Skin cancer is a disease caused by exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation. It's extremely important that we protect our children's delicate skin from the sun's damaging rays, minimizing their chance of developing skin cancer later on in life.

Children must learn the facts about skin cancer. By learning at an early age about the dangers of the sun, our kids will be better prepared to protect themselves for a lifetime. The more that children experience unprotected exposure to the sun, the more likely they are to suffer from permanent skin damage or even skin cancer.

Sun damage can strike at the earliest age. The first time a child experience sun exposure, he or she is considered to be at risk for melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. It only takes a single blistering sunburn during childhood to double the risk of melanoma later in life. Remember to prevent your children's skin becoming sun burnt, and reduce their unprotected exposure to the sun as much as possible. In doing so, you will be able to decrease their chances of developing skin cancer in adulthood.

Some children face a higher risk of sun damage, including kids with freckles, red or fair hair and green or blue eyes. That doesn't mean that kids with darker complexions are immune. Children with darker pigment, complexions and hair, including those of Hispanic and African descent, are still very much at risk.

If anyone in your family has a history of melanoma, it's important that you pay particular attention to the welfare of your children. Today, more and more teenagers are being diagnosed with skin cancer than ever before. This frightful trend includes diagnoses of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Children and teens naturally love to be independent, making their own choices about everything and anything. That's why it's so important for you to be a good role model. Begin practicing safe sun routines when your children are infants, and they will grow up with the knowledge and understanding needed to make their own smart choices.

Teach your child to wear a hat and sunscreen, and explain why it's important to avoid tanning salons. Even the artificial rays created by tanning beds can put your skin, and your children's skin, at risk.

The following "safe sun" methods can help protect your children from dangerous sunburn:

* Don't schedule outdoor activities during peak sunlight hours. Instead, make sure that your children restrict their outdoor playtime to the hours before 11 am and after 3 pm. Their skin has a better chance of burning during midday and early afternoon hours, when the sun's UV rays are really beating down.

* On cool days, the sun is every bit as dangerous. Even when the temperature drops, you and your kids are still at risk. Those UV rays are out in full force, even when you don't feel the heat. Take your cue from the professional skiers, and protect yourself, and your kids, even when the weather is cool.

* During the summer months, children should be dressed in lightweight, protective clothing. Insist that kids wear broad-brimmed hats to protect their faces, necks and ears. This will reduce direct exposure to harmful UV rays by 50%.

* Use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Waterproof formulas offer the best degree of prolonged protection, but remember to reapply after children swim or work up a sweat playing outdoors.

* Purchase protective clothing made of closely-woven fabrics. These fabrics can keep sunlight from seeping through and block the UV rays.

* Plan activities in shady areas, and encourage your children to play there. Of course, UV rays can reflect, so kids must wear hats and sunscreen, even in the shade.

As a parent, you need to take every precaution to protect your children. Start now, because making wise choices for outdoor protection is a lesson that children can and should learn at an early age. Teach them today, and they'll keep their "sun smarts" right into their teenage years and adulthood.