6 Year Old Applying Sunscreen by Themselves

My almost five year old applies his own sunscreen. I watched/guided him a couple of times and then realized the delegation was genius because it's one less pool task I have to do. I use a mineral based which stays white unless you really rub it in so that is a visual aid. Good luck.

If you are anti spray, buy a swim shirt. That way when he reapplies the sunscreen, even if he misses spots, he will be mostly protected. Swim shirts come with SPF protection and you can even get long sleeved shirts

I don't get the big deal about a spray.

Think moderation here.... It could be an issue IF he's in a closed room with no ventilation and applying spray sunscreen.......I doubt that is the process. If he's outside getting sprayed I see no big deal. Worst case tell him to hold his breath a couple of seconds if you're that concerned.

If you don't like the set up they have for everybody, then you need to teach your 6yr old how to apply per your instruction.

I'm thinking the camp uses spray because it's quick and efficient plus keeps everyone's hands to themselves which could be a potential liability issue for the camp.

Get the spray and teach him to hold his breath before they start to spray. Maybe make it a game as you show him how to take a big breath and hold it......Yeah, he'll forget that at times as well but he's only six and it's too much to expect that he'd apply cream or lotion properly. But one serious sunburn can set a person up for a lifetime of skin issues, so I'd take the minimal still-being-investigated risk of the spray over the well-proven risk of sunburn, any time. And it can't hurt for you to ask the camp officials what they do to keep younger kids from possibly inhaling the spray; maybe you'll put them on alert to take extra care with it and that's always good. They'll probably welcome the heads-up.

I think it's pretty common now for camps to have rules that they do not apply sunscreen by hand onto kids' skin. I was a camp staffer for the past five summers and our camp had that same rule--parents were told to put on sunscreen (and bug spray) at the start of the day. Older campers could reapply whatever they brought with them as needed but staffers could not rub sunscreen onto any kid. Staffers are well aware of the need for sunscreen and never want to see a kid get burned. But the prohibition on rubbing on sunscreen exists because people are litigious, and camps, like other organizations that have charge of kids, must be careful about liability.

he's 6. not 3. i know we infantilize american children to the point of ridiculousness, but he really really can learn to rub in his own sunscreen, or to spray it on himself, or to close his eyes and hold his breath for 10 seconds while someone else does it.
let's stop assuming incompetence in our children.
it is parents who have created an atmosphere of distrust and hysteria so pervasive that the caretakers to whom we entrust our most precious beings are no longer allowed to touch them, for practical or comforting reasons. so be it. our only choices are to a) refuse to allow our kids autonomy and keep them glued to us 24/7 b) teach them to do it all themselves, however imperfectly or c) actually trust other adults, especially those screened and trained in childcare, but that ain't gonna happen.
so spend 15 minutes teaching your kid. he'll get it.
khairete
S.

Did you see the news about the kids that got severely burned (like 2nd degree burns) from a day at a swim park with no sunscreen?
Have the spray so the day camp people can apply it mid day.
He's not going to be snorting it and it's worth it so his skin won't get burned.
He can also wear shirt with longish sleeves (no sleeveless shirts) that will cover move of his skin.
A hat helps, too.

If he's outside, the spray is really not a big deal. I use the spray (so much faster than the lotion) and just have them face the other way or hold their breath.

I would just be happy the counsellors are doing it at all. Our daycare center asks parents to put it on in the morning and that's it! They don't reapply.

There is the foam he may have better luck with. You still have to rub it in but it's kind of fun for kids so he may go crazy with it and get it everywhere. Or can you ask them to at least check for the white tone many sunscreens give? I can usually see where it's been applied or not bc there's not the white hue a really high SPF can give. Otherwise I'd risk the inhalation vs sunburn.

They can't physically touch your child. Your child can come home and say Mommy, the teacher at camp touched my privates then what are you going to do?

A teacher/counselor is smart to only use spray stuff. Tell your child to stand facing the wind/breeze then they'll never have the stuff in their face.

If you don't care about sunburns then let them have fun putting it on but they'll have odd burn patterns where they "didn't" get the sunscreen.

Let them use the spray and hope they're smart enough to not spray it in the kids faces when they're inhaling.

My littlest one can do it herself but thankfully our counsellors will assist if they are having trouble. Is the reason they use the spray so they aren't touching or rubbing the kids' skin? I read an article the other day on just this - why camps are reluctant to apply sunscreen - too much touching. I know .. but that's where we are.

My little one doesn't do the best job, but as others have said, walk him through it as many times as it takes, and show him the areas he misses. Then buy a floppy hat :)

If the reason they only use spray is so they aren't touching the kids, maybe even just talking to the director and saying you are ok with them helping your son to check for areas he's missed .. maybe that's all they would need in your case. I think they are protecting themselves in some cases (and of course kids). It's a little extreme, but maybe just inquire.

Good luck :)

I think that it's utterly asinine that they won't help kids protect their skin properly. Suncreen is supposed to be reapplied every hour and a half.

I would choose a heavy zinc based sunscreen, like Coppertone Waterbabies, which will last quite a long time, and get a few sun shirts and a hat he likes.

We do use spray sunscreen and have had no problems. We don't inhale it. I usually have the kids cover their faces.

When my son was that age he went to a camp too and the counselors couldn't apply sunscreen either. I bought him the AVON blue colored sunscreen. If he was blue still it wasn't rubbed in. He did occassionally miss a few spots but never burned. Just had a slight tan there since I had slathered him up in the AM. Luckily he doesn't burn quickly and isn't very fair skinned. They had camp buddies who could apply sunscreen to each other. It was fine. And kids really are much more able than we think when they are put up to the challenge.

I think the spray is a mess, they're breathing it in, and it's going everywhere except the body.

Most people, kids as well as adults, use about 1/4 the amount of sunscreen they should. You really have to use a good ounce or two to get coverage. It does not good if it's still in the bottle or sprayed in the air.

My son's camps always had the kids use the body system, where they goofed each other up especially on the back, neck and shoulders, and with some slow, careful work around the face and ears.

I agree with Suz about doing too much for our kids - but we also have to tell them that not everything in life is instant like a smart phone with a good operating system. There is a value to a few minutes of concentration on any task.

I would ask them to clarify. Is this because they don't want people touching children and if he did his own thighs it would be OK or is this because spray is quicker? I would ask them how they handle inhalation risks with a group of kids and spray. Can he cover his face for the spray and then put a cream on his face by himself?

I'm not a fan of the spray because I don't think it provides enough coverage.

However, I would only have him use that if nothing else works. Having him spray & rub it in then spray again & rub it in.

Practice at home.

Honestly if it were me, I'd lather him up good with a high SPF for kids at home in the morning before leaving (show him how & where to apply) then have him take that one telling to re-apply it a couple times at camp. Have him use something as a marker like after the first snack & again after lunch etc.

Can you pack him one of those stick sunblocks for his face? I feel like those are easier to rub around than a liquid, and I feel like the face is very likely to get burned. My only suggestion

He can learn the cream and you can buy a better spray than Coopertone like Green Goddess. He can hold his breath but they should supervise and remind him. My daughter is fair and had more and more freckles every day of camp. Said she reapplied 2-3x. So frustrating.

why won't these people put sunscreen on the kids? are they looking for a lawsuit? i would speak to the director and find out why they refuse such a simple thing thats making the children safer outside.
i use the spray on stuff for a reapplication but if you actually read the directions it says to rub it in.
and its been known to fail me and my kids. (on a beach in SC, we used it and all 4 of us were burnt. and i know we applied well. but dud not rub it in though which is why it probably failed)