How do you protect your family from the sun.

[KristenR]

Just curious. We have a pool in the backyard and live in Florida so the sun is pretty much always a concern.

 

How do you combat all those rays?

Edited July 11, 2012 by KristenR

[PeacefulChaos]

I just use whatever sunscreen, broad spectrum and spf 30.

And I'm on our 4th bottle of the summer. :lol:

[Chelli]

I actually do two of the things you listed, but couldn't choose more than one. I voted that we use a commercial sunscreen, but I also try to avoid peak hours of the sun.

 

We live near Houston, so I get what you are saying about sun exposure! :001_smile:

[kitten18]

I voted other because our sunscreen didn't fall neatly into either category.

 

-Use Blue Lizard, it has titanium and and zinc oxides as the sun blockers. I have a one gallon jug of it.

-Stay out of the sun during peak hours for the most part.

-Wear swim shirts while swimming.

-Wear sun hats.

 

 

The sun is very intense here. There is rarely a cloud in the sky. I follow these precautions year-round.

[KristenR]

I actually do two of the things you listed, but couldn't choose more than one. I voted that we use a commercial sunscreen, but I also try to avoid peak hours of the sun.

 

 

Drats! I thought I clicked the box to allow more than one choice. :(

[Halcyon]

We use mineral based natural sunscreen (we live in Florida too, with a pool). I put it on them whenever they will be outside for more than 15 minutes.

 

Here's what we use: http://www.kissmyface.com/product/item/116

 

I will only use mineral based sunscreens. Here's the amazon link The thing that pulls the ratings down is the bottle--it breaks constantly. But the sunscreen itself is fantastic.

 

We also use sunshirts and sunglasses.

[Wheres Toto]

I needed multiple options too. We use commercial sunscreens (although I do check the ratings for which ones are safest and work best), stay out of the sun during peak hours and wear protective clothing - rash guards and shorts for swimming, hats and sunglasses when playing.

 

My kids are all very fair - two blondes and a red-head.

[Farrar]

We don't do sunscreen on typical days - only when we're really going to be in the sun directly or during the worst part of the summer day - and I prefer hats and rashies with swimsuits and so forth to more sunscreen. But we'll use the commercial/chemical stuff when necessary. I'm trying to switch us to the natural stuff, but it's both more expensive and takes longer to apply, which is definitely an impediment.

[Dory]

I needed multiple choices too. We use hats to protect ears and faces and only use sunscreen if we are out there for an extended period of time. I like the kids to get a good tan and soak up a little of the sun. It's healthy. If we have to use sunscreen I just use a commercial spf30.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm afraid that I do nothing. My kids are darker skinned and I always forget. Sometimes my dd will put on sunscreen on her own. I try to stay out of the sun for myself because I am fair skinned.

[Soror]

Unless we are in the direct sun extended periods, ie in a pool all day, etc, I don't do anything. This summer I've used sunscreen once, on my fair 2.5 yo playing at my Mom's pool. Ds does have a swim shirt but the others don't, his was a hand me down. My kids are outside everyday, often for many hrs but they haven't even been red. I do find that they roam from here to there generally and will be in the sun off and on and the shade, as they get hot.

 

eta: I have a few different natural sunscreens but I used regular the other day at Mom's house as that is what she had.

Edited July 11, 2012 by soror

[Mélie]

We use Ombrelle sunscreen and avoid the sun at peak hours. Before we moved to Texas, we very rarely used sunscreen.

[Parrothead]

Clothing, hats, avoiding peak hours. No sunscreen unless it is all natural and only used sparingly.

[kewb]

A combination of sunblock and rashguards. When they were younger-always a hat. Now that they are older I have decided the hat is not the hill I want to die on.

[ksr5377]

We do commercial sunscreens (bought the better/natural stuff but we're still working through 2 commercial bottles we have left), rashguards, sunglasses, try to go outside in the mornings and stay in after lunch and have purchased several shade structures because our yard has no natural shade. We just have a little kiddie pool but I have a beach umbrella up by it so they're not in the direct sun.

[SilverMoon]

We're somewhere between no sunscreen and only the "natural" sunscreens. I voted for none since that's what we do the most. They really only wear sunscreen on days we'll be outside for multiple hours without shade. Otherwise they wear brimmed hats most days, and cover their shoulders if they'll be out for a long time.

