There are wonderful things I could say about having a daughter with a fair complexion. The fact that her skin comes in two shades -- casper and lobster -- is not one of them. Which isn't a problem at home where I slather the sunscreen on before she steps outside. The problem, oh fellow parents, is when she goes to school.
And if you happened to catch a glimpse of the photos one Washington State mom snapped of her sunburned elementary schoolers the other day, you'll be scared for your kids too. Jesse Michener's daughters baked to a crisp during their school field day. Why?
Because no one bothered putting sunblock on her daughters before they were sent outside. In fact, the teachers aren't allowed to put any sort of sunscreen on the kids at their Tacoma school! The rules state that the only sunscreen that can be put on must be done by the kids themselves, and then only if they have a doctor's note on file. And now that I've done some asking around, I'm finding out this is how it works in a LOT of school districts!
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Come on! In 2012, knowing the immense damage that the sun can do to kids in just a few hours, there has to be a better way people!
For starters, let's just strike "putting it on themselves" off the list right here and now.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that most kids do not actually enjoy having sunscreen put on them. At least, my 7-year-old doesn't. Nor does her 8-year-old buddy. And although both are smart, capable kids, neither one is able to put the stuff on themselves ... there are too many places they can't reach, they're still not really aware of what has to be covered, etc.
And let's talk about the "doctor's note," shall we?
I didn't know my daughter was going to have her "fun day" until a few days before it actually happened. That's when I learned that A) Field Day has gotten much, much cooler since we were kids (Did y'all have bouncy houses? Me neither!), and B) at some point during the day, my fair-haired princess was going to be outside in the bright sunshine. When, exactly, was I going to make an appointment with my pediatrician? OK, so maybe I could have gotten a note at the beginning of the year, but I bet you it would be tied to an exact bottle/brand of sunscreen. And as luck would have it, we changed brands again this spring after the latest warning about sketchy chemicals.
I think Michener's photos really scare me because I actually fretted about this on the morning of my kid's fun day. Here I was at 7:30 in the morning wondering if I should bother because if she didn't go out until noon, the stuff wasn't going to work anyway.
That's the problem -- we, the parents, can't do this for our kids! We aren't there, and whatever we do in the morning is pretty useless!
I know teachers have a lot on their plate, and gooping up our kids is going to take a lot of time, and won't exactly be fun. But kids should not be coming home from school looking like lobsters because they don't have sun protection.
What do you think would fix this problem? Have you had a sunburned kid come home from school yet?
Image by Jeanne Sager
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Comments 171
why do you need a doctor note for freaking sun screen
I've worked in a daycare, and believe me, with TWO teachers to 12 kids, it takes FOREVER to get sunblock on everyone. I don't think taxpayers are willing to pay a salary to a designated sunblock-applicator, which would be needed, unless you wanted to cut out nearly an entire subject...
That's tough because i don't want someone putting a sunscreen on my kid that isn't approved by me ,as far as i am concerned there are way to many dangerous chemicals in just any sunscreen .when my son had his field day i put it on before he left for school but i was annoyed that i got a letter saying to make sure you put sunscreen on the kids because field day was taking place at a park that had no shade. how can they expect anyone to spend 4 hr in the sun without shade,not to mention the physical activity involved? i believe everyone needs time in the sun without sunscreen for your health but even a small kid automatically sits in the shade as needed.
I think notes should be sent home letting the parents know that the kids are going to be exposed to the sun for a longer period of time than a normal recess allows. They should encourange parents to provide their own sunscreen and warn them that it will not be applied to your child unless you provide it, make the parents sign a permission slip. On the day of the field day the teacher should group the children together outisde and encourage and help the children apply the sunscreen. A few hours into the field day the children should take a break to reapply. I don'think it's really a difficult matter it just takes some time and planning. Also with younger children they should limit the time spent in the sun especially on really hot days. Have some activites in the gym rotate the children. There is no excuse for letting children burn in the sun. I am sure accidents happen but when steps are taken to prevent these types of accidents it helps everyone. Field Day itself is a chore, just make sure proper sun protection is a part of it.
I agree about slathering your child with sunscreen before he or she steps out of the door, and if swimming is going to be a part of it, use the waterproof type, how long it lasts and how much to use depends on the manufacturer, read the labels, invest well the more you pay definitely equals the type of coverage one will receive in other words you get what you pay for, and no to the teachers doing it, i too would not want someone rubbing up and down my child, summer comes the same time every year, the mother obviously knows how to use a computer she should have researched sunscreens and the problem would have been avoided with her dramatic self.