To burn or not to burn.

I spoke with the superintendent of special services today about the sunscreen issue. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to talk to both teachers about it, because the one was ill and had called in sick, so she wasn't there when the superintendent went to speak with her. However, she did address the issue with our middle daughter's teacher.

She explained that you can get sunburned on a cloudy day, and that they must put sunscreen on the kids, if they're going to be out for any length of time. They must put it on 20 minutes before going out, and they must reapply it, if they go swimming, or if they're out all day long. She also explained that windburn can not account for everything that happened with our daughter's face. That it was sunburned as well.

To be fair, our middle daughter is a little windburned on her nose, and even her cheek feels chapped in places. But her forehead doesn't, and it's still quite pink, as is the rest of her nose and her cheeks. Her faces is not quite as warm to the touch today as it was, though, and it doesn't seem to be hurting as much. Honestly, I think she's just so miserable from the cold she has that she isn't really thinking of her face.

I think there's a difference between how people view the sun and sunscreen as well. Our middle daughter's teacher is a young man who tans very easily. The sun is not going to affect him as much as it would someone who is very fair skinned, as our daughters are. Also, he doesn't have children of his own. As a result, he's not going to see a child needing sunscreen in the same way that a parent of a fair skinned child is going to. That all makes sense to me, and I understand that.

However, we still don't want it happening to our daughters again.

The superintendent of special services did instruct him once again on sunscreen procedure. However, he will not be our middle daughter's teacher next year, so it will only help for the rest of this year. So the superintendent will be reinstructing all of the staff that works with the special needs children on a daily basis how to handle the sunscreen issue. She was not able to speak with the aides yesterday, but she said she will be talking with them as well as the teachers at the beginning of the school year next year.

And as much as I really do appreciate her help in this, I can't help but think I may still need to get it in writing. I will likely be having the IEPs amended next week, so they're in place next year when school starts. It's not that I don't think the teachers and aides will take the sunscreen protocol seriously. I just want them to take it seriously enough and not forget to use the sunscreen even once after the school year starts next year.

I so appreciate everyone's support on this issue. I also know that in order for me to maintain a good relationship with the teachers and aides, I really don't want to go in and raise all sorts of trouble. If I treat them with respect, they'll be much more likely to work with me and with my girls.

And after all, it's all about our girls.

I'm alive. Isn't that enough?

At least for today and tomorrow and this weekend?

Our middle daughter came home from school today coughing her head off. And she was sunburned. Again. Every year at the beginning of the school year we buy a fresh tube of sunscreen for the kids to use at school. Every year the teachers or aides 'forget' to use it, and one of them comes home sunburned. I'm beyond sick of it.

She was crying tonight, because her face hurt. I put a thick lotion on it hoping it will keep it hydrated and help with the pain. I gave her ibuprofen, too. I remember how painful sunburns are. They're horrible. And while she hasn't yet, I will not be surprised, if she blisters. Her skin has a purplish hue to it. She's normally very pale.

Last year, the teacher told us that she was responsible for putting the sunscreen on herself. We went to the district superintendent of the special services, and we were told (as were the teachers and the aides) that they must help the kids. Obviously nobody even got the sunscreen out for her today. It was overcast and supposed to snow today, so I'm sure that plays a major role.

But so does the fact that they spent ALL day long outside competing in Special Olympics! They were out there for hours and hours. They should have had sunscreen applied before they left the school and at least twice while they were at the meet. I'm taking pictures of it tomorrow. She's just miserable. And I want to have documentation, because she's not going to be in school the rest of the week. No sense in sending her to cough all over everyone else and have the pain of a sunburn while she's there, too.

It happens to be that this is one of several things that are going to be addressed tomorrow with the teachers and the aides. I hope that somebody actually listens this time!

We're fuming. This coming on the heals of not knowing, if the Mickey Mole was malignant or not just isn't good timing. We're very thankful that the mole wasn't, obviously, but I don't know how many more sunburns they'll be able to take before they do have skin cancer. There just is no excuse for a child to be sunburned in this day and age.

This will be added to the IEPs for next year. It's not going to happen again.