It appears to be a mixed message. Many school districts recommend, sending kids to school wearing sunscreen, after all, skin cancer is a major concern, and in Texas we get plenty of sun. However, Texas is one of 49 states that does not allow children to bring sunscreen to school with them, and many cite unsafe additives as the reason.
For a Tacoma, Washington mom, excuses are no excuse for common sense. Violet and Zoe Michener came home from field day at school so sunburned that their mother felt compelled to rush them to the emergency room.
The two sisters aren’t just fair-skinned. Zoe has a form of albinism that makes her particularly sensitive to the sun and to sunburn.
The Today show ran a story about the Michener's that may have surprised many Texas parents, schools do not allow your child to bring sunscreen to school unless they have a doctor's note.
It appears based on my experience that enforcement of this rule may be a district by district issue. My kids always took sunscreen with them to school while attending activities that would expose them to the sun in the Little Elm Independent School District, but other districts may enforce the restriction more harshly.
Sunscreen is necessary for protection of childen from what can be a severe and potentially a life threatening sunburn from frying in the heat of the Texas sun, should make all parents contact their school district to make sure common sense rules are in place rather than mandated ill-conceived policies.
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