Getting sun is a good thing, however too much unprotected sun can be bad as the ultraviolet rays can cause skin or eye damage, immune system suppression, or skin cancer according to the CDC. It is important for you and your family to be aware of preventative techniques presented in this book to ensure your safety as these effects are preventable.Sun screen should be worn all the time as UV rays do not stop effecting us if the sun is not out. The American Association of Dermatology recommends wearing a minimum SPF of 30. A few more tips from the AAD are to reapply sunscreen every two hours after you've been in the sun or water since it wears off, wearing protective clothing or hats to block UV, and being more careful around surfaces that reflect the suns rays like water, snow, sand, and concrete. A sunburn develops when the amount of UV exposure is greater than what can be protected against by the skin's melanin. The risk of damage increases with the amount and intensity of exposure.

Foreword

The purpose behind this book is to educate families about the serious harm that is caused by sun-related injuries. This is a problem in the world of health today because these injuries are avoidable with the right information and prevention. However, if action is not taken damage will just continue to build up over time. My target group for this book is children from 7-12. My hope is that parents and children in this age group can have proper discussions on what their family needs to do to protect themselves from the sun.

Mom can we please go I've been waiting to go to the beach all day!

Yes Michael in two minutes I am putting sunscreen on your sister.

Okay kids perfect timing it's been about twenty five minutes so your sunscreen should be dry and we are almost there.

Wow look at how bright the sun is today Jenny!

I looked at the UV index and it is an eight out of ten and I just realized it is 11:00 am. This is not good kids the suns rays are strongest between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm and the UV is very high. The sun could cause damage to us right now if we are not careful.

Oh no Mike our day is ruined!

Don't worry I packed my bag with everything we need if you follow my directions then we can stop you two from getting sun burnt or injured while still having a fun day at the beach. Why don't you guys cool down and go for a swim so I can get everything ready.

Okay Mommy thanks love you.

Hope you guys had fun in the water. I am putting more sunscreen on you both since it just washed off while swimming. I want you two to stay under the umbrella for 20 minutes so the sunscreen can dry. You can build sandcastles while you wait! I'm going to start moving our stuff to a spot with more shade.

These palm trees provide great cover and shade that will prevent the suns rays from directly hitting us.

Mommy how can the sun even hurt us? What does it do?

Well Michael the sun beams UV rays down to Earth. These rays can cause skin damage, eye damage, immune system suppression, and skin cancer. You can get a sun burn when these rays are too strong for what our skin can protect at that time.