How should kids dress to be safe in the sun? Here I am referring to the everyday life we lead, not the special outing. Every day is when we tend to get careless.
Most every day we deal with lots of sunshine. Every day is when we need to pay attention to how should kids dress to be safe in the sun.
How Should Infants Dress To Be Safe In The Sun?
First, our babies must be protected, according to Skin Cancer.org.
We should dress our babies in lightweight sun protective clothing that breathes and covers their arms and legs. Remember to always protect your baby’s head, face, ears, and neck with a wide-brimmed hat.
Be sure and put a hat on your baby when he/she will be outside. Introducing your baby to wearing a hat outside during the first few months of his/her life will help the baby get used to having it on. This will make wearing a hat as your baby older grows and easier to adjust to.
Remember to use the stroller shades when you are out in the sun. Don’t forget to bring umbrellas for when the babies are not in the stroller.
Skin Cancer.org also tell us that it is better to keep infants out of the sun rather than use sunscreen on their sensitive skin for at least the first 6 months.
Soft lightweight breathable clothing should cover the baby’s vulnerable arms and legs, and don’t forget to use hats, yes even sunglasses.
How Toddlers Should Dress To Be Safe In The Sun
Protecting toddlers is a challenge, especially when you have more than one child. They are so curious and with their mobility ability can cover some ground quickly. The moment your attention wavers, they are moving. I always felt there was some electric current that alerted my kids when my attention was elsewhere for a minute.
Your toddler can be difficult to catch and hold still. This makes you need to be creative with your sun protection routine. The basics for kids in their toddler stage start with a sun hat and sunglasses. The sun hits their heads first. This is where you should start the sun protection.
Sunglasses are next. I know, it seems silly to have kids outside playing in sunglasses. Will you be successful getting your toddlers in sunglasses and a hat every time they are out to play? Probably not, but awareness of how important it is to protect your child will make you pay more attention.
Awareness is what prompts you to remember sun safety more often. Pay attention to the time you allow your little ones out to play in the sun.
Dressing your toddlers in clothing to protect their skin is also important. Loosely fitting clothing, including shirts and long pants, will make sunscreen easier to apply. When you cover a good part of your child’s body in clothing, there is less to protect with sunscreen.
Toddlers And Sunscreen
At 6 months of age, sunscreen is considered safe for limited use. In addition to providing a protective hat and clothing, sunscreen is considered OK.
However, with some sunscreens containing chemicals that can be absorbed through their skin, it only seems wise to cover with clothing, use as little sunscreen as you can, and still keep them safe, at least until they are 12 months old.
I was surprised at how easy it is to use the kind of sunscreen that is in stick form for the face and hands. Toddlers are less apt to rub this kind of sunscreen into their eyes.
Spray sunscreens are also popular. For me, a spray-on is a bit trickier to apply. You will need to take care to make sure you are applying the sunscreen evenly. When you are using spray just getting enough on the skin was not as easy.
I know you already know this, but for applying to your toddler’s face, spray the sunscreen into your hand, and apply it to his/her face. Again, keeping sunscreen out of the eyes is important.
My personal complaint with spray is accidentally breathing it in.
Quick Reminder
Wear hats and sunglasses
Schedule outdoor playtime before 10 AM or after 4 PM
Cover young children with hats, sunglasses, and lightweight clothing that is covering as much skin as possible.
Warning To Parents Of Young Children; Beware of Unexpected Sun Exposure
Be aware of the unexpected exposure that can happen. This could be while they are with a babysitter. Or Mom’s Day Out or even at Granmoms! Be prepared, and talk to caregivers about your expectations in advance concerning sun protection
Often Day Care Centers face problems with staffing and moms have to be diligent about how the Center handles outdoor playtime. Dressing your kids in lightweight loose-fitting clothing is a start for keeping them safe when you are not there.
How should kids dress to be safe in the sun? I would like to encourage you to think about the everyday life you and your family lead, not the special outing. Every day is when we tend to get careless.
What About Preschoolers And Staying Safe In The Sun?
The age group from about 3 to 6 years old brings its own challenges. They are growing more independent and want to go outside when they want to. It becomes more difficult to keep them out of the hot sun-times between 10 AM and 4 PM.
This makes their clothing the best way to have some sort of control over keeping them safe from the sun. And keep them safe from getting sunburn.
