"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?

Why if the UV levels were so high weren’t we burned or even had a tan line or some sort of redness when the U.K. levels were so high.

Because some people burn/tan more easily than others. DH is not particularly fair but got his face burnt when we were out all day on Sunday. I didn’t because I put sunscreen on. DD and DN who we were out with didn’t because we kept them in the shade in the middle of the day.

@stalachtiteorstalagmite

Jesus there is some horrible advice on this thread. Keeping him stuck indoors for days is cruel (and so would be slathering his head in excess sun cream). He's not going to die if he goes out without a sunhat. Human beings have survived for millennia without sunhats. Just spray him with some aerosol sun cream and make sure he can access some shade. There is absolutely no reason to make such a big deal of this. I am honestly astounded.

Well due to ozone depletion there is actually more UV now than in the past. So you are more likely to get burnt than a millennium ago.

I have red head genetics though I don't have the actual colouring myself. I did read ages ago that that does make you more susceptible.

Sun hat in April? PFB?

Why if the UV levels were so high weren’t we burned or even had a tan line or some sort of redness when the U.K. levels were so high

Because the levels are different at different locations around the country and because- newsflash - everyone’s skin is different.

Last night I taught an outdoor exercise class from 18:30-19:15, with the sun on my RH side. I had factor 30 on my face. This morning, the RH side of my face is marginally browner than the left 😂 Safe to assume I would have been pink if I hadn’t put the cream on.

is cruel (and so would be slathering his head in excess sun cream)

I agree that keeping a toddler indoors for days isn’t great, but applying sun cream isn’t cruel compared to death from melanoma. Sorry, personal experience makes me super sensitive about this. Melanoma is a really fucking awful way to go; we can’t control all risks in life but why not do some simple, painless things to reduce the risks we can control?

I think its great that you want to get on top of it now and not wait until summer. Eventually he will need the hat. Going out without one now will just delay the problem.
I say stick with it. Make it as boring as possible for him indoors and keep pointing out fun stuff outside. “Ohh look at this pretty bird outside! Lets go see if we can catch it!”
Stuff like that to make him wanna go out.

Just get any clear SPF spray (Lidl do one in factor 30 for £3 but you can prob get higher too) and spray over his parting and exposed scalp. The clear SPF spray is so much easier than cream, no rubbing in etc, just spray and go. I use it everywhere but my face now.

waterlego

We were in the south. Ds is very fair skinned with blond hair, Dh is also blond.
My friend who is a red head only puts sun cream on when it gets really hot in the summer months or when he is abroad as this time of year it doesn’t affect him.

Yes people have different skin. It doesn’t mean if you are pale skinned with white blond hair that even as a child you are going to burn and so can’t go outside without a hat.

@VeganVeal

Sun hat in April? PFB?

Not in England I think.

'Time of year doesn't affect him? ' must be an alien.

MN science denial is amazing when it comes to uv strength.

Time of year doesn't affect him? ' must be an alien

I have been on holiday with him and it really doesn’t affect him.

I can lay out on a Greek beach in August and not get a tan. I go red then I can go into the shade, have a cold drink and be as white as a sheet again.
I look like I have never seen the sun I am very pale. A lot of my family is the same. The only thing that makes my face turn red is an allergic reaction

MN science denial is amazing when it comes to uv strength

Everyone is different and unless you try it out how would you know that the sun doesn’t affect you.

Everyone is different and unless you try it out how would you know that the sun doesn’t affect you.

Right, and presumably the OP knows what her own child’s skin is like so what is the point of comments disputing the fact that you can get sunburnt in the U.K. in April? She just wanted tips on persuading him to keep the hat on!

@Bythemillpond, yes exactly, everyone is different. I have dark hair and not particularly pale skin and yet I burn very, very quickly. In April, in October, and anywhere in between. (And even in Feb/March if I’m in a ski resort). I have two fair haired, fair skinned children who both also burn easily.

The OP knows her child.

Precious first born ?