"No hat, no outside" not working. Been trapped inside with toddler for 4 days.

[SelfBuild]

Toddler (22 months) will not wear a sun hat, only a wooly bobble hat, we've tried 5 different sun hats with his favourite things on. Just not working. Went out last week and it was hot and he'd only put a bobble hat on and he was sodden with sweat afterwards.

So I toughened up, put the bobble hat out of sat and have lined up a selection of sun hats next to his shoes by the door. Everytime for the last 4 days he's asked to go in the garden, for a walk or to the park we've had the "no hat, no play/no go outside" argument. He will not back down and just tears it off so we haven't left the house. It's so sunny and nice and I'm just stuck indoors with a cranky toddler who hasn't had a proper run around in days but neither of us will back down.

What do I do?

www.superdrug.com/Skin/Sun-Care/Head-%26-Hair-Sun-Protection/Malibu-SPF30-Scalp-Protector-50ml/p/752752?gclid=CjwKCAjwjuqDBhAGEiwAdX2cj7-gH-rQCWMW-YSHJHqBbiXlrFreP2cYmO6uj4rVGWYZIwJg8ihRERoC8SAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Let him choose some dressing up hats - cowboy, firefighter, police, ascot ladies...

You’ve made the mistake of it being a ‘thing’!

Try a buff or baseball cap?

Put the sunhat on when outside and distracted

Put shade up in the garden

Use a parasol ?

But you're probably going to get a lot of battles- hats are annoying when it's hot. Stay out of the strongest beams of the say but remember he'll be ok to have some sunlight on him- it's recommended for vitamin D

A sun hat?! I’ve had to defrost my car every day this week! I must be a bad mam as my 22MO has been out every day without a sun hat or sun cream

My DF had skin cancer on his scalp, I assume from a lack of sun hat over the years

It’s not a hill I’d die on but get a hat that ties under his chin or sew ribbons on an existing hat and then bribe with choc buttons, might work? Failing that get sun cream, you can get clear spray stuff but spray into your hands then rub over his head?

If it's really that hot where you are you can still go out, stay in the shade or don't go out for that long. Go in the morning or evening to avoid the strongest sun?

I would not be choosing this hill.

Many more battles ahead!

Take him out earlier or later in the day when he won't burn?

If you're in the UK this seems really quite unnecessary. If he needs to wear a hat in the summer, deal with it in the summer.

Been there, got that hat
I'm Australian by birth so had 'no hat, no play drilled into me, and in turn I drilled it into my children. If you take the hat off, you sit in the shade until the hat goes back on. No exceptions.

Are there any slightly older children that he likes who could wear a hat in front of him and get lots of praise? That sort of thing sometimes works on my toddler.

Mind you, when she was your child's age it was all a bit of a losing battle with the sun hats and I ended trying to keep her playing in the shade as much as possible. I got one I could fasten but she worked out how to take it off. Maybe a sun hat with a favourite tv character if available? My toddler will fairly reliably wear anything with Duggee on it.

If you are that concerned either let him wear the woolly hat or take him out early before the sun gets up properly. You are being ridiculous by having a stand off with a child who isn't even two yet. They have no idea what is going on. Just go out.

Dear god, just go outside.

So he'll wear a hat but not the one you want him to wear. Let him wear his wooly hat.

If he’s fair he needs a hat. How about a white T-shirt material type one. You could see a bobble on it. Baseball cap? With bobble on?

Use one of those fine most sun screen sprays and just spray a light layer over his head?

Mist not most!

What does it matter if he’s a bit sweaty if he’s willing to wear the bobble hat?

I’m all for sun protection but this is crazy. Especially considering it’s April.

He’s under 2. You can’t “crack it” in any humane way. Just avoid the middle of the day if you’re particularly concerned.

Also there are plenty of sun creams designed for scalps
Malibu Scalp Protector with SPF50 50 ml amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KRKC92K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_REJ1EBZAH3RB6TP18G0F]]

It worries me that you think you need to "crack this". He's not capable of rational thinking and argument. He'll be running off, yanking off hats, screaming about seat belts etc for a while yet. I think you need to find work arounds and show some flexibility. 4 days inside because no hat is much worse parenting than going out with I hat imho.

@SwanShaped

If he’s fair he needs a hat. How about a white T-shirt material type one. You could see a bobble on it. Baseball cap? With bobble on?

Thank you for not taking the piss. People judge for you not having a hat on your child in the sun and then rip into you for trying to get them to understand they have to wear a hat if they want to play outside. I'm well aware there are more battles to come but the weather is only going to get hotter so I want to crack this soon.

I've tried baseball caps, the same sun hat he had as a baby in a bigger size, little slip on hats, woven hats, sun hats with dinosaurs/cars etc one. Just failing miserably.

@Doyouwantanothercuppa

Calypso scalp protection spray. I think Superdrug sell it.

Thanks I'll look into this

Don’t make it a battle you will loose. My oldest I used to plonk it on half way up the path once he was distracted, ‘look a bus/stone/leaf!’ plonk.

Take the hat with you and try to pop it on when he is distracted? Or put things in his hands so he can’t remove it? Snack in one, toy in other? If he’s proper white blond haired and not much of it he will need a sunhat. Or as others have suggested sun cream on his head.