Redhair and very fair skin!!!!

[NotUrsula]

Beware of the sunscreen with bug repellant as it can overdose your kid since you apply it so frequently.

Very true, and the mixed-use formulas are not good sunblocks, either, as the presence of the repellant reduces the effectiveness of the sunblock overall. http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/2004/sunscreen_repellent061504.htm

 

[LibertyLover]

As a red head with pale skin and freckles I agree with everyone who said sunscreen - spf 30 or better, t-shirt, hat and sunglasses. Because of some really nasty sunburns incurred when I was a kid and teenager, my doctor always checking me for skin cancers whenever I have an appointment. As an aside, a surgeon my DH used to work with maintained that, in his experience, red-haired women healed slower, bruised easier and scarred more than other women.

 

[lillygator]

another redhead checking in!
Luckily my DD's don't have my fair skin but living in Florida we still use 50 spf sunscreen on them, big hats and be sure to get the ears, back of the neck, feet in sandals - I would put the sunscreen on before dressing them...it makes it easier.

The sun is strong!! We were outside here in Sarasota for about 20 min yesterday- I had DD 1 in the shade with a floppy hat on, she was in a long sleeve sleeper and she still got some sun on her arms!

 

[AnaheimGirl]

I don't think my family is quite as fair-skinned as yours, but my dh cannot tan at all, his skin is either white or red. The only sunscreen he's found that can protect him for more than an hour or so is Coppertone Continuous Spray. I read about it here on the DIS! It sprays on for even coverage, and can be sprayed on the scalp without making your hair all greasy. It dries almost instantly. It's so easy to apply, that you're more likely to use it more often, and as others said, that's the important thing. It goes fast, though. Our family of 4 went through 2 full bottles in a week at WDW last fall.

As for the 13 month old, in addition to sunscreen, hats, etc, try to keep her in the shade as much as possible. If your stroller doesn't have a good sunshade, get one you can add to it. Make sure you have some light blankets to drape over her if she falls asleep in the stroller. Sometimes, staying shaded doesn't have to affect what you're doing, it's just a matter of being aware. Like someone said, cross the street if the other side is shadier. Find an indoor or shady spot to sit down for a rest. Even standing in a sunny line, position yourself so your body shades the kids a little.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[NotUrsula]

Our family of 4 went through 2 full bottles in a week at WDW last fall.

Actually, that's going a bit thin, but since it was fall it may not have been sunny every day. (Not that you don't need sunblock when it is cloudy or raining, but not as much.) Two cans in a week wouldn't be nearly enough in summer, especially for someone who is fair.

That spray normally comes in a 6-oz can. For full coverage all day in summer, one adult should be going through about one can per day. Last June, 4 of us (3 adults, one child) used 19 cans in 9 days. (I remember because I brought 20, and came home w/ one.)

I buy my spray sunblock at Sam's club in the double-packs, and I start picking some up every time I am there as soon as they are stocked. I've already got 8 cans at home, and we will go through 10X that before the summer ends.

 

[Madi100]

I have a redhead, and I don't know where she came from. Most definitely a recessive gene. Luckily, she does not burn, but tans, and the sun doesn't even bother her, though we still use sunblock.

My reason for posting is that I saw that the Children's Place has suit tops that have sleeves, short sleeves. That might be helpful for in the water.

 

[DisneyDotty]

As an aside, a surgeon my DH used to work with maintained that, in his experience, red-haired women healed slower, bruised easier and scarred more than other women.

And, according to my ob/gyn, we're bleeders, too.

 

[laughinplace199]

No redheads here, but my blonde, blue-eyed DD's skin is so pale that she makes Snow White look like she has a savage tan! We use Water Babies SPF45. In addition to being very fair, DD's skin is very sensitive skin as well. Some sunscreens cause her to break out in a rash, but Water Babies does not. It also comes in a stick form which is great for faces, ears, etc. The kids also use Coppertone kids' lip balm with sunscreen and they wear hats.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

2 of my children and I are red haired and fair-skinned. (My two red-headed children are very, very pale.) We have had very great success with the Coppertone Spray-On Sunscreen (all of them with SPF of 30) and Neutrogena oil-free face stick. No other sunscreen has worked as well for us; and, believe me, we've pretty much tried them all. Dd was able to wear halter tops with absolutely no burning. I did forget the face stick one day, and her face got pretty burned despite wearing a hat.

 

[holden]

In addition to all this great advice about sunscreen and hats, don't forget to keep hydrated! Drink water (not soda, etc.) even when you don't feel thirsty. We just bought bottles with our snack credits from the dining plan and drank all day long (DD too). Also, there are great websites out there to order SPF clothing from. I think onestepahead.com might have some kids stuff, but you can do a google search to find more. I also bought for DD an SPF 50 bathing suit "shirt" - it's like a surfer shirt. She wears it with bikini bottoms (they sell SPF shorts too). I bought hers in Ocean City, NJ, but you can find them online too.

You can't be too cautious if you are fair skinned in the sun!