we've used various methods along the way - started on by just slapping it (gently of course) haphazardly on legs and arms and then when ds protested i said "oh sorry - i'll take it all off now" and proceeded to carefully rub it in - then worked a treat for a while, then we went through a phase of i can put the cream on him as long as he can then apply it to me and as long as it's not steroids i'm sure you wouldn't mind a bit of cream, when that didn't work any more i kept on repeating to him that this was essential and would have to be done no matter what but i wasn't going to fight him and repeat this in a monotone - and somehow get it on him, and as the days passed he learnt that when mummy said this was very important and was going to happen no matter what with me not getting upset about it he's now accepted it as a matter of course - good luck though it's taken us a while to get to this point

Maybe let him stand in front of a full length mirror and do it himself? Or take it in turns to be the one who holds the pot/tube and doles it out and the one who puts it on?

Poor you - rotten isn't it?! One thing which has worked for my LO is to combine it with a cuddle to do her back (muslin sheet between us or I strip off and get some moisture too!)- your LO may be beyond this (dd is much younger and very cuddly). I've resorted to stripping down and us both putting it on myself -gave us both a giggle at least.
I do sympathise - it does get you down.

iasked him if he wanted cream volcano's this morn and he looked at me like i was crazy!lol. i managed to keep it all light hearted though,so we got through it quite well. no shouting on my part any way, so massive improvement, lol.
think we need to find new emolient, as soon as cream on he just itches/scratches like mad,poor lad.will try gettin him to put the cream on me tommorow, thats good idea. thanks for the support!!

Yeah we used to do the drawing pictures idea too. Dd used to enjoy it!

or get him to use a sun stick on YOUR face while you do him

get him to do it

user a spray

get him to spray

user those sticks that you 'draw on' his body with - tell him it is face paint, he is a warrior / frog / dinosaur etc.

thank you all for the suggestions, keep them coming,lol. i'm going to write them down and use them on rotation, may be that way he wont get bored and it will keep him involved.

barmymamma, my three year old DS3 is like this as well, he has autism and has no speech or language which doesn't help! I just try and distract him as best I can either by encouraging him to watch something on CBeebies or by saying "First ointment, then...milk or whatever".

It is hard, isn't it?

i also pretend it is a race so count loudly 1-2-3 can we finish before 10

My DD responds really well to things like this when she See's other children doing the same thing. Could you get a few friends over with their children and all apply sun cream together?

I feel your pain - simiar problems here.
The trick working at the moment is drawing pictures on his hands with the cream (I am an expert at volcanoes drawn out of aveeno!!) and then he rubs it on his tummy whilst I do his arms and legs.
Still a struggle though.

And dread what he might request me to create next (the volcano is fairly straight forward - a triangle with lines coming out the top for lava!)

we do have a sticker chart and it was working realy well, but something has changed and i dont know what. he will just run off and say " i dont want a sticker!!"he is very strong willed and i think some of this is him asserting his independance. i will try to get him to help put cream on, good idea, thank you.
just so tired of the battles and it takes up so much time. oh well, will keep going. thanks

can you put some in his hand and he participate in application?my LO likes to rub in creams. what about reward stickers etc.lots of praise etc. i have variable success sometimes ok but othertimes crying

good luck it is difficult

one tip we had that helped a bit was drawing pictures, smiley faces etc in the cream on his tummy - helped a bit some days

my son has always hated having his creams done, despite singing, reading, dancing and playing our way through them since he was a baby. applying them has now deteriorated into him refusing to stand still and fighting me off, even running away saying "dont touch me". and ive turned into a shouting mother. i dread these times of day now and its making me really feel like a failure. how can i get him to accept this is part of his life. getting desperately sad about it all.