Do you know that once someone accused me of being negligent for NOT putting sunscreen on my children!!!
Because I don't want them to get burnt I limit their time in the Sun, actually they limit their own time in the Sun. When they get too hot they go into the shade. The only time my kids have ever gotten sunburnt is when they ave been out with another adult who has slathered them in sunscreen and then let all the kids play in the Sun all day without providing any shade.

Thought I'd share this article I just read...
http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/sunscreen.cfm

Thanks for that Ariad. Although I've never read anything about the negatives of sunscreen but I've always had the 'gut' feeling that the stuff could cause skin cancer. I have the classic fair 'high risk' skin type and I often have people disapprove of me not using the stuff, or using it very very rarely on myself or the kids. I use common sense ... staying indoors, shade, hats, long sleeves etc.

It's always nice to read a report which backs up what I've always suspected

thanks, I didn't know that about sunscreen. very interesting read

u know I was thinking this myself the other day...spooky.

actually it's my mum I should be showing this article to.

I've never really told them to get out of the sun because it will burn them. yk, like i don't tell them to put a jumper on when it's cold...I figure that they know their bodily feeling well enought to know what they need to do.

I have a red-headed kid. she gets burned in 5 minutes even on cloudy days. *sniff*
still, we really avoid sunscreen. I've always believed it was dodgy, just a matter of time before science works it out. but yeah, my kid does get sunscreen on her from time to time. probably once or twice a month, on average. coz I can't always force her to wear a hat, and she wont always do it on her own. sigh. she doesn't tan. she burns and blisters toooo easily.

MF that's tough.
I sunscreen DD, we spend a lot of time in the sun sometimes and she's so active I can get her to stay in the shade. But we brown (love that mediterrainian skin) and last time we got burnt anyway, so I'm considering the validity of it.

yeah, it's funny, in my late teens I got it into my head that sunscreen is damaging, and totally avoided it from then on. when dd was born i swore she'd never get it on her skin... one day when she was about 10mo we went out on a rainy day, and she had a hat on, and still, by the end of the day her cheeks were *blistered* i felt like the worst mum in the world

we can only do what we think is best innit?

Thanks Ariad, my inner cynic was waiting for this...
What about sesame oil as a sun 'filter'? Read about it ages ago in an aromatherapy book...have to check it cos I am fair, but luckily my kids have arab skin too so they can handle alot more sun than me... but a while back my DD went to the park with my aunt and even with sunscreen on had her neck so badly burned it was red for days...she had just had her hair cut short for the first time in her life so I assume it was cos her skin wasnt used to any sun exposure. Poor thing was waking up at night crying.

I too get wide eyed looks when I say I won't put sunscreen on my kids.

My Mum asks to take my kid's to the beach in the middle of the day on really high UV days. She thinks I'm bonkers when I say it's too hot. I realise this is because when I was younger that was when you all hit the beach and on the hottest of days we stayed all day.

I'm not sure about the ageing part though. I was at the beach as much as possible (Dad was the captain of Bungan Beach lifesaving club) and I never put sunscreen on my hands or neck but everywhre else and these are my most aged on my body. I remember being 8yo and realising I had the hands of an old person already.

We go to the beach in the afternoon. It's still warm, they still enjoy swimming, it's stil very social. Actually, it's more interesting than during the day when everybody is at work/school. There are workers doing laps, families eating their dinner, fishermen catching their dinner.

What I notice is that my son, who was in nippers and is a keen surfer and lived at the beach as much as we could from a baby (we lived 1 block from Little Manly Beach and I was in the market for a partner so, you know) is a sun lover and will seek it out. If we are chatting in the shade he'll move into the sun. My girls who I've kept out of the sun from birth (or put hats and long sleeves on when it's unavoidable) are shade lovers. When playing if there is a choice they always go in the shade. When walking we automatically choose the route with the most shade and stick to the shadiest side of the street. They never sunbake but they shade bake - lay out towels in the shade.

It freaks me out that my 19yo does roofing with no shirt on. He's fair like me but so brown you'd never know. He's often peeling. Still he doesn't wear creams and I think the only reason he manages is because he has that resistance built up. His Nana has had skin cancer cut off her face. It scares me.

I'd like to see beaches with covered areas - especially the little kid's section of the sea pool.

Yeah, I agree! The best beaches are those ones with tall trees directly behind the beach. On sunny afternoons we can go and sit in the shade and still be on the sand enjoying the beach life!

Oh the benefits of living in a warmer climate. We only need to worry about beaches with shade for 2 months of the year!