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Parenting

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Original poster

17 month old won't wear hats.... any tips?

19 replies

Kathyis6incheshigh · 07/05/2008 14:24

He has very fair skin and ginger hair so is a dead cert for sunburn if he's not protected. But won't wear hats.

Does anyone have any good ideas how to make him? Or any advice about where I can get a hat with a chin strap held on with something a bit harder to undo than Velcro?

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Haylstones · 07/05/2008 14:28

This might work- it did with dd but was scoffed by many. Every time she took her hat off we put it b ack on. Took loads of patience but eventually she gave up and kept it on and next time was no problem. It was a real battle of wills but if you persevere it should work

Original poster

Kathyis6incheshigh · 07/05/2008 15:00

How long did it take Haylstones?

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MrsBadger · 07/05/2008 15:02

we have one with strings that tie in a bow which is probably a terrible strangle hazard but does stay on

the other thing that works is wearing a hat yourself every time you need him to wear his [sigh]. Oh, and evil manipulation
'Mummy and daddy have their hats on...'
'Only people with hats can come out to play'
'Well, we could go to the park if only you'd wear your hat...'

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WigWamBam · 07/05/2008 15:03

Do you wear a hat yourself? The only way I could make dd wear one at that age was if I wore one, too.

Tell him that we have to wear hats when it's sunny and then do as Hayls suggests - every time he takes it off, put it on. He'll give in eventually.

Maybe

ShowOfHands · 07/05/2008 15:05

Having the same problem with my 12 month old. She will not keep it on and DH and I wear hats all the time. I've stopped taking her out in the middle of the day as it's impossible.

Original poster

Kathyis6incheshigh · 07/05/2008 15:18

Wearing hats ourselves is a good idea. Apart from anything else, dh (who he inherited his skin type) probably shouldn't go out without one anyway!

He's not old enough for manipulation yet, sadly. DD is though. maybe she can be the hat police.

I suppose I can always sew on straps, actually

OP posts:

Fennel · 07/05/2008 15:20

dd3 just wouldn't keep on hats at this age, whatever we did. We were pretty persistent putting hats back on but she was more persistent in taking them off. Except her bike helmet. So we used to let her wear her bike helmet on the beach etc. It looked slightly odd but it was the only thing we found that worked.

Original poster

Kathyis6incheshigh · 07/05/2008 15:24

LOL @ bike helmet!

OP posts:

bran · 07/05/2008 15:24

I had a shade-a-babe on the pushchair when ds was that age. If he didn't wear a hat then he went in the pushchair with the shade down for a few minutes. He got the message fairly quickly.

Miaou · 07/05/2008 15:29

Agree with haylstones. They take it off. You put it on. They take it off. You put it on. They take it off. You put it on... in the end they will give in - ds1 and ds2 did!

I had a major problem getting ds1 to wear a hat the winter before last - it took about three trips out to the shops with me putting it back on his head every time he took it off (took forever as you can imagine), but once it clicked that he was not going to win, he gave in, and insisted on wearing his hat every time! Today we had to go and buy him a summer hat and he was immediately happy to put it on, thank God (only had the on-off battle with ds2 )

geordieminx · 07/05/2008 15:31

we got a bandana for ds which as he couldnt see he forgot about pretty quickly if we distracted him for a few minutes when it was on

BexieID · 07/05/2008 15:35

I have the same problem with 2yo Tom. He's not a head wearer at all!

MrsBadger · 07/05/2008 15:36

I can't bring myself to use a bandana - I always thought a big point of hats was to shade your face, and bandanas don't. Brims all round here.

PortAndLemon · 07/05/2008 15:42

DS wouldn't wear "hat"-style hats at that age, but would wear bandana-style things with a flappy bit at the back to protect his neck (didn't help keep his face in shade, but was better than nothing). Next do some like this.

sherby · 07/05/2008 15:49

Bandana and factor 50 on the face with zinc cream

DS always has a bandana on he won't tolerate a hat for a second. Distract when you are tying it on and they completely forget about it. He had his on all day yesterday

Original poster

Kathyis6incheshigh · 07/05/2008 17:16

Great, I'll try the bandana then.

The they-take-it-off, you-put-it-on thing is all very well if it works fairly quickly, but 3 trips to the shops is nothing - it took 13 months of us firmly but consistently taking dd's plate away to stop her throwing food.

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geordieminx · 07/05/2008 17:21

Stick bandana on, distract with milky buttons a healthy and nutrious snack. After a fwe minutes they will have forgotton its on!

Think there is a pic on my profile of ds looking yummy with his on

Original poster

Kathyis6incheshigh · 07/05/2008 17:27

LOL Geordieminx, very cute (though I do rather like the 'angry' photo)

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MerlinsBeard · 07/05/2008 17:30

ds2 was like this. he would wear a bandana after he realised thats what pirates wore. went from there to summer hat OVER bandana then to summer hat

had a few weeks before the bandana when he wore his builders hat

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