Dave & Steph's Question:
We would like to begin hiking with our eight-month-old in Colorado. We've got a great pack, warm clothes, etc., but no sunglasses. As bright as it is here, our feeling is that we should be doing something to protect our son's eyes.

I haven't been able to find infant sunglasses. Any suggestions?

Dave & Steph Smythe
Chappaqua, NY

Alice's Answer:

Dave & Steph,

How right you are!

We've all learned that it's crucial to protect our kids' skin from sunburn, but it's all too easy to forget that we need to protect their eyes too. If you're hiking at high altitudes or in bright snowfields, there's an even greater need than that demanded by a typical bright, sunny day.

Check out The Right Start (www.rightstart.com) for sunglasses from I Care International. The glasses come in two styles,"wrap" and "round," both with a bendable rubber frame and scratch-proof polycarbonate lens offering 100% UVA and UVB protection. I Care's kid frames are available in two sizes, one for infants, the other for toddlers up to four years of age.

Don't forget the old standbys. Big floppy sunhats and sunshield attachments on infant carriers can also help protect little eyes from the sun.

Have fun hiking, and here's wishing you many sunny days of hiking.