 

We only avoid peak hours if the heat index is intolerable, or we'd miss out on a lot of normal kid activities.

 

I'll add an "other," too. I try to increase their berries and other foods that will "sunscreen" them from the inside out during the summer months. (Smoothies are perfect for this.)

 

We live near Phoenix, and most of my kids are pale. A couple weeks ago we had a Cub Scout day camp right during peak hours. *shrug* They kept the kids pretty wet, with a hose down every station change (literally), and alternated out in the sun activities with sit in the shade activities. My pale, strawberry blonde Cub Scout didn't have a scrap of sunburn by the end of the day. :001_smile: No sunscreen on him, just a safari style hat and a short sleeve cotton tee.

 

Where we tend to get sunburned the most is when we visit relatives on the western slope in Colorado. Last year it was in the low-mid 90s. The locals were hiding in the shade and complaining of heat the entire time. Having just come from 115+ degrees, it was nice enough for us to spend the whole time outdoors. Even my darker skinned husband and kids sunburned. We didn't account for being that much closer to the sun. :tongue_smilie:

Edited July 11, 2012 by SilverMoon

[melmichigan]

We do a combination of zinc sunblock, rash guards, and avoidance of outdoor activities at peak times. As the summer progresses we move away from sunblock except on their faces unless they are at camp (5 hours a day in the sun). If I am in a real hurry we use the baby version of banana boat sunscreen because it spreads faster than sunblock.

[SKL]

Normally I don't do anything, unless we're going to be in the beating sun for a long time (in which case I'd use clothes to the extent practical and sunscreen for whatever clothes wouldn't protect). But I didn't vote because I live almost at the border with Canada, so I'm not sure what I'd do if I were in Florida.

[learningmama]

We are in FL too. We avoid sun during peak hours and when we do go out during day it is Banana Boat Kids with hats/sunglasses. DD is especially fair-skinned and this has worked fine.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I voted other, because MOST of the time, I do nothing. Occasionally, if we will be in the sun for a bit, I put sunscreen on ds1 because he is fair and will burn a little after more than 1/2 hour exposure. Ds2 and I only use sunscreen if we will be totally exposed (like at the beach) for several hours. At home in our own pool, we never wear sunscreen, even ds1 most of the time. We have a lot of shade, and I tend to lean toward the side of preferring not to put too many chemicals on our bodies. I've been too lazy to look into organic or homemade sunscreen, although I have pinned a few "recipes" on Pinterest.

 

Dh is fair, and slathers himself up with sunscreen regularly. He also wears long clothes if he'll be out in the sun. And a hat. He's kind of a nerd, really. :D But, I love him anyway.

[TheReader]

Commercial sunscreen, avoid peak hours, and hats/shirts as needed on top of that, depending where we are/what we're doing.

 

We're from the Houston area, living inside the tropic zone of Brazil, so sun is constant. My 2 oldest boys tan pretty well w/o burning, which I know still isn't super healthy but does mean I relax some with them. My youngest is very fair and needs sunscreen or he'll burn. So, if they're out in the pool before 2 or 3 p.m., sunscreen or they wear a shirt. After 3 pm, I let them skip sunscreen. AT the beach -- sunscreen and a shirt. Ditto that for trips to waterfalls, etc. and we apply before going out, reapply often, etc. Gringo skin and tropical sun just really does not mix, so we are pretty careful.

[AndyJoy]

We live in the desert and I try to be vigilant about sun protection. We do a combination of:

 

Coppertone Sensitive Skin SPF 50 with Zinc Oxide

Always wear hats outside

Wear hats and rash guards when swimming

Wear SPF long-sleeved shirts at the park once it's cool enough to stand them. I really hate the feel of sunblock and am tempted to skip it in the fall/winter but the sun shines here year-round!

Avoid peak sun except for some pool outings. Our local kiddie pool is shaded.

[JennyD]

I voted other: Sun-protective clothing (my kids are young enough that they will still happily wear those Legionnaire's style hats), natural sunscreen (I check the ewg.org website every year for recommendations) and we stay out of the sun as much as possible during peak hours.

[happypamama]

I avoid peak sun hours as much as possible and use hats/protective clothing when possible as well. When those are not enough, I use organic sunblock. I don't use stuff that contains retinyl palmitate, because it's been shown to increase skin cancer rates. :(

 

(Now, given the choice between that and a bad sunburn, for my older children, if the organic stuff wasn't available, I'd use whatever was available, but if organic wasn't available, I'd just not take the baby out.)