If you are feeling the pinch of inflation as we are at our house, buying UPF clothing may not be feasible at this moment. So I would like to share some ideas for keeping the kids safe and still being able to keep the budget in check.
If your child already has clothes that fit in the closet, fit meaning loose fit, not tight, about to outgrow this shirt fit.
To keep your child comfortable in the hot sun, clothes should fit loosely. Tee shirts should not be worn out, and should be a deep color. Red, royal blue, black, not grey. Dark green, or any deep color. These colors will block the sun better than white and pale colors.
Loose-fitting or oversize shirts that allow air to circulate will keep him/her cooler than tighter-fitting clothing.
Basic needs for sun blocking clothing for a preschooler include a wide-brimmed hat to block the sun from his/her head and neck.
Sunglasses to protect the eyes is the next one.
Then your preschooler needs a loose-fitting long sleeve shirt. If it is a short sleeve, it should be looser fitting oversize to have longer sleeves and allow the air in around his/her body to help cool him/her down.
Soft loose long pants are the next item.
Shoes to protect his/her feet and protect from the sun.
Sunscreen on the parts of the body that is not covered with clothing.
Basic Sun Blocking Clothing To Stay Safe In The Sun For Preschoolers Already In Their Closet
Yes, this is a bit different for basics than what you may have thought.
However, the good news is that some of this may already be in your kid’s closet. You may just need to rethink how to help your preschooler get dressed for an “everyday” approach to sun safety.
When will it be safe for tank tops, sleeveless shirts, and tighter-fitting clothing? This is how your child can dress when he/she will not be out in the sun from 10 AM until 4 PM. These are the dangerous hours for your kid to be exposed to the sun. This is when dangerous things happen to unprotected skin.
For playing in the bright mid-day sun when rays are the strongest, loose-fitting clothing that is tightly woven and stops the sun from your preschooler’s skin. Even a few minutes in midday sun can cause problems to unprotected skin and eyes.
UPF clothing is a good way to allow your kids to stay safe from the sun. New innovations in fabrics allow comfortable lightweight clothing with all the special touches that help protect our kids’ skin.
Lifestyles And Changes
Protecting your kid’s skin and keeping them safe from the sun will cause some lifestyle changes.
Scheduling events that are outside should take into consideration the sun and how hot and dangerous it is. Christmas outside is often doable here in our part of the world. Scheduling play dates for your kids should happen before 10 AM and after 4 PM.
Or schedule the play time to happen when there is shade from trees or buildings. Here in the central part of Texas, there is a park across the way from us that has great shade trees for kids to play in.
This is much safer than trying to play in a hot sunny yard. There are many alternatives that a little thought can bring to mind.
Scheduling playtime at better times of day than during the hottest sun time is so much wiser.
All this is well and good, I hear you say, but my preschooler likes to be outside even though we don’t have shade in the yard, or easy park access.
Yes, these are the ones that will need to get up and dress in the best sun blocking clothing they have, first thing in the morning. Some cover is better than no cover.
As for all this stuff about not getting out between 10 AM and 4 PM? Will not be possible every time. There will be times that for the good of the family, your preschoolers will be out. Do the best that you can.
As you make yourself aware, you will find yourself coming up with ways to make the days safer for your preschoolers.
Raising your awareness of things you can do, will put you ahead in the battle to protect your kid’s skin from the sun. Yourself from early aging. Yes, the same dangerous sun for your kids will also be shining on you.
Sami’s Take On How Should Kids Dress To Be Safe In The Sun
There are many ideas and suggestions about keeping your kids safe from the sun. Finding the help you need may be a blend of 2 or 3 ideas. However, as long as you are making an effort to stay aware of the new developments and how you can make some of the ideas work for your family, you are making progress.
Living in a sunny part of the world, there were many risks taken with my family’s skin. They are paying for those ignored risks with skin cancers. So far there is a successful treatment for their different conditions. Will we always be as successful?
It is difficult to make the changes needed. You will need to make small ones today, and more small one’s tomorrow.
Be a role model. Let your little ones see you applying sunscreen. Wearing long sleeves in the sun. Grabbing your sun hat to go outside. Talk about what you are doing and why.
The sun is a part of our lives. It is up to us to manage the sun’s safety and protect our skin.