Choosy Says ABC, 123, Protect Your Eyes from Harmful UV! 5 Tips for Keeping Eyes Safe and Encouraging Your Child to Wear Sunglasses

By: Christine Cox, The Choosy Mommy

As I look around the playground, 9 out of 10 moms are wearing sunglasses, protecting their own eyes from harmful UV rays. However, I start to question why my children are the only ones who are wearing their sunglasses while running around playing with the other kids. Protecting a child’s eyes should be just as important as putting on sunscreen before heading outside, eating wholesome meals and brushing your teeth twice a day. But why do parents avoid looking at the big picture of eye health? Just like learning the ABCs and 123s, Choosy says to protect your eyes from harmful UVs!

Whether you have a newborn baby or are 100 years old, protecting your eyesight should never get old. Finding the perfect pair of sunglasses should be just as important for children as it is for adults. Why? Because according to skincancer.org, children under age 10 are at a higher risk for skin and eye damage from UV rays. The skin on their eyelids and around their eyes is more delicate and vulnerable than adult skin. UV ray damage builds over time, so the sooner you start protecting your children's eyes from the sun, the lower their risk will be of ever developing future eye problems.

how do you find the best sunglasses for your little ones? Here are 5 helpful tips to keep eyes safe and to encourage your child to wear sunglasses:

1. Make sure you purchase sunglasses that are durable and protect against UV rays instead of just pretend plastic sunglasses. Look for sunglasses that are shatterproof and block 100% of the UV rays.
2. Let children choose their own pair. Choosy picked a purple pair and wears them constantly! There are sunglasses with super heroes, princesses, animals, prints and of course, come in multiple shapes, sizes and colors. 
3. The bigger, the better. Big sunglasses are stylish now for moms, and they are for children too. The more sunglass lens and frame there is, the more the skin is protected around the eyes. But make sure the sunglasses are comfortable and stay on your child’s face. There are super comfortable straps available to put on sunglasses to keep them from falling off little faces.
4. Wearing sunglasses is a learned “habit”. My 1 year old will put on and take off his sunglasses repeatedly, but I always make sure I offer them, tell him how cool he looks in them, and never force him to wear them. I did the same with my 3 year old and now she wears her sunglasses whenever we are outside without me even prompting her. Her “sunnies” are stylish, comfortable and fun to her, but to me they are protecting her sight for years to come. 
5. Sunglasses aren’t just for the summer time. Remember to protect you and your children’s eyes in the winter too as the reflections beating off of the snow can be even more harmful to eyes than when the sun reflects off of water. My 3 year old likes to wear big snow goggles in the winter time as they help keep her face 100% covered in the cold.

Do you wear sunglasses? If you have a child/children, do they? What are your tips on getting children to wear sunglasses?

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master for Choosy Kids. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy, and son Cam, who is learning new things everyday. Click here to learn more about Christine.

This Summer, Be Choosy Outside!

By: Jennifer Ripepi, MD

Aaah! The fresh air of late spring after a rain is one of my favorite smells! The chance to be outside after the cold of winter is something I always look forward to when I'm huddling under a blanket. Since summer is almost officially here (June 20), I'd like you to think about the importance of outdoor play and being Choosy outside.

We have changed our patterns of living so much that instead of our kids having to be called in from outside, we have to force them to go outside. Not all children, but too many for this next generation's health, are staying inside and sedentary. Yep, back in the good old days (I AM over 50 so I can say that!), we did play outside from sun up to sun down. A ball and a friend were all we needed some days. During that time, we learned to test our physical skills and our imagination by coming up with fun things to do. We tried to improve our ability to perform whatever the neighborhood challenge was that week like hopscotch or jump rope or throwing a ball to hit a stationary bat.

Outdoor play strengthens our bodies and our minds but it is very important for our bones. Our human race has spent most of its existence and development outside. The sunlight is important for our bodies to produce Vitamin D which in turn helps to strengthen our bones as we work against gravity (like when we walk and run). Certainly we need to protect our skin with sunscreen to prevent damage but that does not mean to stay inside. Building our skeleton leads to better protection as we age. And if we do suffer a broken bone while being active, we tend to heal better if our bones were strong from the start.

