ith summer under way, children will spend more time outdoors, in backyards and at parks, summer camps, beaches and other vacation destinations. So, it is important to remember that exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is strongly linked to all forms of skin cancer. Luckily, with good sun safety habits including proper clothing and sunscreen, children can enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities without risking their health. 

“By teaching your children to incorporate sun protection into their daily routine, you’ll significantly lower their risk of developing skin cancer as an adult,” says Perry Robins, MD, President of The Skin Cancer Foundation. “In fact, one or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing potentially deadly melanomas later in life.”

Help children stay safe in the sun with the following tips from The Skin Cancer Foundation:

• Seek the Shade: Remind kids to play in shaded areas in order to limit UV exposure. Check with camps to see if there are adequate places for campers to seek shade during outdoor activities taking place between 10 AM and 4 PM, when UV rays are most intense.

• Avoid Tanning: Tweens and teens may be tempted to “lay out” or visit tanning salons. But there is no such thing as a safe, healthy or protective tan, because tanning itself is caused by DNA damage to the skin. Just four visits to a tanning salon per year can increase melanoma risk by 11 percent. On average, indoor tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors.

• Cover up with Clothing: Consider dressing them in swim shirts or rash guards while in the water at the pool or beach. Protect the face, neck and eyes with broad-brimmed hats and UV-blocking sunglasses.

• Use Sunscreen: For everyday use, look for broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. If your child will be spending extended time outdoors, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your child’s entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Assist children in reapplying sunscreen every two hours and after swimming or playing sports, because water and sweat wash sunscreen away. If your children apply their own sunscreen, remind them to cover easy-to-miss spots, such as the backs of ears and neck, as well as the tops of feet and hands.

To read more please click on the link: http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/children/summer-tips

And sleep struggles rarely end with a growing child's move from crib to bed. It simply changes form. Instead of cries, it's pleas or refusals. Instead of a feeding at 3:00 AM, it's a nightmare or request for water.

So how do you get your child to bed through the cries, screams, avoidance tactics, and pleas? How should you respond when you're awakened in the middle of the night? And how much sleep is enough for your kids?

How Much Is Enough?It all depends on a child's age. Charts that list the hours of sleep likely to be required by an infant or a 2-year-old may cause concern when individual differences aren't considered. These numbers are simply averages reported for large groups of kids of particular ages.

There's no magical number of hours required by all kids in a certain age group. Two-year-old Sarah might sleep from 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM, whereas 2-year-old Johnny is just as alert the next day after sleeping from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM.

Still, sleep is very important to kids' well-being. The link between a lack of sleep and a child's behavior isn't always obvious. When adults are tired, they can be grumpy or have low energy, but kids can become hyper, disagreeable, and have extremes in behavior.

Most kids' sleep requirements fall within a predictable range of hours based on their age, but each child is a unique individual with distinct sleep needs.

Here are some approximate numbers based on age, accompanied by age-appropriate pro-sleep tactics.