Keep Baby Safe This Summer

And with summer comes the sun (and sunburns), the bugs (and bug bites), the outdoors (with various bumps, bruises and scrapes) and the family visits (with god-knows-what being passed around).

Some simple tips will keep your babe safe and your summer sane.

1. Sunscreen.
If your baby is under six months, avoid slathering sunscreen - even the baby-safe kind - from head to toe. The best option is to avoid direct sunlight. A bit of sunscreen on her nose, tips of her ears and the back of her hands along with a hat will keep her safe from burning. If direct sunlight can't be avoided, choose a non-chemical sunscreen like one from California Baby.

Baby Moon Botanicals offers a nice option with anti-oxidants, white tea and guarana extracts as ingredients. Sounds yummy!

Once your babe is mobile, there's not keeping him out the sun. After six months, apply sunscreen liberally to exposed skin. Baby skin is so sensitive, it's certainly not a bad idea to stick with the non-chemical sunscreens for your little one.

Here's another option from UV Naturals.

2. Bug Repellent
Depending on your geography, this could more or less of a concern. In the northwest, it's less. But for those of you who live elsewhere, you want to stay away from products with DEET. DEET is nasty, nasty stuff. According to an old Natural Health article, 56% of DEET is absorbed into the bloodstream resulting in all kind of bad things. Not good for grownups and terrible for babies.

Burt's Bees has a natural insect repellent. As does Badger Balm (I love their lip balm!).

3. Bumps and bruises
If you have a toddler, like I do, you know that bumps, bruises and scrapes are just part of the deal. Just make sure the wounds are treated and the boo-boos kissed and send them back out on their way.

Baby Center has this advice. Wash your hands well before cleaning your baby's wound. Applying a gentle antibiotic can help the owie heal faster. Never use hydrogen peroxide, iodine or rubbing alcohol. These hurt. A lot. And they may actually slow the healing the process. If the wound isn't in a place where it'll get rubbed by clothing or subjected to a lot of dirt, leave the bandage off. Wounds heal better in the open air.

4. Sharing family germs
This summer we'll be seeing relatives from all over the country. And you know what? If my toddler gets a little cold, or some silly germ from one of them - big deal. The time he spends with family far outweighs the potential risks.

So relax! Enjoy the summer. And show your baby how to live it up in the sun... safely.