Last week, I put the winter coats away and sighed with relief. Sure, I was happy the nice weather was finally here to stay - but I was even more ecstatic that I could finally get into the van with ease. NO MORE SNOWSUITS.
But then I remembered, with nice weather comes...
THE SUNSCREEN BATTLES.
*cue horror movie-music and echoed screams*
Just when I thought that I could maybe get out the door with both kids in under 15 minutes, my happy bubble was burst.
Putting sunscreen on a 3 year-old and 1 year-old is just about as much fun as pulling splinters from your feet. In fact, I think I'd rather pull splinters from my own feet because at least I'd f*cking stay still!
Trying to get sunscreen on my 1 year-old requires a professional background in martial arts. She flips, and wriggles, and runs away. She has mastered the "limp dead weight" technique when I try to pick her up, and she slips through my arms with ease. When I do finally pin her down (and I actually do have to pin her down) she flops around like a fish out of water. I usually end up poking her in the eye. Twice. She cries. I'm sweating. It's pure awesomeness.
Once I finally have the thick zinc sunscreen semi-rubbed into my daughter's face, it's time to find my son and enter Round 2 of the sunscreen battles. To be honest, he's a bit better this year, but he has limited patience for it.
Last year, I used to tell him I was "rubbing the sunscreen OFF" in an attempt to get him to stay still while I rubbed it "IN". I would giggle victoriously to myself in the process.
MOM: 1 TODDLER: 0
(You must celebrate the small things in life...)
*double sigh*
Six and a half hours later, my kids look like creepy greasy clowns with sunscreen half rubbed into their faces and matted throughout their once clean hair. But at least we are finally ready to go outside.
So why? Why do we go through this battle? Because it's important. Like eating your leafy greens and brushing your teeth, applying sunscreen is just another one of those things. In fact, it's probably even more important. To be honest, I'm very militant about sunscreen (ask my husband) because I understand the harmful effects of the sun. As someone who is covered in moles (ahem: beauty marks) I'm constantly on the lookout for changes that might indicate a problem. So when a friend shared this video with me, I just had to share it with all of you in the hopes that you will also make this a #NEWFAMILYRULE
Now tell me - is sunscreen a battle in your house too? Do you have any tips or techniques you can share with me? Or will I have to step-up my wrestling game?
If it's not one thing it's another: Car Seats + Snow Suits = Sh*tshow
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