With written permission from parents, I supply and apply sunscreen before we go outside. I live in the desert and it gets hot here. Like 90 degrees at 8am. During that time of year our outside time is of course limited.

I have the children wear SPF wide brim sun hats, but they are kids and they don't keep them on. I am thinking of getting plain white long sleeve cotton shirts to wear when outside to help protect arm and shoulders against the sun.

Is this overkill? Am I being paranoid? Or given where I live is this something I should be doing?

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I like them but I use the actual rash guard outfits. They are great for the playground. They are like shorts and shirts and are great for daily water play. I put them on when we go out, spray exposed skin with SPF 70, then toss them into the wash with nap linens each afternoon. Simple and effective. I buy them in all boys sets since the girls sets tend to come in panty style instead (ugh, panties in mulch and sand, really?). The girls could care less and still look super cute for photos.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...FUAKQTEL&psc=1

I started with the cotton but they take forever to dry, wear out in less than 4 years use and are hard to keep clean.

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I think it sounds great.

I have sunhats and surf shirts for the kids, but I don't use them too much, because I have found that kids here don't burn too much in Summer, because I have enough trees in my backyard that I can keep their time in the sun to short sessions. They keep changing around from shade to sun. The water tables are in the shade, the picnic table is in the shade etc.

When I used to use the sunhats more, I got the ones with velcro under the chin and I trained kids to keep them on.

For shirts anymore, I just take them out in what they've got on, do water play earlier on, and stop the water play a little while before going inside, so that they dry off.

I have one family though, that I'm going to have to ask them to bring their child in shirts with sleeves instead of spaghetti straps.

I personally would probably ask parents to provide sunscreen that you keep at your house, labeled as theirs, but that's just something I find more convenient.

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Longevity of the cotton shirts is a good point. DS has a rash guard swimsuit and I thought about getting just the tops for the kids - but they seem warmer/less breathable than the cotton so I wasn't sure if they would be too hot if we were not playing in water.

For sunscreen, I used to have parents supply and I would apply, but that got to be a pain. No one wanted to bring it, or when they did bring it it was half used expired tubes they found in the back of the bathroom cabinet. So now I supply whatever brand is on sale at Costco - last year it was Neutrogena, this year it was Coppertone and use it. If someone wants a specific type of sunscreen used on their child, then they supply it.

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It gets really hot here as well but it is the parents responsibility to dress their children as they see fit. I apply sunscreen and require hats to be worn at all times. If a child does not want to wear a hat, they get to sit out. Kids who are too young to understand and pull their hats off get to wear my super duper hat that when done up will not move. After a few tantrums they get the picture and leave it on!

We also go out super early and only when it is less than 95F which it usually is at 8am.

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