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Sun Safety at camps is a joke
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Sun Safety at camps is a joke

› Forums › Cutaneous Melanoma Community › Sun Safety at camps is a joke

  • Post
    • March 19, 2014 at 8:26 pm
    Tracy Chicago
    Participant

      Feeling so frustrated right now. My daughter is 5 and I'm trying to find a summer camp for her since I work full-time. NONE of them will put sunscreen on her; they will only do spray which we all know is not good enough. I asked if they would apply lotion to her if I signed a note or got a doctor's note and they all said no. She is so fair skinned and I've had melanoma so her chances for skin cancer are high.  I work closely with Risk Management at my job so I know they are coming from a liability stance but I don't want my daughter to get skin cancer! She'll wear a long sleeve rash guard but what about the rest of her body?!

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    • Replies
        • March 20, 2014 at 1:20 pm
        katie1
        Participant

          At 5 my kids (now grown) were able to learn to be pretty effective in applying their own sunscreen.  They often wore long sleeves and always had hats (for swimming they had long sleeve tops with shorts which at the time were hard to find so I ended up sewing them). Therefore, it was only limited skin areas they had to manage.  I would make sure they were well covered in the morning. They were good safe-sun ambassadors even then. I did make sure (with camp leaders) that they were allowed adequate time to put on their sunscreen (not rushed).  For them, wearing hats (sometimes they wore them in the water) and putting on sunscreen was just what you did if you went outside.  For one of my kids, covering up was the best defense because she is so fair that she burns quickly despite sunscreen. Sunscreen in her case is the second line of defense!

          i would look for a summer camp that will cooperate and will model safe sun practices (even if they won't directly apply sunscreen, they can model good practices and allow enough time for the kids to apply sunscreen). 

          Kate

          • March 20, 2014 at 1:20 pm
          katie1
          Participant

            At 5 my kids (now grown) were able to learn to be pretty effective in applying their own sunscreen.  They often wore long sleeves and always had hats (for swimming they had long sleeve tops with shorts which at the time were hard to find so I ended up sewing them). Therefore, it was only limited skin areas they had to manage.  I would make sure they were well covered in the morning. They were good safe-sun ambassadors even then. I did make sure (with camp leaders) that they were allowed adequate time to put on their sunscreen (not rushed).  For them, wearing hats (sometimes they wore them in the water) and putting on sunscreen was just what you did if you went outside.  For one of my kids, covering up was the best defense because she is so fair that she burns quickly despite sunscreen. Sunscreen in her case is the second line of defense!

            i would look for a summer camp that will cooperate and will model safe sun practices (even if they won't directly apply sunscreen, they can model good practices and allow enough time for the kids to apply sunscreen). 

            Kate

            • March 20, 2014 at 1:20 pm
            katie1
            Participant

              At 5 my kids (now grown) were able to learn to be pretty effective in applying their own sunscreen.  They often wore long sleeves and always had hats (for swimming they had long sleeve tops with shorts which at the time were hard to find so I ended up sewing them). Therefore, it was only limited skin areas they had to manage.  I would make sure they were well covered in the morning. They were good safe-sun ambassadors even then. I did make sure (with camp leaders) that they were allowed adequate time to put on their sunscreen (not rushed).  For them, wearing hats (sometimes they wore them in the water) and putting on sunscreen was just what you did if you went outside.  For one of my kids, covering up was the best defense because she is so fair that she burns quickly despite sunscreen. Sunscreen in her case is the second line of defense!

              i would look for a summer camp that will cooperate and will model safe sun practices (even if they won't directly apply sunscreen, they can model good practices and allow enough time for the kids to apply sunscreen). 

              Kate

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