Teaching Your Kids
Being a parent means taking charge and doing what is right to keep your family safe. This includes keeping them safe from the sun’s harmful rays and helping to prevent skin cancer. There are many things you can do to teach your kids how to be sun safe and to help keep your family protected from skin cancer:
- Be a role model. The best way to drive home the importance of sun safety is to practice it yourself. Children often want to mimic what their parents are doing, so when they see mom or dad wearing sunglasses and a hat and see them put on sunscreen when they are going to be in the sun, they are much more likely to do those things too.
- Make sure your children are protected at school and at daycare by asking questions and checking out the facilities. Make sure there is adequate shade for outdoor play spaces and inquire about what times of day the kids play outside. Make sure the schools/child care centers have sun safety policies and that the use of sunscreen, hats and sunglasses is encouraged, or even mandated.
- Reinforce that your kids are the most beautiful when their skin is its natural color. Helping your kids to not believe the stereotype that tan is beautiful will help them resist peer pressure and make them feel better about themselves. Remember that a suntan is a sign of damaged skin – not healthy skin.
