Sometimes it can be difficult to get your children to understand the effects that sun can have on them, but it so important to teach your children how to be sun smart.  By teaching them, the will have a lower risk of skin cancer.  Many people today wish they had been more cautious while in the sun in the earlier years. 

One idea on how help your child learn about being sun smart is to consider sun safety to be like a seat belt.  You wouldn’t explain a car accident or gingivitis to your young child, but you still get her to let you buckle her into her car seat and brush her teeth.   If you make sun protection part of your routine of non- negotiable things that you do in order to stay safe, your child will be more accepting.

You can also try doing an experiment with them.  To show how powerful the sun is, use a special frisbee that changes color when exposed to UV rays.  Leave half of the disk bare and cover the other half with sunscreen so your child can see how it will protect her skin from getting burned. 

There is a reason why the shelves are lined with so many sun protecting products, everyone has her own preference of formulation or scent.  However, there are some essential things to keep in mind when you are shopping.  Choose a product that is SPF 30 or higher for the best protection, especially if you suspect you have a tendency to not apply enough.  SPF is only a measure of a sunscreen’s UVB blocking ability; check the ingredients list to ensure your choice contains one of the most effective UVA blockers which are zinc oxide, avobenzone, and ecamsule.

Consider a brand whose active ingredients are “physical blockers.”  These  compounds, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, reflect the sun’s ray by forming a barrier on top of the skin.  Other sunscreens have active ingredients that are absorbed by the skin and work by sopping up UV energy.  Kids who are sensitive to sunscreen may be more likely to react to those ingredients.  If your child gets a rash, try a product with  different ingredients and talk to your doctor to find one she can tolerate. 

Please remember to keep babies under 6 months out of direct sunlight.  After your baby reaches 6 months, it is important to apply sunscreen on them if they are going to be in the sun for more than 30 minutes.  If your child does get burned, put a washcloth dipped in cold milk on her skin.  Even though Fall is just around the corner, it is important to teach your children that they need to protect their skin all year long.  Also, explain to them that they can still get burned even when it is cloudy.  Help them research this themselves to they can see the facts about protecting their skin and the benefits of making this part of their daily routine.