are your kids schools doing anything to protect them from the sun?

[ronnie3]

well mine isn't and i took my kids home this afternoon after they had had their lunch as the head said they would have to play out and there is no shaded area to shelter. The met office today have put out heat advice warnings but our kids are expected to play out in the midday sun.

[~posy-jo~]

my daughters school have been good. they have asked for a bottle of suncream to be sent in for each child and they apply it for them just before lunch. they r also keeping the classrooms open and if the kids get 2 hot they can go in. sorry to hear your children's school isn't doing such a good job xXx

[boobesque]

my sons school puts sun cream on and his hat before they take him outside, plus if its too hot they dont take them outside, but he goes to a special school with only 9 others in his class so easier to manage than a class of 30, they should be careful as its not them that would have to deal with the consequences

[YvonneM]

did they not hear the heatwave warning of the TV last night. Sometime teachers are a law unto themselves Are your children getting enough fluids during the day. The primary school I help at encourages the children to drink plenty of water especially when they have been outside playing. Don't just complain verbally compalin in writing to the head he/she will than have to reply in writing if you don't get any satisfaction have a word with your parent governor If that doesn't work write to the governors.

[tradey]

my 2yr old goes playschool and we had to fill a form in to say it was ok for them to put sun cream on them,we just had to bring the cream in and leave it on their peg.i think this is a great idea

[leandrews]

Surely it should be your responsibility as a parent to make sure your children are safe. If you know that the school has no shaded area, you should provide them with a hat and some cream.

Sorry to sound sharp, but schools are often blamed for not doing things that parents ought to do.

[boobesque]

trouble is there leandrews is that to be effective sun cream needs reapplying, you cant put it on once before they go and expect it to last all day

[spudqueen]

Bergaderm is a great sun mousse (not cream) that lasts for 6 hours, is water proof and towel proof, so you can put it on your kids before school and it will last until home time. I get mine from http://www.sun-togs.co.uk/catalog/2

Also, those sun hats with a flap at the back, like a desert hat are great.

[saintjohnny]

Another parent blaming a school for something that they are not responsible for. A school is not a creche facility, it is a place of learning. And what, exactly, is wrong with kids playing in the sunshine? If you are concerned, give your kids a hat and some sunblock and let them play freely. Sheesh!

[PinkFizz]

my son's school is excellent - if they don't have a hat and sunscreen they aren't allowed out to play in the heat

[painterman]

we've just been on holiday and when my wife took little girl back to school on monday, all kids had been given a bag with a hanging loop on to keep their cream in, which they hang on their coathook. i think the school is also making sure they drink plenty water through the day too.

[jiggy-gb]

Please don't be offended anyone, but did you have all this fuss when you were growing up? I started school in '71 and don't ever recall anything like this, not even in '76! Are we all a mass of moles???I certainly should be as my mum's friend used to put olive oil on me to make me tan, lol!!! I agree that kids should be covered whenever possible, protection is always the best policy, but perspective rather than hysteria?

If people aren't careful with their care they could end up with a generation too scared to leave the house for fear of going pink, or falling over, or touching dirt...

As i said, this isn't aimed at anyone so please don't be offended, it's just a hypothetical view from what you see on tv etc.

[alice1]

Hi, im a primary teacher in se london and our head has practically insisted that we force water into the children! but the problem with suncream is that we are not allowed to touch the children (impossible if they want a cuddle) and cannot therefore apply cream. if mums bring in cream (requested) we can squirt it on them but cannot rub it in and we certainly cant put a cream on that belongs to someone else (allergies).
Its a difficult situation sometimes as some parents just dont seem to care. of course we want them to play in the sun but with the right protection - but that is up to the parents, not the teachers.

[Pippa68]

We have to apply our kids suncream, as the teachers aren't allowed to ~ not touching the children is a STUPID rule and I am glad to say that my little girl got a cuddle when she hurt herself falling over..the teachers get very frustrated at all this nonsense.

The children still have to go outside to play even if suncream hasn't been applied ~ however there are shaded areas for them to sit in. But how many primary school kids want to just sit at playtime?

[alice1]

I agree with you pippa and ido give cuddles if children are hurt, scared or in a bad mood - sometimes it can make all the difference. In secondary school things may be different because (no offence) there tend to be more budding girls and more MALE teachers. Why on earth cant i apply suncream to children? surely the abuse is in not applying it and then letting play in the sun. I dont get.

[Pippa68]

I know alice ~ totally with you :o) what angered me the most was when my daughter was at playgroup. We were asked to dress the kids in short sleeved tops because the helpers 'weren't allowed to roll up sleeves'

For goodness sakes! the childminder I used (a very lovely lady) also told me she was not allowed to hug my daughter, but whispered that in no way, shape or form was she going to leave my child upset or without comfort if she hurt herself or was tearful for any reason. She also confirmed she would wash & dry and grazes received & give them a kiss :o)

[scruffscat]

I used t be a dinner lady a few years ago, when both of my 2 were at primary school, i upset the head as i refused to stop cuddlin the infants if they fell over, even some of the juniors wanted a cuddle if they fell sometimes. Pc gone barkin mad.! just a word tho about burnin i heard its not really exposure that causes skin cancers its how many times you burn due to the suns dangerous rays filterin thro the (depletin ozone layer) so jiggy gb it prob wasnt as strong in the 70s as it is now.

[BlueHeaven]

My daughter's sports day was supposed to be today. yesterday a letter came home saying it was being "postponed due to extreme weather conditions".

What did they do today?

They had their sports day practice, right before lunch, in the blazing sun.

So...it wasn't too hot to practice, but it was too hot to have the actual sports day!?

At lunchtime, there's no shade, so the kids have the option of staying in if they want. I put sunblock on my daughter before school and she keeps her hat on when outside as she's seen me burn my scalp and she knows it would hurt if it happened to her!! The school are also very good at making sure the kids drink plenty of water - the Governors also provided every pupil with a special bottle.

[ronnie3]

thank you all for answering and i do apply sun block factor 60 before school, they wear a hat and take a bottle of water with them but it was just to darn hot for anybody yesterday well spoke to the head again this morning and he has agreed for the hall to be opened for anybody needing a bit of shelter as a few kids actually fainted in the playground.

[joko]

surely most kids could be taught that whenever a teacher squirts cream on, they rub it in?

i know the really small ones won't but 5-6 year olds could manage it, if they are shown