Our brains need sunlight too. We are meant to be in the light (but don't forget about using sunglasses and hats for protection from UV rays). Our eyes have developed for daytime activity. Seeing in the dark is for other creatures. But a game of flashlight tag after dark or catching fireflies can help you to appreciate playing in the dark as well! And as the sun sinks our brain makes melatonin which helps us to sleep better and more soundly.

How about the freedom of space that being outside affords? It gives us all a chance to spread our arms (wings?) and move over the ground in a way we can't when we are indoors. That unrestricted movement, along with a chance to use our outside voices, is exhilarating. Physical activity causes our muscles to stretch, send signals to our brain to learn new movements, to release endorphins (the "feel good" brain chemicals) and just have fun! I love to take a walk at lunchtime and be able to hear the noise from an elementary school playground at recess. I know those children will be able to focus better during their afternoon classes because they had a chance to PLAY OUTSIDE.

How do you think that being outside helps you and the children in your life? Choosy loves the outdoors, too! In fact, take a look at this music video for Be Choosy Outside!

About the Author: I have been a pediatrician for over 25 years. My husband and I have been privileged to raise 4 bright and healthy children. I have tried to gather wisdom from the families I have been blessed to meet during my journey. I believe in practical and flexible parenting to help raise healthy adults. I love to garden, hike, travel and cook and I am looking forward to hearing from Choosy followers.

If I Could Offer You Only One Tip for the Future, Sunscreen Would Be It

By: Christine Cox, The Choosy Mommy

“If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it
The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists
Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
Than my own meandering experience, I will dispense this advice now

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh, never mind
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth
Until they've faded but trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back
At photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now
How much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked”

I am sure I now have you singing this song in your head. If not, it is called Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann. Google it if you don’t remember it – you will!

This song means more to me than it did when it came out. I was that girl that rarely wore sunscreen, didn’t care if my face, shoulders, legs, etc. got burnt. Sure, it didn’t feel great the next day, but the days following that I would turn tan. And unfortunately, sometimes I would peel but everyone peeled in the summer so it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Now that I am a mommy, I would not let my children just bake in the sun like I did. I am more aware of the damaging effects of the sun and its UV rays, and I choose to always wear my sunscreen! Wearing sunscreen goes hand-in-hand with staying healthy, and as you probably know, the sun has short and long term damaging effects on our bodies. But getting my almost 3 year old to understand all of that and wear sunscreen is a different story. She just wants to play outside!

Last summer I used the spray kind of sunscreen on her. She was also a year younger and we know what a difference a year makes. But now that there are warnings about using the spray sunscreens, especially on children due to potentially breathing in the ingredients, I will have to make a switch to the regular lather on sunscreen.

But THIS year she is just squirmy, doesn’t want me to put ANYTHING on her and just RUNS away even when I try to grab her and cover her face and body. Sound like your kid too? I hope I am not alone here!

So what can I do to make sure I take care of her skin now and teach her the importance of being choosy with protecting her skin while in the sun?

• Put a hat on her – She does like hats, so anything that has a wider brim to help cover her face and neck will help keep the sun away.
• Wear swim shirts on her instead of just a regular swim suit – We have short and long sleeve swim shirts that have regular swim bottoms with them. The shirt helps cover her skin instead of leaving her shoulders, neck, arms and back exposed like a regular swim suit would.
• Pay attention to time in the sun – I am not expert, but I know that even after an hour in the sun we are getting burnt. I will have to watch the clock closely this summer to make sure we are not out in the sun all day, especially if it is a day I can’t get her to wear sunscreen.
• Check out these resources - Info from the CDC, KidsHealth.org, AboutKidsHealth.ca

What other advice do you have for me? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

      

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master and The Choosy Mommy for Choosy Kids. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy. Click here to learn more about Christine.