On Saturday we headed out to play in the bubble jets at Tower Grove Park. In our eagerness to get out and enjoy the sunshine, I completely forgot to pack sunscreen. During the summer I keep tubes and bottles of it everywhere – the car, my purse, the swim bag – but with the rainy spring, I was slow wrapping my head around the usual summertime routines. Luckily the boys didn't burn, but I sure did.
Turns out that more than two-thirds of youngsters are like mine were Saturday, playing in the sun without being adequately protected.
If only I'd read this helpful info from the folks at St. John's Mercy Health Care earlier! It lays out how to get the beneficial effects of sunshine exposure without the downsides of sunburn or increased skin cancer risk.
Now my sunscreen is distributed in all the usual places, and this morning the 3-year-old and his grandparents had a successful strawberry-picking mission fully protected from the sun.
By Amy De La Hunt, Health Blogger for SmartParenting
Amy De La Hunt is a journalist and editor who lives in the St. Louis metro area and works across the country as a writer, copy editor, project manager and editorial consultant on everything from fiction books to monthly magazines to blog posts. When she's not chauffeuring her teenage sons to activities, Amy is an enthusiastic amateur cook, landscaper, Latin dancer and traveler. Follow Amy on Instagram @amy_in_words
Stop in and have some fun in the indoor pool at the Lodge of Des Peres with your little one at this drop-in swim time for kids up to age 6. No pre-registration is needed; Water Waddlers is open to residents and non-residents of Des Peres.
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Join Ms. Amanda in the Makerspace at the Edwardsville Children's Museum for a fun, lively Dance Party. The toddler-friendly tunes will accompany free play time and musical instrument exploration.