A sunburn is never good , but remember sun damage is also cumulative. In other words, sun damage adds up over time to cummulate into major skin damage. Starting sun protective measures in ones early years has the best results in minimizing skin cancer and premature aging in later years.

Kids can be tough when it comes to wearing a hat. Not that they are hard to fit but that getting a child to wear a hat can be a challenge. If you start them off wearing hats from infancy, like a car seat, they may come to expect wearing a sun hat is just a way of life. But even then, it is not uncommon to hear a child go through the "There is no way I am wearing a hat" phase. But fear not! As fellow conspirators in your child's well-being, we think we may have some ideas that make wearing a hat fun!

Let's start with getting a good fit: Head size varies dramatically for both adult and children with no regard to age, gender, height or weight. We have seen 8 year old kids with adult size heads. So measure around the head (above the eyes and ears... where the hat brim sits) with a soft measuring tape or use a string and then measure the length of the string to take the guess work out of sizing.

As we all know, kids grow at an alarming rate. Most hat measurements are within a range, but if your child's head measurement is close to the next larger size, you may want to consider choosing that bigger size.

When it comes to brim size, you will most likely have insights as to the width of the brim that is best for your child. We would suggest you go with your gut feeling on this one, remembering that the wider the brim, the more hours of the day the sun will be blocked. When the sun is at high noon a smaller brim will protect just fine, but when the sun is nearing either horizon UV rays can sneak under the brim. That is when width counts. Additionally, a brim with a downward slope will increase the sun protective ability of the hat.

Unless you know your child has a problem with a chin strap, we would suggest a chin strap to keep the hat on in the wind and when at play. If the hat you choose comes with a unwanted chin strap you can always cut it off or remove it.

So here comes the fun part, how to get your child to wear a protective sun hat?

1. Talk to other parents about the benefits of having their kids wear a sun hat. Make wearing a hat the "IN" thing to do. When everyone else is doing it, arguments often vanish.

2. Young kids want to be like you ... just like you. So, one of the easiest ways to get a child to wear their sun hat is to wear one yourself. Day in and day out don't go outdoors without your sun protective hat and your child will get the message. And, just think of all the benefits your own face will receive!

3. Here is a FUN idea - Have your child "design" his/her own sun hat … maybe even hats for the whole family. Set out colorful paint, fabric cut in daisy shapes, and other fun materials that could augment a sun hat. Another idea is to have a hat painting party and get everybody involved. I'll bet you did not think sun protection could be fun!