People, their children and babies with no sun hats

[SimplySteve]

Was at Alton Towers yesterday, DD was visiting with a friend and her GF was working, so I was right by the entrance for an hour in the morning as park opened, then an hour as park closed (4:30-5:30). It was high 20s/low 30s.

I was astounded at the amount of people of all ages be it teens, young adults and families, some with toddlers/youngsters on shoulders/in strollers and babbas in prams. There were so few sun hats being worn, and could clearly see sunburn on those with exposed shoulders/backs and arms. I mean it's fair enough if you want to take these chances but young children are reliant on a sensible adult to protect them.

Or I'm talking crap?

I always start the outing with my children all wearing sun hats. The only one who keeps it on her head is the 7 year old. The 2 and 1 year old have to have them constantly put back on. I’d hate to be judged when I’m walking back the way I came because the baby has thrown her hat out of the buggy and therefore isn’t wearing it until I find it again!

With regards to toddlers... have you met one?! my 2 year old won't wear a hat. She just pulls it off, over and over again, and every time she pulls it off it knocks off her hearing aids, i put them back on, put hat back on, 2 seconds later she's pulled it off again, hearing aids knocked off... and round and round we go. She wears sun glasses, and i put lotion on her parting in her hair. She gets completely slathered in lotion, hasn't been burnt yet, and if she refuses lotion then she goes home, end of. That's where i draw my line, but i can't be doing with the hat fight. She won't wear one in the winter either!

^This.
We've been on holiday with 2yo DN last week, and have had to resort to a head/hair full of sun cream and keeping him in the shade where possible as he absolutely will NOT keep a hat on.

DD (toddler) leaves the house in factor 50 (which is reapplied regularly) and clothes suitable for the weather, which includes a hat. If you can find a way to make her wear it for more than 30 seconds great! Otherwise stop being judgy. Lots of children simply won't wear a hat, and rather than ruin everyone's day by spending the whole time cramming a hat back on while the child screams and throws a tantrum we use suncream and uv400 sunglasses.

And yes I would like the stupid comments when we are out to stop.

Babies and children should of course wear sun hats when it's hot. Getting them to actually accept that and keep them on isn't always so easy, mind.

Well once someone shares the secret of actually getting babies, toddlers and teenagers to wear hats and keep them on I’m sure there will be a lot more of them with hats on.

Until then you will see lots of children of all ages without them on.

My 3 year old wears a hat for all of 2 seconds before she takes it off.

I do make sure she's wearing plenty of suncream though

Nursery seem to have taught my nearly 2 year old that hats must stay on in the sun, however, every time it disappears behind a cloud the hat comes off! We try to keep him wearing it but there is a lot of on off.

Mine is nearly 2 and is luckily very good at being sun creamed, but trying to get her to keep her hat on is a battle, we do keep putting it back on, but take to sun creaming her head too to be safe!
She's the same in winter, hat and gloves never stay on

7yo ds takes constant cajoling to wear his hat, but he reluctantly does it (and often loses it, particularly at school). 19mo dd - currently going through a hat wearing stage, so not a problem. But she's also been through anti-hat and anti-footwear phases and there's literally nothing we can do to get her to keep them on. Providing you smother them in sun cream and attempt to get them to regularly rest in shade and drink plenty of water they'll survive. Both mine are very fair haired btw.

OP, you may be right but really it's none of your business.

I was quite shocked on Sunday (also very hot day) to see a little baby in one those under and over buggies without the hood up, a sunshade, covering or a sun umbrella. This baby looked like it was on a sunbed with exposed skin on show. No idea what the mother was think apart from spending a lot of money on a fancy buggy and not giving a dam about the baby.

My own was slathered in suncream and did have his hat on most of the time because he likes his cap. Relieved to see no sunburn on him as it was so hot. DS1 on the other hand won’t wear a hat or sunglasses.

Babbas? vomit YABVU to use baby talk when you’re a grown woman.

Mine won’t keep their hats on. Get your nose out of other people’s business, it’s nothing to do with you.

I hate wearing hats in general but in the summer they just make me hotter, and my head sweats as I have really thick hair so I understand why my kids don't want to either.
DS2 loves all accessories so happily keeps his hat on but other DC struggle and hate the sweaty head feeling so wear them sporadically.
I am militant about suncream and covering up though.

Factor 50 in this household too. My DD doesn't mind wearing a hat/cap (she's 8) but DS refuses to wear one and hates anything on his face (like sun glasses). He's 3. Smother in cream, plenty of water and shade whenever possible. That's the best we hope for.
It angers me when parents refuse to put sun cream on their bairns because they want them to have a tan it happens a lot here

I've lost 3 hats this week... tips on how to keep a hat on a 2 year old without glueing it on would be greatly appreciated.

I could never find sun hats that would stay on if there was the slightest breeze once the dc were too old for the tie under the the chin type (they don’t seem to do those past baby size). Kids and myself are always slathered in factor 50 though and never burned. Yanbu to say that parents should make sure their children aren’t getting burnt.

Stop judging. If you're genuinely concerned you should go around telling people or putting hats on other people's children and see how far that gets you.

I bet you're one of those who scowls at people whose babies don't like wearing socks as well. My DD is now 10 and she STILL hates wearing socks so those judgers were WRONG.

It's threads like these that made me scared to leave the house some days when my kids were small. Social control.

Or I'm talking crap? Pleased to see you offered that as an option.

As others have said, they just don't keep them on. I slather suncream on my two but the hats go awol.

My son (3) has autism and will not keep a hat on his head. It's hard enough trying to keep socks and shoes on. I use suncream on his head as he is very fair. Not all children will tolerate hats.

Just mirroring everything everyone else has said, unfortunately my 1yo isn’t always happy to wear a hat, sometimes she’s great and forgets it’s there and will wear it all day, other times she is relentless with taking it off and throwing it. She’s covered all over in babies factor 50... even on her bald head (thin blonde hair) and she’s got about five million bottles of juice to keep her hydrated. But if you caught us on one of the hat off days I’d hate to be looked at and judged as though I was wrecklessly parading my child around in the height of summer sun with no care. Nobody wants a burnt baby.

How do we keep the hats on @SimplySteve ?

I have a two year old and a one year old, please advise.

DS has severe eczema. Sunlight really helps with it and as a result, I always have him out without sun cream for a few minutes before putting it on him. Plus its good for vitamin D. Which they dont get if they are slathered in factor 50 right from the get go. He always wears a hat. Keeping it on him however....is tricky.

People have different circumstances and reasons for doing what they do.

The fact that people might be judging me for the choices I make for my son's health and wellbeing is frankly quite sad.
Trust me, you don't care for my son's health and well being more than I do.

Perhaps you could leave others to it and just enjoy your day?