Sunscreen...And Avoiding Sunburns

[blandino]

The summertime thread got me thinking...

We have moved since last summer, from a very shaded backyard (where sunburn wasn't a real worry) to one that has very little shade. Every summer I have parents apply sunscreen in the morning before arrival. Because it is so hot here, we are usually done playing outside before 10:30. So I am only referring to morning outdoor time in this post.

Lets assume we are in every day by 10:30, do you think the pre-daycare application of sunscreen is enough. I know conditions vary depending on water play, etc.

I guess my main question is, I would like to be as free as possible of responsibility for sunburns, but is it too much to expect that the initial application should last until 10:30 - on your average day ?

I don't have a problem reapplying, but I feel like that opens the doors for fault/blame for any sunburns.

Clearly

[youretooloud]

We don't go out much in the summer, so I almost never apply sunscreen. The parents don't either.

I don't worry about sun exposure before 10:30. (but again, we don't really go out..so, I have no idea what it's like there)

We are outside all day all winter and spring, and I never apply sunscreen. (parent's don't either) Now that it's getting hot, I will probably do sunscreen occasionally, but not each day.

[Play Care]

I would think that if you are in fact, in by 10:30 then the one application before dc should be enough - depending on what time you open/children arrive. Sunscreen needs thirty minutes to "soak" into the skin, so a child who gets the block on at say 7:00 and is dropped off at your dc by 7:30 should be fine.
We are outside for hours in the summer, so I do supply block (and have parents sign a waiver or bring their own) but I also try to avoid direct sun during the hottest parts of the day.

[LaLa1923]

We don't go out much in the summer, so I almost never apply sunscreen. The parents don't either.

I don't worry about sun exposure before 10:30. (but again, we don't really go out..so, I have no idea what it's like there)

We are outside all day all winter and spring, and I never apply sunscreen. (parent's don't either) Now that it's getting hot, I will probably do sunscreen occasionally, but not each day.

All day, every day? How do you manage that?

[youretooloud]

All day, every day? How do you manage that?

The two back doors are open to the yard, and the outside and inside are all part of the same space, so as long as the doors stay open, I can be either in or out and still see and hear them.

The yard is really only a large courtyard. It's not a typical yard. But, when the doors are closed, they have to have me out there with them.

[SilverSabre25]

All day, every day? How do you manage that?

pretty sure she lives in a part of the country where the weather gets dangerously hot for most of the summer. so where we stay in all winter, she stays in all summer.

[Crazy8]

there are a lot of factors to take into consideration, like the SPF of the sunscreen, the skin (fair, olive, etc.) of the children in care, what is considered an "average" temperature day in your area, etc.

There's actually a formula that says if you multiply the SPF by the time it takes you to get a sunburn that gives you the amount of minutes your sunscreen should be effective but again, there are soooo many variables.

In very general terms I'd say an application should provide coverage for about 3 hours.

[Starburst]

We have moved since last summer, from a very shaded backyard (where sunburn wasn't a real worry) to one that has very little shade. Every summer I have parents apply sunscreen in the morning before arrival. Because it is so hot here, we are usually done playing outside before 10:30. So I am only referring to morning outdoor time in this post.

Lets assume we are in every day by 10:30, do you think the pre-daycare application of sunscreen is enough. I know conditions vary depending on water play, etc.

I guess my main question is, I would like to be as free as possible of responsibility for sunburns, but is it too much to expect that the initial application should last until 10:30 - on your average day ?

I don't have a problem reapplying, but I feel like that opens the doors for fault/blame for any sunburns.

Clearly

Well if you look at all the instructions on sunscreens, they say you should apply sunscreen at least 15-30 minutes before you go out to give it some time to soak in and how long they can stay out in the sun depends on the SPF and some are sweat proof and water resistant but others aren't so if they child is playing in the water or sweating excessively than they may need to be reapplied again. The average re-application recommendation varies between every 2 or 3 hours in the sun (but again it all depends on SPF).

My geography teacher says that the radiation from the sun is so powerful that the rays can seep through the clouds on a overcast and even a rainy day and could still cause skin damage. So if the kids are out all year long they should wear sunscreen every day (it helps them to remember to use too) just probably lower SPFs. Also never forget the ears, eye lids, and lips (some chapsticks have SPF) as they are the most sensitive to burns and are often the most forgotten. They also have clothing/swim suits that have a special lining to help block out harmful UV rays.

In my state you need a signed medication list to apply anything other than soap and water to the child's skin such as sunscreen, ointments/creams, or saline boogie wipes; even if the parent provides it.

