Keeping Your Kids Safe from the Sun
Summer is finally here! Kids of all ages will most likely be found playing outside, soaking in pools and running in the sprinklers. The summer is the favorite season of many. The sun is hot, and there is much fun to be had. But what parents don’t realize is that being outside in the sun can seriously damage their children’s skin. Parents usually are aware enough to put sunscreen on their kids, but there is more parents can do in order to protect their children from the harmful rays of the sun.
Because children are young, their skin can be more easily damaged from the sun than an adult’s skin. This is why it is important to try to have your children play in the shade, if possible. Try to get your children to play in the shade at least between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., since these hours are usually the hottest during the day. The sun is blazing high in the sky, and skin damage is more likely.
Try to discourage your older children from tanning or laying out in order to get tan. Studies have shown that individuals who spend more time in the sun without protection have a much, much higher chance of getting melanoma, one of the most serious skin cancers out there. It is important that parents realize this and at least try to stop their children from tanning excessively. Children can do serious damage to their skin and they will only realize the consequences much later in life when it is too late.
photo credit: David Kelly via photopin cc
