seizures can be such a bugger to figure out. Back around 1980 or so, my brother had to see about 12 doctors before anyone figured out it was the flashing lights. He was lucky it was only that.

[TechWife]

If your children take any medications regularly, check to see if burning or sun sensitivity is on the list of side effects. If it is, discuss it with their doctor. As uprising number of medications have these side effects.

[LibraryLover]

edited because I repeated the sunglasses advice. lol

[Elisabet1]

I was one of the posters who mentioned the light/shadow thing. It makes me nauseous and gives me a headache.

 

It is one of the things that also triggers my DD's seizures. Strobe lights, movies, fluorescent lights, sun/shadow alternating very fast in a car...all those flickering situations bring on seizures for her.

It started with my husband and affects some, but not all, of the kids. But, my husband's birthmother had epilepsy as did some of her siblings. I wonder if it is related.

[Tsuga]

My husband always got motion sick. Took him on a boat once..it was awful. Each of the kids has gone through it. When I pick up oldest from college, I try to do it when the sun is going down. Only time it ever affected me was when pregnant. And obviously, being pregnant was more the issue. Oldest daughter never did the car sick thing. But so far, three of the boys have. It is never a problem when it is dark out. I realized that yesterday, I had 10 yr old practicing math facts on my phone while I drove. It was 5 miles, not 5 minutes. So in the stop and go traffic, that took much more than 5 minutes. I need to remember to never have them read anything in the car and look out the window. That helps a lot. I need, also, to replace all the sunglasses. They keep carrying them in the house and then they get walked around with so that is not helping. I also need to re-put up the sun window covers. I have new ones, I need to get going on getting them back up. These are all great ideas! Thanks!

 

I never got motion sickness until I got pregnant. I don't believe in it but unfortunately my stomach is more easily triggered now that I've had so-called "morning" sickness. Before I'd thrown up like, four times in my entire life from the age of one to 30. Now I gag at the slightest thing although I don't consider myself sensitive whatsoever.

 

I definitely think that once your stomach learns how to throw up it's easier to have a severe reaction to dizziness, and that is something to consider when looking at treatment. Reading in the car for 10 minutes, if you have a trigger stomach and it's stop and go--yes, that could end badly.

 

Best of luck to your family.

[SwallowTail]

I was going to suggest the same thing.   I get headaches from being in the sun and the brightness really bothers my eyes.  Wearing sunglasses, even on cloudy days, makes a huge difference for me.  I would get all  your kids sunglasses. Just make sure they're dark ones and not those fashion sunglasses that people can wear inside too.

 

Yes, this is true.  I wear super dark sunglasses even on rainy days.  My daughter does so most of the time as well.  We also always have ice water with us.

[nancy in nj]

Have you tried accupressure point wristbands for the kids? They helped my immensely when I had to ride the subway when pregnant, and they also helped my daughter with motion sickness during stop and go bus rides at college.

 

Also, there are plenty of good recipes on pinterest for making homemade zinc oxide sunscreen.  My dd is a fair-skinned outside-activity person and started to react to the chemicals in most sunscreens over the last 2 years.  We switched to one of the safe, non-chemical zinc oxide ones, but boy, are they expensive!  Last summer, I made a homemade version from a recipe on pinterest containing organic beeswax, shea butter and zinc oxide.  I bought all of the ingredients on Amazon. It was a little thick to rub on, but it worked great and did a good job protecting my dd's fair skin from the sun. Oh, as a side benefit, it did amazing things for my skin and wrinkles!  I have no idea how to link a pin here, but if you want the recipe, pm me your email and I will send it to you.