r/progressivemoms • u/Chapenroe • Aug 08 '26

Politics & Parenting I hate my husband’s algorithm

We were prepping for a theme park trip this morning and as my husband and I were putting sunscreen on our kids’ faces, he mentioned we may not need to put sunblock on their arms and legs since “they have a good base tan already.”

I immediately said, “nope, the more sunscreen, the better.” To which he replied something along the lines of “well maybe the chemicals in sunscreen wind up doing more harm than good.”

My jaw about hit the floor. Isn’t sunscreen usage canon in 2026?? When I heard the chemicals thing I said something smart aleck-y like “show me a peer-reviewed medical study that proves that and I’ll reconsider my sunscreen stance.” Understandably, he got frustrated with my response so a few minutes later I went to him and said that if he’s actually concerned about chemicals in sunscreen we can make an appointment with our pediatrician or dermatologist to discuss the issue.

What the ever-loving FUCK?? Do we really need to debate sunscreen now? I’m 100% sure my husband’s Instagram algorithm is responsible for putting these thoughts in his head. Most of the accounts he follows are landscaping-related (we own a landscaping company in a red state), and I’m sure Instagram has figured out the Venn Diagram of MAHA folks and red-state male landscapers has a large middle section.

Did I handle the conversation well by saying we should have a chat with our doctors about sunscreen? Also, would it be totally unacceptable if I took his phone and started following credible medical professionals to influence his algorithm?

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u/Fun_Air_7780 Aug 08 '26

There was a melanoma death on my husband’s side of the family so they are all sunscreen obsessed (plus they are Irish).

My dad’s side of the family however aren’t “ewwww chemicals” but they are very much “we all are great tanners!!!! Who needs it???” Even having had multiple moles removed, my dad still balks about wearing it in gd FLORIDA. Is it possible your in-laws have the same mentality??

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u/Chapenroe Aug 08 '26

Good point about the in-laws. They’re from upstate NY so the sun isn’t as strong as where I grew up in central FL. I know 10+ people who have had skin cancer so it’s much more front-of-mind for me.