 

We just had our eleven-month-old at the beach, mid-afternoon. We're all fair, and two of my older children burn very easily. We brought a beach umbrella and tried to move it as the sun moved; it helped a bit, but the baby is mobile. I put him in swim shorts and a t-shirt and used a wide-brimmed hat on him too. (He pulled it off once, despite the chin strap; I put it back on, and then, thankfully, he left it alone.) We were out less than two hours, but just to be safe, I did put a tiny bit of organic baby sunblock on his exposed skin. Not a speck of sunburn on him.

 

For those who wear their babies -- hats are great for the heads, but beware that little feet can be exposed too!

Edited July 11, 2012 by happypamama

[Whereneverever]

No sunscreen. They wear swim shirts and board shorts to swim. Sun hats. When possible we aren't out at the worst sun hours.

 

None of us have a skin type prone to burning, though, and these measures seem to keep them pretty well covered.

[Sparkle]

We mostly stay out of the sun. If we do have to be out in it for long periods we use non-nano zinc oxide sunscreen. I also take Sunpill if I'm going to be out in the sun long.

[lisamarie]

SPF 50 sunscreen, rashguard tshirts for the kids, and call it good. We're in Michigan so it's not as intense.

[Punks in Ontario]

I put any type of suncreen, but really we use a combination of t shirts in the water with suncreen on the face and arms during peak hours and no suncreen in the early morning or late afternoon. We usually avoid being in the sun around noon.

 

A little red headed boy that comes over always wears a hat and shirt and suncreen because he's sensitive.

[Momof3littles]

Day to day? Rarely use sunscreen. We like a little vit D (I tested deficient years ago).

 

WHen we'll be out for a longer period: rash guards, hats, physical block vs. a chemical sunscreen (no oxybenzone ,etc). We look for no parabens, preferably no nanoparticles or retinyl palmitate, etc. I can get Alba for a really good price, and we also use Purple Prairie, California Baby and a few others. They are expensive but the rash guards cut down on how much we use.

[kalanamak]

1) I live in the PNW (partly because I burn so easily)

2) Avoiding mid-day

3) hats and blocking clothes

4) fancy sunscreen

[justLisa]

1) I live in the PNW (partly because I burn so easily)

2) Avoiding mid-day

3) hats and blocking clothes

4) fancy sunscreen

 

Ditto. We are some pasty folks. :D

[KungFuPanda]

I'm a pastey, freckled redhead.

 

I stay out of the sun noon-4

 

AND

 

Wear hats, sunglasses, and t-shirts at the pool

 

AND

 

Highest SPF in the cheap brand. I'm seeing 80 and 90 SPFs now! I reapply often.

 

 

I torture my darker (but still pale) skinned children with this treatment. My teen is miffed that she's denied tan lines. My son dislikes his rash guard.

[Lucy in Australia]

Day to day? Rarely use sunscreen. We like a little vit D

 

This is us, too. In our extremely hot summer, we avoid the sun between 11 & 3 or wear hats & covering clothes.

 

We've had a lot of stories on the news here in Oz about our lack of Vitamin D because we've been too vigilant with sunscreen & covering up.

[Isabella]

I am protecting my family from the sun roof i have been installed a sun roof

in top of my house and this sun roof is helps me to protect my family

from the sun

 

 

:spam: reported.

[Tress]

Sun? Sun? You have sun? :D

 

We have rain. Lots of rain. Haven't felt the need to apply sun screen. We have been using rain coats. :001_huh:

[catz]

We generally avoid midday, wear rash guards, and use natural sunscreen if we will be out a while. I like kiss my face or alba.

 

Feeling like the worst mother ever because my daughter got her first sunburn ever this week. She insisted on no rash guard and we were at a public pool over peak hours. Meh. Learned some lessons.

[Lady Florida.]

I actually do two of the things you listed, but couldn't choose more than one. I voted that we use a commercial sunscreen, but I also try to avoid peak hours of the sun.

 

 

 

Same here. Staying out of the sun during peak hours isn't difficult because it's too hot anyway. Even when we go in the pool, it's usually before or after peak hours.

Edited July 12, 2012 by floridamom