Question for all mums...

Hi :)

I just wanted to know if your toddler tans in summer? Even when you put sunscreen on them?

I am asking this because the past few weeks I am alarmed at the tans I am seeing on toddlers. I saw a post on Facebook from a father who was bragging about his 'little man' and his tan. The little boy in question was about 5 or 6 and was standing in the bath naked with his back to the camera. His little bum was so white compared to his tanned skin. More tanned than my DH who works in the sun all day! And last night when I was walking the dogs, a little girl came over to pat them. She was about 4 or 5 and had the lightest blonde hair and her skin was so dark. She looked like she had been baking in a solarium, I was a bit shocked.

So does this just happen even with sunscreen? Or are these parents careless and setting their kids up for cancer?

DD2 tans even when lathered in sunscreen but DD1 doesn't.
I think it's to do with their natural complexion, I used to brown up even when lathered in cream too.

ETA: DD1's legs will darken slightly but her face stays pale, you can see a difference b/w where her clothes have been though and her butt is white as white could be.
DD2 has a darken face, legs & arms, a very white butt but wears the same amount of sunscreen, hats, t-shirts etc as her sister.

We apply sunscreen at all times outside, they wear hats and generally t-shirts & shorts.


Sent from my iPhone, more than likely while I should be doing something else!

i wouldn't say my DS tans & we certainly don't try to get him a tan but despite being covered in sunscreen, he does have darker arms than where clothes cover him. it's not dark, but there is a difference.

DD1 has my olive skin and even with 30+, a rashie, a hat and zinc on her face she came back from our latest holiday looking very tanned. We were camping at the beach so she was running, riding or swimming outside pretty much all day so apart from the slip slop slap there wasn't any getting away from the sun.

DD2 is much paler but even with the same precautions she also came back with a tan. I didn't think she would but she obviously has the same olive skin just not as naturally dark as DD1. I wouldn't brag about it but, yes you can definitely see that they are both darker on their arms and legs than their bottoms!

And I guess they get it from me - I look at the sun and go brown. I cover up and wear sunscreen but even through that I end up darker than pretty much everyone around me doing exactly the same thing.

i wouldnt say DD1 tans but she sure has more colour than me!!! im so pasty lmao.
she gets lathered in cream and anytime she swims she has a rashy on

My DD has olive skin. I'm careful with sunscreen for both of us (I burn badly). A couple of weeks ago, we went to the beach. I put sunscreen on her when we left home, again when we got to the beach and each time we got out of the water. It was applied probably five times over a six hour period and is four hours protection and is water resistant. We have a beach shelter and make sure we're in the shade when sitting on the sand. Her little legs burnt. I was so upset because I'd done what I could to prevent it. So if you were to look at her at the moment, she has tanned legs. It made me feel like the biggest failure of a mother because it's something very important to me, knowing how dangerous the sun can be. I wouldn't like to think that others were looking at her legs and thinking badly of me.

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!

While I do think there would be plenty of parents that would be a bit careless in the sunscreen department. I think most are careful.

I am guilty of not topping up as often as I should but when your having lots of fun the time can fly without realising it. Both my girls tan (thanks to theei getting their dads skin and not mine). I find that in short periods of time, like when they come outside with me when I hang clothes on the line or water the garden are the times I don't even think about sunscreen and those are the times they are getting the exposure, I think you could even tell which side of the car each girl sits on because they are a little darker on one side each.
DD1 is great though, she loves putting sunscreen on and works as a great reminder to me. They do always have hats on outside though. Our rule is no hat no play outside.

We put sunscreen on our DS every morning rain hail or shine and then again in the afternoon & he has a lovely tan. We don't let him outside between 10 & 2 if we can avoid it either. And he must wear a hat at all times if he's outside. So yes my toddler tans.

ETA: I'm proud to say he's never been sunburnt either.

We sunscreen and reapply religiously and both of mine still have slight tan marks. I think unless you are completely covered whatever part is showing to the sun is going to get some colour even if it doesn't get burned.

Oh thank goodness! So it's safe to say that kids are tanning up with sunscreen :)

But I am still sceptical of a few people I know of. No one wants to look like an old leather handbag when they grow up :lol:
I am a true believer in a great tan.........that comes from a bottle!

Thank you ladies

Depending on your skin type some people tan through clothing too. I had a friend who got a stripy stomach through the stripes on her bathers (she was very olive skinned and it colored up quickly).

I live where the UV is extreme every day of the year. My kids wear a hat and sunscreen every single day....even if we aren't going to be outside. It's just one of those things here. Both have olive skin and both are tanned.

Both my boys tan up really quickly in summer (and both use suncreen and wear hats) DS1 is nearly 17 and DS2 is nearly 2. I'm the same. It doesn't seem to matter whether or not I wear sunscreen. We all have olive skin, although DS2 is fairer than DS1 and I.

Tanning through clothing is also very common - particularly in places where the UV is extreme. Lots of vaseline intenstive care aloe vera lotion after being outside all day. Even DS1 lathers it on himself.

I think it depends on your skin.

yep we use sunscreen/hats and my boys do get a tan (as do i) regardless. dont judge them too harshly!

