by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: November 03, 2009   Last Updated: December 20, 2011

Children's skin is very tender and takes special care when it comes to taking them out into the sun. There are special precautions that you should take so that your child doesn't get sunburned and their skin damaged to an extreme extent. Sunburn is painful and children shouldn't be subject to it. There are ways to protect your child from the sun though.

Best ways to protect your child from the sun:

Sun Block

It is very important to make sure that your child have sun block on when you take him/her out into the sun. There are different SPF formulas that you can purchase. Contact your child's doctor to be sure of which one is best to help protect your child from the sun. Make sure that you follow the instructions on the sun block that you choose. This will ensure that your child is as safe as you think he/she is.

Time of Day

Be careful what time of day that you have your child out in the sun. The sun is more damaging at some points during the day than others. If you must have your child outside, make sure that you take other precautions. Take your child outside in the morning hours or in the evening after the sun has begun to go down. Avoid taking your child out during lunch time up to about five thirty in the evening. These are the times that the sun is at it's most damaging point.

Length of Time

Don't keep your child out in the sun any longer than fifteen minutes at a time. Children burn very quickly so you don't want to take any chances. If you are going to keep your child out longer than that, you need to follow the other precautions to make sure that he/she is well protected from the suns rays.

Hats

Always put a hat on your child to help protect him/her from sun damage. This will keep the sun from beating down on his/her precious little head. This protects your child's head but also keeps him/her from becoming dehydrated from the sun.

Umbrellas

If you are going to the beach or even sitting on the back porch, keep an umbrella up and your child underneath of it when possible. This will keep the shade on him/her, keep him/her cooler and keep the sun from damaging his/her skin. Your child may not stay under the umbrella the entire time, but it does give him/her a place to take a rest or eat lunch.

It is more important than ever to make sure that your child is protected from the sun. The above methods will help get the job done. Your child could contract a lifetime of skin damage from getting burned really good one time. Don't let this happen to your child. Take precautions now.

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