The hot summer we are currently enjoying in the UK has got us all thinking about how to enjoy the sun responsibly. It’s really hot, even when you are sitting in the house, let alone the sunshine. It is really important to have fun and keep those children safe. 

There is nothing worse than sunburn and there is no more obvious sign of parenting fail than a sunburnt kid! And yet, we want our children to be out and about all summer long, enjoying adventures and the lovely warm sunshine because who knows when weโ€™ll see the big orange ball in the sky again? 

Slip, slop, slap

Slip, slop, slap is a now-iconic campaign in Australia and New Zealand that was made during the 80s to reverse the rising numbers of people with skin cancer. It advocated the use of sun cream to protect the skin.

Even though we are still encouraged to โ€˜slip, slop, slapโ€™, the sun factor protection ratings are more confusing than straightforward.

Scientists at Kingโ€™s College London are warning we are โ€˜too slapdashโ€™ about how and when we apply sun cream.

It isnโ€™t just the sun factor rating that is important, they tell us, but how much we apply and how often.

We miss vital bits of our body, like the ears, and we also leave applying it too late. We should, the scientists tell us, put on our sun cream around 20 minutes before we venture off into the sun.

How we can help our children โ€“ and us โ€“ to enjoy the sun responsibly

Enjoying the sun is about sun cream and using it well but there are other things we can do too.

There are many ways to how we can enjoy the sun responsibly such as placing garden furniture in the shade, staying out the mid-day sun, regularly seeking shade and making sure we cover up occasionally.

Protecting yourself and your children from the sun means you can enjoy it more – if you have any ideas to cool down this Summer, I would love to hear them in the comments below or on social media: @mummyconstant. 

Sources โ€“ Warning Over Sun Cream Application, BBC

Sources โ€“ www.gardenbenches.com

 

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