Summer is almost here! Which means it is time (if you haven’t already) to start thinking about how to protect our little ones from that big bright sun and the summer heat it brings! The last thing any momma (or dad) wants to do is deal with those nasty sunburns. The following is a conversation between some of my mom blogger friends and I discussing how we plan to protect our little ones this summer.
How do you protect yourself and family from summer sun. Any products you love and would like to share?
Ashley: Sunscreen! I’m currently on the search to find the “perfect” one for my son. I would hate to see him with a sunburn. So far so good. Also hats and sunglasses are great and a must have when out and about.
Ghada: Hats and sunscreen are a big thing in our house. Too many instances of melanoma on my husband’s side of the family. We also make an effort to find shade when playing outside.
Gena: We are all fair skinned in our family, so sunscreen is a necessary evil! The boys hate it, but we just have to use it. I really like TruKid waterproof sunscreen. They also have UV protectant shirts they wear when in the water.
Lena: I am with you Gena:I think I really love TruKid sunscreen. It is natural and is still easy to apply. Many natural sunscreens I have tried are so not easy to use. I also buy my kids swimsuits with UVF protection. We also got a sprinkling system last summer, so I hope that would help too when the kids are on the backyard. Are the any more gadgets for the smaller kids out there?
Emily: We spend so much time outdoors that having a great sunscreen is important. We’ve used Trader Joe’s, California Baby, and Jason. I’ve been pleased with all of them. Everyone wears big hats and sunglasses, too! At the beach, we bring an umbrella and a big pop up tent that provides shade for rest time. We have several water toys to help us keep cool when we’re not at the beach, too.
Lena: What do you think about portable beach baby tents? Have anyone used it?
Ashley: We haven’t been to the beach yet this summer, so I have not looked into purchasing a baby tent yet. Do people like them better than the big umbrellas? Anyone have a brand they recommend?
Emily: We tried the baby tent twice, but I found it to be too hot! We purchased a big pop up tent and brought the pack n play for rest. This summer, we’re trading the pack n play for a kid-sized beach cot. Fingers crossed the he’ll still rest at the beach, I’m not ready to give up nap time! I should also mention that we load up our SUV and drive onto the beach. I would not lug all this stuff if I had to carry from a parking lot to the beach.
Kathleen: I’ve not used a portable beach baby tent but we did bring a small tent to the beach before for the baby. Not enough circulation though. If we are going outside somewhere, I’m a stickler for sunscreen but for every day like going to school and such, I often forget or run out of time. It’s so hard to find a good suncreen. It is either to sticky or slimy or hard to spread or smells horrible. I’m still looking for the best kind.
Valerie: I am a big fan of TruKid sunscreen as well. I love that it is not sticky, dries fast and smells great.
Mary: Other then sun screen… I don’t do anything. Well, hats and sun glasses, if they will keep them on. This is the first year of really going to a beach (its been a city pool or YMCA up until this year) and I had no idea they had baby tents! Although I do lather them up before we go and a touch up if we are at the beach for longer then anticipated, I am a little forgetful when it comes to reapplying sunscreen. I have to be more diligent.
Thank you Ashley of Maryland Momma’s Rambles & Reviews, Ghada of Mama goes BAM, Gena of Life With Captain, Lena of Way2Goodlife, Emily of Nap Time is My Time, Kathleen of Callista’s Ramblings, Valerie of Valerie’s Reviews, and Mary of iNeed a Playdate.
What do you plan to do this summer to protect your family from the summer heat? Any recommendations for sun or UV protection products?
Alyssa McVey says
I’ve actually been doing a lot of research into sunscreen lately. There are many, many sunscreens that have so many chemicals in them that they actually CAUSE cancer. There is a website that has lists of products that tell you what the danger level is. It’s http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ – I don’t work for them, promise lol. Also, the best way to protect yourself from the sun is actually getting enough antioxidants. That’s all you need for regular sun exposure. If you’re going to be out in the sun more often, there are great organic sunscreens, or you can even make your own.
Darcy says
We use sunscreen but I check the site the other commenter mentioned because I want as good of coverage/protection as possible with LOW health risk. I was sad to see that most sunscreens that are well known pose health risks… ones I’ve used for years!
Kari says
Great list of suggestions. We try to spend short periods of time in the sun and rotate with periods of time inside. I like her to get some good Vitamin D from the sun exposure, too! Luckily, my daughter has never had a sunburn.
Shary says
We’re brave and go without. Well, my daughter has tan skin (her father is hispanic) so she’s never done too bad. Although I’m fair-skinned I’m pretty stubborn. I will bring some spray sunscreen if we’ll be out all day, but we just kind of wing it when we go to the beach.
candice says
We tried the baby tent last year, but will have to get something larger this year. Thanks for all the tips and suggestions!
Michelle says
Sunscreen is definitely a must here in the South! Honestly, between the heat and humidity we try to stay indoors as much as possible during the day. However, the summer’s just not the summer without a few trips to the beach so a waterproof sunscreen is a must! We typically use Banana Boat products.