This is insane.
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The problem is that both sides have valid arguments and neither is wrong and neither is right. Sunscreen is toxic and it could lead to reactions if it is shared. That much sun exposure is also a major concern because that can lead to burns and cancer. Somehow there has to be a middle ground. Some way for teachers/adults to be in charge of the sunscreen and kids to put it on correctly. Or one brand that everyone uses or something.
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I would be livid if this happened to my daughter. Sunburns and skin cancer are not to be messed with.
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Omg that is insane!!!!!!!
How can they expect that sunscreen last for 8 hours while the kids are at school!?
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@brownie: I think since the school considers it to be medicine, parents should be able to leave it with a nurse or teacher do be dispensed as needed just as they would any other medication. The current option of just forgoing it is crazy... I would be so mad if my child came home home with a completely preventable burn.
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The thing is, in a litigious culture, schools need to take all precautions they can, despite the level of idiocy they may reach. When people stop suing over hot coffee, maybe then things can change.
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I can sadly see where they're coming from (although I don't think they explained it well in this article!) Skin cancer would be harder to blame on the school (district) than a reaction that led to a death or serious consequences... But at the same time I think we have to weigh what matters. They could also do a list of approved sunscreens that maybe are less toxic/less likely to cause reactions? When I worked with young children each child had their own sunscreen that the teachers applied when needed. The parents signed off on that particular sunscreen.
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I am fair skinned and get burned easily. Everyone needs sunscreen regardless of their skin color. I would get a doctor's note and make sure the nurse or teacher administers it. If this is not an option, my LO will just have to miss field day or whatever activity it is. What a crazy policy!
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That's crazy! The sun is so intense here that I can't believe the school has a ban on sun screen! It's not just the temps that are high, the sun is just super intense. I get burned if I'm out for longer than 20-30 min.
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When I had the cubs we bought a high spf childrens brand and asked all the parents to sign saying we could apply it. They got slathered with it every 3 hrs, no child was getting sunburn on my watch! I think adults should be in charge with such an important topic as you cant really trust children to do it properly but banning it altogether is stupid!
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(@meganmp: interestingly about the hot coffee suit, it was horrendous what actually happened. The elderly woman, Stella Leibeck, was served coffee that was 40-50 degrees above what is considered safe, and McDonalds knowingly did this [many reports of other burns were discovered]. The poor woman suffered third-degree burns on over 6 percent of her body, including her inner thighs, perineum, buttocks, and genital and groin areas. She was hospitalized for eight days, during which time she underwent skin grafting. She only sought to settle for enough to cover her medical fees and the court awarded her more- she didn't sue for millions and was far from sue-happy. Tort reformers like us to believe people are ridiculous and litigious about much more than is accurate.)
I would be furious if my child wasn't allowed to protect her skin from a serious sunburn. For fair-skinned people like I am, applying sunscreen once in the AM is simply not enough. I feel like children young enough to eat sunscreen should have school nurses helping them with it. Children old enough should be trusted to understand the rules not to share it and to apply it as needed. Seriously? Do we really need rules for this kind of stuff past about 4th grade? I worry about our generation's kids ever having the ability to use common sense and make decisions for themselves. I took sunscreen to school for field trips and field days many times, so did many kids.
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oh PLEASE!
this is asinine. I'm sorry, but if my daughter's school said, "sorry, we're worried about getting sued if your daughter reacts to sunscreen.." wtf?! but it's okay for her to have an increased risk of MELANOMA as a result?
give. me. a. break.
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This is stupid to the point that I would withdraw my child from this school. The dangers of sunburn so dramatically outweigh any issues with sunscreen that its not even a question.
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This is so ridiculous.
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@Aimed: yup.
This is insane.
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@brownie: @googly-eyes: I agree that I CAN see the other side, even if I disagree.
