How To Protect Your Kids From The Sun While They’re Playing Outside
How To Protect Your Kids From The Sun While They’re Playing Outside:
With the pandemic slowly easing out of our lives, your kids are probably excited to go outside and play once again. After over a year of being cooped up indoors, they definitely deserve their time outside but if not the virus, there are other things that you and they should be concerned about as well.
While getting vitamin D from the sun offers a ton of health benefits for kids, too much of one thing can be bad too. Too much sun exposure can result in various problems such as sunburns and dry skin. Of course, your kids are going to be sweating a lot more if they’re playing under the heat of the sun.
As a parent, you might want to moderate your kid’s exposure to the sun. Even if it’s just at home, there are actually many ways through which you can protect your child. Here are a few easy tips on how you can do so.
Give Them Sunglasses
Some parents overlook the fact that the sun doesn’t just cause damage to their children’s skin, it can also pose a threat to their eye health too. It’s highly recommendable that you give your child sunglasses if you are letting them play outside. Too much exposure to brightness can result in various eye problems.
Don’t just get any sunglasses though. Give your child ones that have 100% UV protection. These are a bit pricey as compared to traditional sunglasses but they are definitely worth it considering the protection they can provide for your child.
Install A Retractable Awning At Home
The truth is that it’s still a lot safer for your child to play at home instead of somewhere off. Your back and front yard are safe spaces for them to play outside in. If you are limiting their playtime to just in areas outside the house, then one way you can limit sun exposure is by installing a retractable awning.
The name itself should tell you what this is – it’s an awning that you can pull out and retract whenever you want to. You might be asking yourself now, “where can I find a retractable awning installer near me” that can get the job done quickly? You can try searching online and there’s a wealth of installers available.
Retractable awnings are a great investment because you can use them whenever you see fit. If you use traditional stable awnings, you have no means to enjoy the clear skies if you want to – that is unless you dismantle the awning entirely.
Always Use Sunscreen
If the sun is really shining down during the day, it might be wise to give your child some sunscreen for the day. These can really help protect them from UV rays and it’s your best bet at making them safe especially during the summer season. Just be careful about what sunscreen you choose.
A good way to be certain that your kid is getting the best protection available without getting their health compromised is by simply giving them sunscreen which is marketed for kids. These are usually SPF 30 and below. You can easily determine whether a sunscreen brand will be good for your kid by checking the label.
Alternatively, you can let your child wear protective clothing. If it’s a day at the beach for your kid, have them wear long-sleeve rashguards instead. That way, they no longer have to wear sunscreen on most parts of their body. Sunscreen is very important especially during the summer so always make sure that you are packing.
Don’t Let Them Go Out During Peak Hours
Your kids are probably very excited about going out and spending the entire day outside already. However, if you think that the sun is going to be bad for them, give them a safe schedule. More specifically, one that prevents your child from staying outside during the times when the sun is at its strongest.
The sun is at its strongest from 10 AM to 4 PM. It’s advisable to have your kids staying inside at these hours. If it really can’t be helped and they want to go outside, make sure that they have sunscreen and enough clothing to cover their body. Also, ask them to look for shade outside too.
To give your child their daily dose of vitamin D, it would be good to have them play outside from 4 PM to 5 PM. In the morning at around 8 AM to 10 AM is also a good time for children as well.
Aside from the heat being at its peak during the sun’s strongest, the sun is also at its most dangerous at that time. This means UV rays are going to have a stronger effect on your kid as well.
Get Them To Play Where There’s Shade
Shade from trees and man-made structures are more than enough to protect your kid from the rays of the sun. As such, if you’re allowing them to play outside, take them to an area where there’s the most shade possible.
Check Their Medicine
If your child is currently taking medicine or any supplements, make sure to check out what the side effects are. Some medicine including antibiotics and anti-acne medicine can make your child’s skin more sensitive to UV rays. This makes them more prone to sunburns and other skin conditions.
As a general rule of thumb, it would be wise to ask your child’s doctor or physician what the side effects of the medicine are. If you are concerned about how it will react to UV rays. Ask the physician directly if there are any possibilities that the medicine can be bad when it comes to sun exposure.
We can’t reiterate enough that too much sun exposure can be bad for your kids. The tips you see above are going to give you more control over the amount of exposure that your sun gets from the sun. It would be bad to keep them indoors all the time so it’s best to just find safe ways they can play outside.
