Planning a family outing to the beach [1] or pool is easier said than done. It requires a lot of packing, energy, and a whole lot of patience to get from your home to laying back in your lounge chair. Even if your kids are just playing in the backyard or have any type of outdoor activity planned, protecting their skin from the sun's harsh rays [2] is essential, but that doesn't mean it's easy. In fact, putting sunscreen on your kid [3] is usually a gross, stressful, and sometimes hilarious task. Keep reading for the 10 stages of applying sunscreen to your kid that every mom will relate to on a deep level.
When You Try to Get Your Kid to Hold Still For Just a Minute
Suddenly your child becomes a ninja warrior that's a pro at escaping your grip. They treat sunscreen like hot lava and don't want it to touch their skin. But guess what, kid? No sunscreen means no pool, deal with it.
When Sand Mixes in With the Sunscreen
Oh, the beach. The minute you whip out the sunscreen, it somehow gets mixed up with sand. This makes for a gross layer on your kid and a gross layer on your hands.
When You Run Out of Sunscreen Spray
Looks like you'll have to do this the old-fashioned way. You're probably going to want to call in some backup for this, meaning one of you holds your kid still while the other covers every inch of their skin in sunscreen.
When You’re Doing Everything You Can Not to Get Sunscreen in Their Eyes
If you move, it WILL get in your eyes, and it WILL be your fault.
When They Run Away Before You Can Get That One Last Spot
They'll probably head straight for the couch while covered in gooey sunscreen, but no matter what they do, their ears will NOT get burnt on your watch.
When You Clearly Put a Little Too Much On . . .
If they lean against any surface, they'll slide right off. But it'll soak in, right?
And Yet You’re STILL Paranoid They're Going to Get Sunburnt
The fear is real.
When They Jump in the Water as Soon as You’re Done
Nooooooo! All that hard work for nothing! It needs to soak in, kid!
When You’re Finally Done With the Kids and Can Relax
Was all that work and slippery hassle worth it for a few precious moments to dive into your beach read? Yes. Yes it was.
But Then You Realize It’s Already Been Two Hours and It's Time to Reapply
Here we go again . . .