Some more info on children and Sun protection:
Info on kids and sunscreen: http://suite101.com/article/what-spf...8#.UWW08rvn_6U
Basic sun protection: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/children.htm
Building a curriculum to teach kids about sun safety: http://www.sunsafetyforkids.org/sunp...on/curriculum/

[sharlan]

Well if you look at all the instructions on sunscreens, they say you should apply sunscreen at least 15-30 minutes before you go out to give it some time to soak in and how long they can stay out in the sun depends on the SPF and some are sweat proof and water resistant but others aren't so if they child is playing in the water or sweating excessively than they may need to be reapplied again. The average re-application recommendation varies between every 2 or 3 hours in the sun (but again it all depends on SPF).

My geography teacher says that the radiation from the sun is so powerful that the rays can seep through the clouds on a overcast and even a rainy day and could still cause skin damage. So if the kids are out all year long they should wear sunscreen every day (it helps them to remember to use too) just probably lower SPFs. Also never forget the ears, eye lids, and lips (some chapsticks have SPF) as they are the most sensitive to burns and are often the most forgotten. They also have clothing/swim suits that have a special lining to help block out harmful UV rays.

In my state you need a signed medication list to apply anything other than soap and water to the child's skin such as sunscreen, ointments/creams, or saline boogie wipes; even if the parent provides it.
Some more info on children and Sun protection:
Info on kids and sunscreen: http://suite101.com/article/what-spf...8#.UWW08rvn_6U
Basic sun protection: http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/children.htm
Building a curriculum to teach kids about sun safety: http://www.sunsafetyforkids.org/sunp...on/curriculum/

Can you tell me where that is in writing?

[Starburst]

It is regulation 101226 Health related services in Title 22. It's considered a nonprescription medication. Here is an example of it in a CA daycare permission slip that includes it.

http://storage.cloversites.com/adventuresinlearningharvestvalleychurch/documents/Sunscreen%20application.pdf

[sharlan]

It is required for CENTERS, but recommended for FCCH. I was told by my analyst last summer that it was nice to have a form on file, but it was not required.

We encourage licensees to use sunscreen on children! Title 22 licensing regulations, Section 101226(e) (4), Health-Related Services, requires CCCs to obtain written approval or instructions from parents prior to administering non-prescription medication to children in care. Sunscreen is considered a non-prescription medication. The approval or instructions must be maintained in the child’s file. It is recommended that the same precautions be followed for FCCHs.

[Starburst]

We went over this in a ECE class this last fall ('careers with children') where we went over a freshly printed copy of Title 22 (as of August 2012), 1/2 way through the semester the professor said that there was new things being added to Title 22 making the ones we had technically outdated. We even asked her if that particular rule applied to home daycares (there were other people interested in FCC in the class) and she said Yes. She said that sunscreen, ointments, and saline count as non-prescription medications and that due to risk of allergic reactions that parents need to be aware of everything you intend to put on their child and the you need written permission before you apply it.

Even if it's not specifiacally FCCs better safe than sorry, in the future I would like to expand to a center if my business goes well and if I am able to continue my education. So it would be better if I try to follow it.

[Crystal]

Star....this is not the first time you have posted inaccurate information about licensing regs in Ca. Please, do us all a favor and verify what you are saying is REQUIRED by licensing to be accurate before posting it. It is very frustrating when people post innacurate information based on what they have "heard" rather than what they have researched to be valid and reliable. And trust me, your ECE professors don't know everything.....really, how many of them have ever been a FCCP?

Thanks!

[Cradle2crayons]

Here in ms it gets deadly hot and deadly cold and we do outside hear around, depending on temps to decide the timing. Yes, I apply sunblock to ALL children, every single morning and after nap time so it can soak in during snack time. The kids just line up. Yes, all my parents sign a form. Yes, I buy it and apply it. No it's not required but as a child I was the victim of parents not applying sunblock and got burned to the point of hospitalization more than once. Yes, I've had skin cancer, yes it was before I was even a legal adult and yes it also runs in my family. I refuse to be the reason my children or a dck gets skin cancer.

[sharlan]

Last summer, I went through 26 cans of spray sunscreen, 2 bottles of lotion sunscreen, and 4 face sticks.

When we go to the beach or water park, I line the kids up in my back yard and spray them down. We spray again when we get wherever we're going. I also spray again after lunch.

I bathe the younger kids when we get home and then lotion them down. I have the older kids shower themselves and lotion themselves down.