New research has shown that many parents in the UK are not properly protecting their children against skin cancer.
According to a poll, 40 of parents in Manchester choose sun protection below factor 6. Which seems a little foolhardy, even if it is only sunny in Manchester about three times a year.
The research also showed parents allow their children to play outside for an average of 2.2 hours without applying protection, which doesn't seem very sensible.
But I do think you can go too far the other way.
I couldn't find any sun cream specifically for babies in my local chemist. A lot of the children's creams say they are only suitable for 18-months plus.
A friend of mine told me this is because you are not supposed to take babies out in the direct sun at all. What, ever?
I'm sorry, but occasionally I have to walk across the road to the shops in the hours of daylight.
And what about when I take my daughter to the seaside? Is she not allowed to dip her toes in the water unless I get someone to hold a sunshade over her?
I would have thought that she is more likely to burn at some point later on if I keep her wrapped up in a darkened room for the first months of her life.
Eventually I found some baby suncream in Mothercare. But it's only factor 40. Apparently I should be using factor 50 on a baby. This is confusing...
There are some useful tips here on ParentDish. I'd also like to hear from other parents. What are your tips for keeping babies and children safe in the sunshine while still having fun?