Summer Holidays and Sun Safety, Role modeling good sun safe practices all year round

We are well and truly into the Holiday Season which also means, we are into summer!

Whether you’re enjoying the longer warm days of Birak within Whudjak Country or getting ready for the big rains during Yidirla (wet season time when the river runs) out on Gooniyandi Country, we know one thing is for sure – it is warm!

This may also prompt those working within the sector, especially those working within outdoor environments, to really think about sun protection and safety within the outdoor environments during harsh conditions, like summer days.

It doesn’t have to be sunny for there to be dangerous UV radiation levels. Sometimes the cloudy days can be the highest risk for sunburns to the skin. Your service MUST have a sun protection policy, which tells us that protecting our children and our grown ups from the harmful rays of the sun ALL year round, is really important.

Often as grown-ups educating and caring for our little ones, it is really easy to forget or “not worry” about our own sun safety. By forgetting and not prioritising our own selves and sun safety procedures, we are actually doing a huge disservice to the children and our impact on their sun safe education.

Our children watch us, our every move and what we DON’T do, but we tell them to do. Those that work withing OSHC environments are likely to experience these reminders when children or young people question where our hats are as they put their on (because we told them to). So why don’t we implement sun safe procedures as well on ourselves as to the children we care for?

• Did we forget a hat?
• Does it feel uncomfortable wearing a hat with a ponytail?
• The sunscreen feels oily…

When we think deeply on our reasons, often, they are those that are the same as our children. We support and overcome these barriers for our little ones, so work with your team to overcome these barriers for YOU! Your skincare will love you for it more than you know.

1. Always check in with your service’s sun protection policy – this will tell you what you need to do!
2. Think about “what would I say to a family” if there was a barrier around sun protection and take action.
3. Bring in your own sunscreen that you can confidently apply when you ask the children to.
4. Have multiple hats available for yourself so you don’t forget during peek supervision times.
5. Seek shade for activities outside and talk about it as you do! Letting the children know that you are purposefully looking for shade to be comfortable and ensure their safety from the sun, keeps the conversations going.
6. Wear light, long sleeve shirts that are easy to move in.
7. Put sunscreen on 20 minutes BEFORE (not as you are about to) going outside to ensure the effects are there and reapply throughout the day.
8. Have mirrors available at a range of heights. Keep window cleaner safely nearby, as we know, smearing sunscreen across surfaces with hands can be a really fun sensory experience.
9. Have fun! Sun protection moments can be embedded into room rituals with songs, dances, movement and stories.

For more information, please visit the following websites:

• Sun Protection Policy Guidelines
• Protect your skin – SunSmart