My son has a sunscreen allergy - he is allergic to zinc oxide and in my findings, I have only come across one sunscreen that uses titanium dioxide instead. So I understand - I obviously don't want him sharing sunscreen with a friend when he doesn't know any better.
However, I think that it is absurd to ban it entirely. they should allow the nurse or a teacher with gloves to apply sunscreen. Or even have certain workflows the children can follow while applying it - such as teacher/nurse supervised application while kids put it on themseles, and ensure everyone puts their own sunscreen away and washes their hands afterwards.
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@Kimberlybee: I'm just going to say that, as a teacher, I am absolutely NOT putting sunscreen onto my 4th and 5th graders. THAT is a lawsuit waiting to happen. The child in the article was 10 years old. Students in my building were encouraged to put sunscreen on before leaving home for Field Day this week. Parents were invited and they could reapply their child's sunscreen if they attended. The school nurse is busy enough with sick students and students with health issues. To ask her to apply sunscreen to over 300 students per Field Day is not going to happen.
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Yeah I was a gonna say, you can't have teachers rubbing down each individual student. Parents will have to get SPF clothing for their kids.
I don't like it, but I would just problem solve it
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Oh noooo...my fair skinned boy needs his sun block. Skin cancer is rampant in my family, and we do all we can to cover up. If there was a ban, I'd be the first parent in that school, finding a solution...or else my kid wouldn't be going on any trips, which ruins it for him.
That said, sunscreen was encouraged to be applied at home at D's school this year, and all outside events were in the morning, and only lasted at most 3 hours. If there's going to be a sun screen ban, then the school needs to make sure they're not taking the kids outside for more than a couple hours.
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I think schools should make an effort to keep kids out of the sun and encourage spf hats and clothing.
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@swedishfish: Yikes! So true!! I didn't think of that aspect either, possibly more inconvenience and trouble for teachers. Yes, sunscreen should be thoroughly applied at home anyway. I was just thinking more of a quick reapply on the face area but yes, not possible with so many students.
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If they are going to ban sunscreen, then I don't think they should be having all-day outdoor outings. If a workplace banned sunscreen for people that work outside, it would be considered unsafe work conditions. And yet, that's what they do with kids?
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I would be livid! I am extremely fair-skinned and so are my boys. We reapply sun screen a lot through the day. I guess I would be the parent attending the field trip or field day to reapply it on my child. Sun burn, sun poisoning, and skin cancer are not ok risks to take because they are concerned about potential sun screen interaction.
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@erinpye: yikes. Well then, I withdraw the coffee bit, but still stand by the rest. I'm not going to apply sunscreen to all of my students, because I would get fired. At our school, we have 700 kids and one nurse, so she can't do it. Schools are legally not allowed to dispense medication without a note from a doctor (not just the parents), a fact made clear to parents in September. I think it's a dumb rule, I really do, but the parents should have been proactive, because it's initial use isn't banned, kids just can't have it at school.
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This is kind of crazy but I'm not sure what the solution is. I completely understand that the school nurse cannot apply sunscreen to every student and that teachers shouldn't, but as a fair skinned person, if I'm going to be outside for 7 hours, I need to reapply sunscreen, and if I don't, I'm getting very burnt (like lobster red, blistering burnt), so hoping it doesn't wear off, as the chancellor suggested is not an option.
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if you ever have your children in a situation like this, have them bring the sunscreen to school anyway, and apply it in the bathroom when there are not any teachers looking. Then, if they get in trouble, my theory is the worst punishment will be a phone call home.
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@meganmp: yes, I doubt anyone in my school would even bother calling home because everyone understands that sunscreen is a necessity. Sometimes schools have to make policies that sound ridiculous but aren't really enforced just to CYA.
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@Dandelion: good point. They can't have it both ways! Morning outdoor time makes sense.
@erinpye: that story is so fascinating. My DH had me research it when he was in law school. Have you seen Hot Coffee? It is fascinating how corporations have made tort reform look so reasonable when it's just about protecting themselves.
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