# Sun exposure

**How should we protect our child from the sun?**

How you handle sun: strict covering and avoidance, sunscreen with outdoor time, or a relaxed approach.

In short: Parents choose between 3 main approaches: Strict avoidance and covering; Sunscreen plus outdoor time; Relaxed. Evidence: evidence leans one way. Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational. Best settled: 0–6 months.

- Area: Health, body and toileting
- Evidence: Evidence leans one way
- Best settled: 0–6 months
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/health-body-and-toileting--sun-exposure

## Sun exposure: what are the options?

1. **Strict avoidance and covering**: You keep the child covered and out of strong sun.
2. **Sunscreen plus outdoor time**: You use sunscreen and still spend plenty of time outdoors.
3. **Relaxed**: You do not worry much about sun.

## Sun exposure: what does the evidence say?

**Evidence leans one way.** Research or guidance points in a direction, but it's thin, small or correlational.

For babies under 6 months, CPS says no sunscreen; AAP accepts small amounts if shade is unavailable

Sources:

- [CPS](https://caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/safety-and-injury-prevention/sun_safety)
- [AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Sun-Safety.aspx)

## What else is worth knowing?

Sun protection in childhood reduces skin damage later, and time outdoors is good for children. Babies under six months are usually kept out of direct sun. How strict you are is a balance between the two.

## Questions to ask each other

- How careful were our families about the sun?
- What sun rules do we want?
- How do we handle sunscreen battles?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=health-body-and-toileting&topic=health-body-and-toileting--sun-exposure