Quote Originally Posted by Busy ECE mommy View Post
I wouldn't let her have that option. Sunscreen is a must here. It was the same at the centre I worked at. We were told that no sunscreen falls under the "neglect" category as far as reporting a parent.
I think calling it neglect is a little far fetched. Most parents who choose to opt out of using sunscreen do so after doing lots and lots of research and weighing the pros and cons. And to me this is the opposite of neglect, whether or not it aligns with your own personal views.

I am one of those parents who isn't 100% comfortable with sunscreen but also not 100% comfortable with no sun protection either. My kids always wear hats and clothing that protects their shoulders. We have a pretty shaded yard too. I say that you should ask that the child always wears clothing that protects her shoulders because they are the body part most likely to get burned so no muscle shirts, spaghetti straps etc and she must always wear a wide brimmed hat. You might be surprised how effective this is and how little sunscreen you need. And definitely make her sign a waiver releasing you of liability should she get a sunburn.

I've always felt that the cancer-sun exposure theory was very simplistic. We've been living under the sun for eons yet skin cancer is a relatively new disease. I think some day they will find the cause for cancer and my bet is it won't be directly related to sun exposure. I know supper healthy people who passed from cancer and other super unhealthy people who eat junk and worship the sun who are living into their 80s so how can we say that we really know anything at all!

Sun exposure has so many benefits including sufficient production of vitamin d. That being said, when to comes to kids and their fragile skin it's deifnetely best to be very careful.