Keep Your Child Safe In The Summer Sun

By: Nicole Dean

Everyone wants to be outdoors when summertime arrives. The warmth of the sun makes people happy, but it can also harm you and your children if you are not careful. Play it safe this summer. Prepare ahead of time to protect your kids while they have fun in the sun.

Purchase sunglasses for your group. Children’s eyes need to be protected from the harmful ultraviolet rays, too. If you buy them, they will get used to wearing them. Sunglasses that wrap around the face also shield the peripheral area of the visual field. If your child is young and refuses to keep the sunglasses on, give them a wide brim hat or a sun visor instead. Depending on where you live, they need to shield themselves from the sun even when it disappears behind a cloud.

Use sunscreen. On the bottle of sunscreen is an SPF number. SPF stands for “sun protection factor”. The higher the number on the bottle, the greater the protection from the sun’s radiation will be. Children need a factor of fifty or more. African-American and other children of color also need a high SPF factor in their sunscreen. It has long been believed that the extra melanin in the skin of darker individuals protected them from the sun’s rays, but this is not entirely true. Melanin in the skin offers some protection from ultraviolet rays but as the skin heats up and tans, the skin begins to burn. Anyone that is exposed to the sun for long periods of time without any protection will suffer sunburns and possibly sun poisoning. Sunscreen should be applied from head to toe. Purchase a waterproof variety to keep sweat and water from washing off the product.

Stay hydrated in the summertime. We lose valuable moisture through our pores when we sweat. If your child is out playing, they are not thinking about how much they are sweating. A dehydrated child could collapse from the heat. This is serious business. Make sure that you call your child inside at regular intervals for a cold glass of water to replenish the fluids that they have already lost. The water should be cold because cold water is absorbed quicker by the body. I would caution against giving sports drinks to children for thirst. They may contain added sugars that your child does not need.

Dress your child in loose fitting clothing. When they go out to play, make sure that they can move around freely. Lighter materials such as cotton allow your child’s skin to breathe and stay cool while they play. Denim is too confining and holds moisture. Let them wear sandals or tennis shoes with a pair of cotton socks. Without footwear, the sand or sidewalk will burn their feet.

Regulate your child’s time outdoors. The time when the sun’s rays are hottest is usually between ten o’clock in the morning and two o’clock in the afternoon. Restrict your child’s time spent in the sun to the early morning or late afternoon. Let them come inside for lunch and a nap during the hottest hours of the day. Staying outside when it is too hot could result in heat stroke which can be fatal.

Protect your child from the harmful rays of the sun this summer. Make sure that they are well covered and adequately hydrated when they venture out of doors during the day. Their first defense is you.

Article Source: http://www.parentingarticlelibrary.com

Nicole Dean invites you to www.ShowKidstheFun.com -- a free website filled with activities to make memories with your children and www.ShowKidstheMoney.com -- a fun and informative resource for moms who want to help their kids make money.

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