My kids are 8, 6 and 1. They spend a lot of time outdoors and we have a pool so they swim a lot most of the year. They apply sunscreen every morning and again if they are going outside. The school's 'no hat, no play' policy applies at home also and they kids know to put a hat on before heading outside. Rashies and board shorts to swim during the day. They wear swimming hats when they are mucking around in the pool but they are allowed to remove them if they are swimming laps or underwater. When the sun has gone down round 6 or 7pm they are allowed to swim without hats and rashies. So we are sun smart!

Both of my big kids still have tan lines. I would not say that they are darkly tanned, but definitely have some colour to them. I was horrified a few weeks ago when after a particularly hot day in the pool my DS's nose was burnt enough that it peeled. We applied sunscreen every hour and I made him wear his hat ALL day in the pool as well as taking time out of the sun during the hottest part of the day.

I was at the beach with the kids yesterday and I was surprised at how many kids were just wearing bathers, no rashie and no hat! Mine were all trussed up in long sleeve rashies, knee length boardies and wide brimmed hats!