As I look ahead at the weather forecast

And see hot and sunny days to come

I do not feel the excitement that most people do

David, my husband, does not like the heat or the sun

He never has

He is a wind and rain kind of guy

Makes more waves

Gives better conditions for sailing and surfing

For flying a kite

He is not a sip cocktails by the pool kind of guy

I was brought up in the opposite way

Long days at the beach

Long days by the pool

And as a child, a teen, a young adult even, that was fine for me

It was what I knew

But now I embrace British weather

I love winter walks by a stormy sea

I love autumn leave tumbling and twirling

I love to be on the water

Kayaking, swimming, sailing, playing in the shallows

I do not like to be too hot

I imagine my children having the Swallows and Amazons adventures their father had

The kind I only read in books

And it would seem I am in luck

Esther and William have inherited their father’s genes

They crave action and adventure

They also have my imagination

They love storytelling and creating scenes

Our children are, as they should be

A wonderful combination of the two of us

And as I have gotten older

I no longer enjoy the heat or the sun

I never have been great with heat

Suffering from prickly heat with too much sun

And feeling faint with humidity

I am fair and freckly

I do not belong in the sun

And these days I am so grateful

For our garden full of apple trees

I adore the Kent countryside that surrounds us

And love to admire it while sitting in the shade!

I adore our holidays on the British coast and exploring The LD

Making the most of mountains and seas and lakes

Esther and William also do not cope well with the heat

They are not great lovers of being in the sun

They too love the shade of our old apple trees

They have already rowed, sailed and steamed on a lake

They have climbed their very first fell

And at home will take any opportunity on a hot hot day

To strip off for a naked play

Having a baby who has died from SIDS

And a child who suffers febrile convulsions

As someone who cannot handle heat well myself

We have become very aware of keeping cool on hot summer days

We have become very aware of protecting delicate skin from the sun

And of doing so while still ensuring that our children are active

And having fun!

Keeping Kids Cool on Hot Summer Days

Make sure that children drink lots of water on hot days. Esther and William each have a water bottle that they carry with them. They also have water with all their snacks and meals. On very hot days they also enjoy a frozen fruity ice pop for extra coolness and hydration.

Dress or undress appropriately. Esther and William love to be naked on hot days but when this is not practical I dress them in cotton clothing, a light floaty dress for Esther and shorts and tshirt for William. If we are at home they will often wear their swimming clothes or sun suits and dip in and out of the pool and water play.

My children do not understand the concept of rest. They like to be busy all the time. On a hot day we will set up the paddling pool, water play, the water wall and the sand pit with added water. I will also set up play stations in the cool of the trees, lately they have enjoyed building and construction activities in the Tuff Spot and having their wooden railway outside.

We tend to go inside during the hottest part of the day. We will have lunch indoors and then watch some TV or play puzzles. We conserve our energy for going back outside when the sun is safer and the air is starting to cool in the afternoons. Esther and William do not nap during the day and so siesta style living is not an option as part of our day.

Choose suitable snacks for the weather. Esther and William love fruit and on hot days that is often all they eat. Fresh fruits and yoghurt. I am happy with this on the hottest of days as I know that they will be getting hydrated from these foods as well as nourished.

Keeping Kids Safe in the Sun

Esther and William are both very fair and so on very sunny days as well as regularly smothering them in good quality sun tan lotion they also wear sun protection suits. You can buy these from most supermarkets and children’s clothing stores. this summer we have been testing Konfidence Sun Protection TShirts and Shorts. Now that Esther and William are fully out of nappies having a one piece suit makes using the toilet independently unnecessarily tricky for them and so these two piece suits from Konfidence are ideal.

They are made of a very light lycra and can be worn in and out of the water.

They are great as a beach cover up but also perfect for playing in the garden.

Esther and William find them so comfortable that they wear them most of the time when we are home. Because we do a lot of wet and messy play it is great that this protective clothing is also really quick to dry.

The UV Tshirts have full length sleeves that give that little extra bit of protection. The sun tshirts also feature the latest UV colour changing technology – when UV rays are present, the Konfidence logos on the suits will turn pink or blue. This safety feature means you’ll instantly know when the suit is protecting them from harmful UV rays.

Konfidence sell a range of UV protective clothing including a great coordinating sun protection hat.

On summers days when I know that the sun is going shine I will put sun tan lotion on Esther and William as they get dressed. Our preferred Sun Protection Cream is one that we have been testing for Green People called Organic Children Sun Lotion.

This cream is perfect for little people on sunny and cloudy days, offering 96% UVB protection. The medium protection cream creates a barrier against UVA and UVB rays using natural ingredients. The cream is moisturising, soothing and scent-free making it ideal for sensitive skin and prickly heat. This sun tan lotion is water resistant but not pore clogging, perfect for little people. The gentle, organic cream contains Aloe Vera, Beeswax & Edelweiss.

We have been really pleased with the cream and the protection that it offers.

We are always careful to reapply lotion before and after any water play especially when swimming or paddling in the pool.

As well as covering up with clothing and protective cream we also do the following to make sure that we are keeping safe in the sun

Encourage your child to play in the shade – for example, under trees – especially between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is at its strongest.

Keep babies under the age of six months out of direct sunlight, especially around midday.

Cover exposed parts of your child’s skin with sunscreen, even on cloudy or overcast days. Use one that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or above and is effective against UVA and UVB. Don’t forget to apply it to their shoulders, nose, ears, cheeks and the tops of their feet. Reapply often throughout the day.

Be especially careful to protect your child’s shoulders and the back of their neck when they’re playing, as these are the most common areas for sunburn.

Cover your child up in loose, baggy cotton clothes, such as an oversized T-shirt with sleeves.

Get your child to wear a floppy hat with a wide brim that shades their face and neck.

Protect your child’s eyes with sunglasses that meet the British Standard (BSEN 1836:2005) and carry the “CE” mark (check the label or ask the manufacturer).

If your child is swimming, use a waterproof sunblock of factor 15 or above. Reapply after towelling.

Today has been a lovely day in the garden

And using sun protection clothing and creams have given me peace of mind

As parents we do all we can to protect our children from harm

While making sure that they can still adventure and play

And enjoy making memories to treasure

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.
Elizabeth Lawrence

We were sent some sun tan lotion from Green People and two Konfidence sun protection suits for the purpose of this review