How precious to us is the sunlight. It's so easy to take for granted that the sun will rise and set every morning and evening, and yet how much we owe to this most important of planets. To mention just a few of its blessings: a bright day will lift our mood, help the plants to grow, illumine the world and bring us that all-important Vitamin D.
But these days, with the depletion of the ozone layer, we need to be cautious and careful with the children's sun-exposure. As mention already, exposure before 10 a.m. and after 4 or even 5 in the afternoon is beneficial. Don't forget the hat!
Hmmm. Maybe I'll ask the grand-daughter-of-my-heart to compose a little ditty to promote hat-wearing. She's musical and good at improvising... something she gets from her dad. I'm intending to write about heredity in a later post.
Meanwhile...
Remember that the skin is the largest organ of the body, and that it absorbs ointments, unguents, oils and so on. It's important to use organic products. I've recommended the Dr. Hauschka sunscreen before, and Badger also makes an excellent line. But bear in mind that sunscreens inhibit skin function. So it's best if you can wash off the barrier in the evening before you put your little ones to bed... and for you too, for that matter.
Thinking about bath-time, I realize it's harder in summer and during vacation-time to keep to a normal rhythm of life. Still, it's helpful to the child if you can keep the bed-time ritual going at least to some extent. This adds to the little one's sense of security and helps towards healthy sleep.
