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With all the wriggling and complaining that comes when you smear the white paste on your small ones, it鈥檚 inevitable moms get tired of going through the put-on-some-sunscreen fight during the summer. It鈥檚 a cloudy day, so they鈥檒l be fine, right? Or, they鈥檙e only going outside after 5 p.m., and you read somewhere that you鈥檙e safe from the sun鈥檚 rays then. You can wait to break out the Coppertone until tomorrow morning, can鈥檛 you?

Sorry 鈥� sunscreen is a must for your kids every day. In fact, you鈥檙e supposed to put it on year-round, so make a resolution for September if you鈥檝e been missing that part before now.

And don鈥檛 think that if they鈥檙e in the shaded woods rather than swimming in the pool, they鈥檙e less in need of some sun protection.

Just a few serious sunburns can be dangerous, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention聽 website for skin protection says. 鈥淜ids don't have to be at the pool, beach, or on vacation to get too much sun. Their skin needs protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays whenever they're outdoors.鈥� And the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends sunscreen for children whenever they鈥檙e outside.

So first step: What kind of product should you buy for your kids? 聽Look for a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to ensure proper protection and one that is 鈥渂road-spectrum鈥� (it will protect against both UVA and UVB radiation). Many kids鈥� products also come in bright colors or appealing scents that might make your family dread sunscreen time less.

When you鈥檙e applying it, make sure to touch on spots that can be forgotten such as the hands and feet, ears, and nose. Find a product that will keep lips from being burned as well. Make sure to apply it early enough 鈥� a good guideline is putting on sunscreen half an hour before kids will be outside so it has enough time to be on the skin before it鈥檚 put to the test. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends reapplying every two hours.

Other forms of sun protection: make sure your child has a hat and sunglasses. A hat should ideally protect the face, neck, and ears from the sun, while sunglasses, aside from stopping your child from squinting into the sun, will protect him or her from UV rays. Check the glasses when you鈥檙e buying them to make sure they combat both UVB and UVA rays.

Wherever you are, make sure there鈥檚 a shaded area that your child can sit in. Tote an umbrella to the beach or choose the pool chairs that are under the trees at the pool. This is the most important step if you鈥檙e a new mom 鈥� children 6 months old and under shouldn鈥檛 be exposed to the sun at all because sunscreen isn鈥檛 safe to apply to them. So if your baby isn鈥檛 in the shade, you need to cover him or her with clothes or in a carriage that shades them.

And the important step many parents forget is following sun safety yourself. If your kids see you generously applying sunscreen and making sure to stay in the shade, they鈥檒l start to think of the sun safety as a normal part of the routine.