I am here...although I don't know if I have arrived. Some days I feel stranded in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, other days I marvel at the paradise that I call my life. Welcome to my ramblings, reflections, and obsessive- compulsive tendencies

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

...about sunburns


how does one parent appropriately and without turning the child into a total dork?  

this weekend our family headed to the beach on sunday.  bermuda beaches are spectacularly beautiful, the water is quite warm, and, let's face it, it's a small island and there isn't a whole lot else to do.  i slathered my boys with SPF 60, decked them out in their bathing suits, bathing shirts and hats and headed to john smith's bay for a family outing.   our "family" day turned into jim and i relaxing in our beach chairs while our little beach bums temporarily joined another family who had a massive sandcastle going -- heaven for darling boy #2, and older children who were body surfing and playing frisbee in the water the entire time -- #1 couldn't tear himself away.  he loves to splash in the waves and he loves to meet other kids.  this sunday he got to do both.  i'm not complaining about our day, not even close.  relaxing in the sun chatting with my husband...great.  watching my boys laughing and smiling...great.   seeing the pink cheeks and a pink nose at the end of the day...not great.  i should have seen it coming.  

i'm not a fanatic about the sun when it comes to myself.  i always wear sunglasses.  i often wear sunscreen.  i sometimes wear a hat.  my skin looks quite tanned in the summer months because i have that kind of complexion.  i rarely burn.  i think i make appropriate choices about my sun exposure.  when it comes to my children, i take many more precautions.  they both think that you can't go swimming without a bathing shirt as well as shorts.  they have a selection of hats and we have suncreen tucked into every bag so that we aren't without it.  somehow this recent sunburn found its way through.  darling boy #1 was jumping through the waves and his hat kept coming off.  yes, i make them swim with their hats on.  against my better judgement, i let him keep his hat by the beach bag just while he was in the water.  who knew he would be in the water for the whole time!  i'm thinking that waterproof hats with straps will be the next purchase.  a six-year old in a full UV body-suit and a wide-brimmed hat with a strap.  let's hope the friends he enjoys meeting on the beach don't care much about fashion!  

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