Good sun protection habits must start at an early age. It’s kind of the same idea as the admission process for a Santa Monica preschool; if your kid isn’t on the waiting list shortly after birth then you might be out of luck. Likewise, if you don’t teach good sun protection habits from an early age the harder it is to enforce them down the road. All joking aside we know that 80% of your entire sun damage occurs before a person reaches 18-years-old. This statistic is one of the reasons that Rhonda Sparks created UV Skinz swim shirts; “To Get Kids Covered” and protect them from potential skin cancer.
It can be a challenge to get your toddler or preschooler to stand still long enough to slather on sunscreen, that is why UV Skinz swim shirts are so awesome especially for the wriggly little ones! Each shirt is soft, comfortable, has a UPF of 50+ and they come in designs cool or cute enough to please everyone.
Here are some tips to help teach your children great sun protection habits:
1. TEACH BY EXAMPLE! No matter what the habit–children learn by example. If they see you wearing sun protective clothing, applying sunscreen daily, wearing sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats then they are more likely to pick up on those good sun protection habits.
2. DON’T STRESS! Now there is one thing that I have learned as a Mom and that is that stressing out my children or scaring them into doing something doesn’t have the right outcome, ever! If you are more relaxed about the expectations you have about sun protection and make it fun then children will be more receptive. The last thing you want to happen is to have your child think the sun will burn them into dust if they miss a spot while applying sunscreen! Just take them to the UV Skinz website and let them pick out their favorite UV Skinz swim shirt. Make sun protection as easy as slipping a shirt on! (Because actually it is!)
3. MAKE IT EASY! Teach your children the “ABCs for FUN in the SUN.”
A = AWAY. Stay away from the sun in the middle of the day.
B = BLOCK. Use SPF 30 or higher sunscreen.
C = COVER UP. Wear a T-shirt and a hat.
S = SPEAK OUT. Talk to family and friends about sun protection.