Sensory overload.

I think most of us would find it overwhelming if someone else suddenly slathered oily, sticky, smelly cream all over us. Kids don't truly understand the WHY of sunscreen, so it's fair enough that they often protest.

It's their body after all. But for many it's also a sensory overload - suncream can feel awful and smell awful.

When getting cream on them becomes a battle - you need a toolkit of strategies to get the job done.
It takes some extra time but it's well worth letting them apply your sunscreen. Giving them full control of the bottle too.
👌they feel in control
👌they get to explore the cream with their hands
👌you can thank them and talk positively about how it feels
👌the smell becomes normalised
AND THEREFORE:
✅They're more likely to explore putting it on themselves afterwards.

My 2 year old ALWAYS protests sunscreen and she didn't even need any on when I took this video - but after applying it to me she decided to apply it to her self. Winner winner

Try it, if you haven't already. And search 'sunscreen' in the Zazi hub on my website to see other strategies!

Share with a parent friend!

Watch the full reel here