how do you keep a hat on a 16 mo toddler?

[ratbunny]

So it's pretty sunny here now, and so I want ds to wear a hat when he goes outside. Nanny bought it with him, and it has thomas the tank engine on, so he likes it. He will wear it all day for nanny, but for ME?! Well he will take it off as soon as I put it on him.
How do you get toddlers to keep their hats on?

i had same prob with dd

Ds will not wear a hat. He likes putting it on, but he likes taking it off as well.

Staples

I had the same problem with dd last year (even slathered suncream all in her hair on holiday ).

Then we got to a point (she was 16mths), I just told her it had to stay on and kept putting it back - and after a couple of repeats - make that after the 6th or 20th time - it worked! So you could try insisting and staying firm (although maybe it more to do with that it was actually really hot and the hat felt nice and cool for her )

You have to be relentless about it. Ds was like this a lot but we hade been so insistent over a period of many months from a very young age (We lived in a hot climate for several months when he was a baby) that he eventually got used to it.

It does get very wearing though when you have replaced his hat for the 30th time in a hour and this happens every time you go out but eventually he will realise it is non negotiable.

Ds (3 yrs old) pretty much wears his sun hat all the time now (when it is sunny of course ) with no problem.

In reality it is up to you how important you think it is. Many parents don't think it really that important so they don't insist and frankly in this country it isn't really that important most of the time.

Also when he was old enough to understand the choice for him was have a hat on or stay in/go home. I carried this through a few times and he got the message.

so grandad came over today and ds kept his hat on for him.....

Putting suncream on his face isnt really an option as his eczema flares, so I guess I will have to persist at replacing it hundreds of times then.

I'm another one who believes in the 'just keep replacing it' option. You do have to do it hundreds (if not thousands!) of times, but I have found that it does eventually work. And it's absolutely amazing - I put a hat on dd (2.3) on the holiday monday - and it stayed on!! She only took it off twice through the whole time we were out (from 11am to about 5pm). Good luck

are you wearing a hat yourself?

worth a bash

We've found having two hats and giving him the choice of which one to wear made a big difference.

Oh yes
I forgot wearing a hat yourself is a good way to encourage it too.