Just like to add I think in this day and age we cover our kids up too much you've got to get vitamin D from somewhere and the natural source is the sun. Especially considering most sunscreen are full of chemicals and are probably causing the cancers they are made to prevent. I never used sunscreen as a kid as I was allergic and don't really use it now.

An interesting read: "Putting some D in your day"

My DS was lathered in sun cream every few hours when we were in Canberra and he is a noticeable darker shade now :( even with a hat shirt shoes and socks and under a shade. I have no idea how it even happened

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Just like to add I think in this day and age we cover our kids up too much you've got to get vitamin D from somewhere and the natural source is the sun. Especially considering most sunscreen are full of chemicals and are probably causing the cancers they are made to prevent. I never used sunscreen as a kid as I was allergic and don't really use it now.

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This is true - at Childcare they now have enforced 'hat free' months between April and October so that the kids get enough vit D.

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Just like to add I think in this day and age we cover our kids up too much you've got to get vitamin D from somewhere and the natural source is the sun. Especially considering most sunscreen are full of chemicals and are probably causing the cancers they are made to prevent. I never used sunscreen as a kid as I was allergic and don't really use it now.

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True about the vit D needing to come from somewhere. My OB spoke to me about this during my pg with DD as I was low, and said avoid the hottest part of the day. Tricky bit for me is I still burn in the later part of the day :lol:

My boys have dark skin and they tan very fast even though I don't let them in the sun during the middle of the day and they always have to wear a hat and sunscreen.

Because I wear a scarf people are forever telling me that I'm going to die of vitamin D deficiency :rolleyes:
Most people with fair to olive skin only need 2-3 hours a week of UV exposure to the hands, face and arms to get enough vitamin D during winter (when UV levels are below 3). In summer this level of exposure can be attained in just a few minutes outdoors.

I never step outside without sunscreen, even in winter.

I think that's a very valid point Em.

Both my girls are tanned but to differing degrees. DD1 has my pasty English skin and so is more off white than tan. DD2 has her dad's more olive complexion and is toasty brown and her blonde hair is getting lighter by the day. We have a pool and my kids would live outside if they were allowed to, but they are not allowed to be out between 11-2 unless its for an extremely quick, 5 minute cooling off dip in the pool. They both wear hats and are smothered in sunscreen. We've got a huge amount of trees so their cubby house, trampoline etc are all well shaded almost all day long. I think the sun is just so strong that unless you stay inside all the time you can't avoid a bit of summer colour.

We sunscreen, but DD5 still darkens, more so in summer. Fits in with her Fijian cousins ;)

My older one has very pale skin, I don't think he'd tan. I slather him in sunscreen and he still goes beet red just from the heat!

My niece has quite olive skin and I've noticed she's a bit brown this summer, but I also know my sister is pretty vigilant with the sunscreen too. So maybe it doesn't matter - if they're going to tan they will regardless?

We certainly wear sunscreen and hats- I burn easy.
My DD has tan lines where her tshirt sleeves sit and where her shorts end.
It looks odd, but similar to myself before I hit my 20's.



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My kids have fair skin like me. I can get burnt in the few minutes it takes to hang clothes on the line. We live in QLD so I am always careful with them. We can only go outside early morning and late afternoon at the moment. I made sure to find them rashies that go all the way to wrists instead of the 3/4 ones. So far no tans here :crossfingers:

DD has a fairly olive complexion - she doesn't get much sun exposure at all and always with hat and sun screen. I wouldn't say she's tanned but she's a lot darker than her fish-belly-white parents!

I gave up using sunscreen with the kids when they kept getting tanned anyway. They still put it on their faces when they swim because they wear goggles and they don't want big goggle marks on their faces LOL, but any other time we don't bother. They wear rashies too and they stil get a tan. They never get sunburnt, but they just tan regardless of what I do. I think some people will just tan and it does make me question the point of using sunscreen. My kids have really olive skin though and the only way they wont get a tan is if I keep them inside 24/7. Of course it's a worry, but I've tried to stop it and can't so I gave up.

my 5 yr old is ridiculously tanned he has heaps of sunscreen on but his legs are almost black compared to his butt he wears long sleeve rashies most days even when just playing yet his back has a tan go figure :dunno:

my 2 yr old is slightly tanned same thing with clothing and sunscreen

I beleive my 5 yr old has what they used to call olice complexion as my mum and his pop (FIL) are both olived skinned

No tans here. I'm very fair and I swear the sun just coming out while I'm standing near a window would burn me in summer! DD1 is fair, but not as fair as me. But we're so religious about hats and sunscreen none of us have tan lines (we only use the invisible zinc, because as luck would have it, not only am I practically transparent, I'm also allergic to all other sunscreens :rolleyes:). DD1 has never been sunburnt and applies it herself before going outside. She spends lots of time outside too.

My DD has my olive skin and like me she tans very easily even though she wears sunscreen and a hat when playing outside. Though there are times when I'm out hanging the washing or she is outside for a few minutes that are spent without sunscreen but then again she needs the Vit D which sunscreens prevent and this is usually mornings or late arvos because she naps through the hottest part of the day :)