Toddler with Sunburn : (

Updated on July 23, 2010
M.S. asks from Palo Alto, CA
6 answers

Without my knowledge my husband took our kids to the pool on his day off. If I had known I would have told him to wait until later in the day. He went from about 12:30pm - 2pm. My oldest daughter who is 5 is darker skinned so she wasn’t affected as much and didn’t burn. My 18 month old who is very fair skinned with light hair got her first sunburn : ( I’m so sad about this and angry at my husband. He put sunscreen on them, but they way he is he didn’t put it on the way I would have put it on. Every ounce of skin covered. Anyway, I’m just so worried that my daughter is too young to be dealing with this. I don’t want to set her up for skin problems or even skin cancer down the road. I’ve been looking on the internet and they say over exposure this young can be harmful down the road. I know one time is ok, I think – Oh I just don’t know! Part of me – oh heck, let’s be real . . . ALL of me, feels like OMG now she’s going to get melanoma at age 15 cause of July 22, 2010 when she got sunburn!! She even got burned on the top of her head where her part was! I know I wasn’t there but I just feel like such bad parent. I’m mad at my husband cause he should have known not to take them out when the head index was so high. I bought some aloe and put on her burn which is on her back and shoulders as well. Her face is ok. She doesn’t seem like she’s in pain and there is no blistering. I just don’t want it to get worse before it gets better.

I guess I just need reassurance that she’ll be ok. My husband now knows not to take them to the pool between the hours of 11am and 4pm. I’m so irritated with him right now.

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F.C.

answers from Tampa on

She will be FINE!!! You need to let your husband be and not be angry with him. I am the mom of a FAIR Skinned RED HEAD and my other two are olive skinned dark hair (all of them same mom & dad lol) Anyway, my redhead has had a few sunburns (not horrible but peeling a few times) and that was WITH Sunscreen being reapplied constantly.
Do you keep your children inside during 11-4? Meaning no outside time, trips to the store, etc.. Kids can get sunburns even from car rides - btdt. keep the sunscreen on them and reapply often.
As for your husband be HAPPY that he did take them and remember he is their parent also.

2 moms found this helpful
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E.M.

answers from Johnstown on

If it's not a bad burn--where her skin is literally peeling off and blistered all over--she'll be totally fine. A little pink is normal, just don't let it happen too often. Too much sunblock is actually bad for us. We do need some sun to sink into our skin for a healthy does of Vitamin D. I actually don't use sunblock on my girls except on their shoulders, ears & cheeks--places I know are prone to burn. Again, she'll be just fine :)

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

Aww that sucks. I'd be so mad at my husband too but try not to be too annoyed with yours. He didn't mean to put them in harm's way and it doesn't sound like the sunburn is too bad. I can guarantee you that he feels horrible right now. Try to comfort him as well and remember that your little one won't get cancer from one sunburn.

2 moms found this helpful
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R.R.

answers from Dallas on

I think you need to cut your husband a break. It's not like he did it on purpose. He even DID apply sunscreen, and if you think about it, I'm quite sure that she didn't hold perfectly still while he applied it. It's not easy to sunscreen a toddler. I say big kuddos to your hubby for spending time with his kids and doing something fun with them.

Things happen. You can't second guess everything, and you can't worry about the future over everything either.

2 moms found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Sacramento on

Similar thing just happened to a friends 1 and 4 yr old when they went with an Uncle to the community pool. Uncle is late 20's with no little children and just completely forgot to apply sunscreen. Both children got bad sunburn that lasted for a number of days. My friend was pretty upset with bro-in -law since she sent sunscreen,towels, pool toys, arm water floaties and pool diapers but he accidentally overlooked the sunscreen in the bottom of pool bag. I think often men get involved in the activity they are going to do and it doesn't cross their minds to apply sunscreen. Kids were fine after a few days with aloe and sunburn lotions on slathered on them. Mom got over it and I know Uncle will never forget sunscreen in the future because of the wrath of Mom :D

1 mom found this helpful
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A.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

Poor hubby. He does something nice, and really not so irresponsible, and you're cross at him because something happened. If he applied the sunscreen, he did a great job. Cut the guy a break, and try to remember that your kids are going to go out in the middle of the day sometimes.

Let's face it, no matter how careful you are, your child is bound to get a sunburn at some point. It's a fact of life. And skin cancer is a problem - a big problem that you can't really escape. Not only for those who burn at a young age, but for all of us. Her burn is no guarantee that she will have melanoma later - and keep in mind that just because your other daughter didn't burn doesn't mean she is safe, either. Non-UPF clothing runs about SPF 5, but very few people think to put sunscreen on under their kids' clothes before a trip to the park or the zoo, for example. I'm not telling you this to stress you out. Instead of stressing about something you cannot change, relax and figure if it didn't happen now, it would happen later. Teach your children (and husband) how to put on sunscreen regularly (no matter the SPF rating, sunscreen should be reapplied at least once an hour), and also teach them how to check their bodies for melanoma. These are both skills that they'll need as teens and adults, and so instead being mad at your husband, consider this a great lesson for all involved.

1 mom found this helpful
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