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Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

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Original poster

How on earth do you keep a sun hat on a 15mo?

27 replies

LarkinSky · 21/04/2010 15:01

Help!

Please, can anyone disperse some wisdom on this? It's 24 degrees here today, and my dd's already caught the sun. Any floppy sunhat she just pulls off. I've tried tying one on under her chin, but she just screamed and screamed until I took it off. She will, however, wear baby sunglasses, but that's no use for her face, neck and head.

Am I facing a whole summer of this? Any advice?

I think she's too young to bribe...

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

OhYouBadBadKitten · 21/04/2010 15:02

I find staples best.

I had to resort to rubbing suncream into dds fine hair. not a great look even for a toddler.

MarthaFarquhar · 21/04/2010 15:03

I found that wearing one myself helped
"now we all put out hats on"
I am a hat person though so not too much of a hardship in my case.

GhostInTheBackOfYourHead · 21/04/2010 15:04

another suncream on head here. Not good but last resort.

Like OYBBK's staples idea. I was going to suggest Araldite.

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Mistymoo · 21/04/2010 15:06

Where are you that you need a sun hat? I'm in the Highlands and we had snow and hail yesterday!

Sorry I have no advise as I don't have much experience of the sun

Mongolia · 21/04/2010 15:07

Put it on every time he takes it off until it stays there, it will take perhaps 100 attempts but eventually it will stay there.

ThisIsSpatchcocked · 21/04/2010 15:09

Gaffa tape
I was in Oz when my kids were that age, and it really is just a case of putting it back on all the time..they will get used to it!

rubyrubyruby · 21/04/2010 15:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SilveryMoon · 21/04/2010 15:09

I got one with straps on that do up under the chin. Ds1 soon got fed up of trying to yank it off.
Have a look in Boots, their quite good

Original poster

LarkinSky · 21/04/2010 15:18

Love the more permanent suggestions... and the reminder that wearing one myself will help. Of course - that's why we bought her the sunglasses, because she kept trashing mine and DH's (non-expensive ones, but still).

I'm in Switzerland. It's probably just the ash cloud magnifying sunlight or something...

OP posts:

Original poster

LarkinSky · 21/04/2010 15:20

Sorry, sentence re sunglasses meant to finish, because of course she wants to copy everything her father and I do and wear. Had best get DH a floppy hat too then.

OP posts:

MattSmithIsNotMyLoveSlave · 21/04/2010 15:24

With DS, after someone on MN suggested it, I ended up using a bandana-style hat with a flappy bit at the back. It at least took care of his head and neck; didn't protect his face but two out of three was better than none out of three and I was just careful with sunscreen. Fortunately DD, who is much paler and burns easily, rather likes hats, as I'm not sure how well the same solution would have worked for her.

I did try the "keep putting it back on and he'll get used to it" tactic with DS for a couple of months, too, and it didn't help. But then he is extraordinarily bloodyminded determined.

MrsBadger · 21/04/2010 15:26

we all wear hats chez Badge

you should have seen us out at a dance festival on Sat - me (straw cowboy hat), DH (Drizabone), my dad (panama), my mum (Tilley), 3m DS (floppy cotton) all sitting in a row so 2.8yo DD would wear hers. But wear it she did, and none of us got burnt.

The other thing that helped was appealing to her vanity - saying 'Ooh, pretty hat! You look so lovely in your hat!' etc etc every time she wears it. Grandparents v helpful for this.

Original poster

LarkinSky · 21/04/2010 21:12

Thanks for all the ideas. I tried wearing a hat myself on our afternoon walk today to encourage her - dd's still ended on the floor every ten paces, but I'll persevere.

I'm tempted to open my sewing basket for the first time to put elastic on her hats though. [Heads off to thread a needle...]

OP posts:

kreecherlivesupstairs · 22/04/2010 12:13

My dd, nearly 9 wouldn't ever wear a hat. She was born in Oman which is hot hot hot. She somehow managed to dislodge them from the age of about 3 months. When we moved to Thailand, a hat was part of her school uniform, since our move to Switzerland she's flat refused to wear one. I turn into my mum 'don't come crying to me when you've got sun stroke'. it doesn't help I am afraid.

notanumber · 22/04/2010 18:31

I always found that hats from Flaphappy which tie underneath the chin work best.

I've bought them from independent childrens boutiquey type shops, but imagine that ebay often have them....

mjinhiding · 22/04/2010 18:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

whoopstheregoesmymerkin · 22/04/2010 18:34

mine won't wear a normal hat, however, she will wear comedy hats out of the dressing up box. So far she has been out in public in an alien hat, a fireman's helmet and a cowboy hat...

BertieBotts · 22/04/2010 18:37

DS was like this last year. Putting it on when he was distracted did work, and the "Ooh you look so handsome in that hat!" worked too when the distraction failed, which I didn't expect it to.

Also lots of sun cream and trying to keep in the shade!

The tie on ones bothered him too so didn't work.

Sometimes trying different kinds of hat (ie floppy brim vs bandanna vs knotted muslin vs leigionnaire's cap) made a difference.

bluebump · 22/04/2010 18:38

Suncream on the head here too i'm afraid, no amount of putting the hat back on when he lobs it as far away as he can seems to work for our DS.

I thought his hatred of having his hair washed would mean he would wear a hat to save us washing the cream out of his hair every night but no, he still won't wear a hat.

BertieBotts · 22/04/2010 18:40

I think up to a certain age though they won't be able to connect having to have their hair washed at bedtime with refusing to wear a hat several hours earlier.

BertieBotts · 22/04/2010 18:41

PS the spray on sun cream is the best kind for applying through hair!

BirdyBedtime · 23/04/2010 16:00

Having exactly the same problem with 15 mo DS at the moment. Have been searching high and low for a reasonably priced hat with a strap but without much success. I resorted to going to the local fabric shop and buying some elastic, sewing it onto his cheap Tesco bucket hat for a make-do strap. DH informs me it is working today as he is at home and they are in the garden. Another thing that might work (but look fairly pants) is a muslin tied like a headscarf round the back of her head (probably depends on the shape of her head and amount of hair whether that will stay put. It's been an issue for both of ours as both have/had very little fine, fair hair and I can't bear the sunscreen in their hair.

bran · 23/04/2010 16:10

When DS was little I had a shade-a-babe on the pushchair. When he wanted to get out of the pushchair I would hold that hat up and say "hat or pushchair" then put the hat on him. If he took the hat off then he went back in the pushchair for a minute, no pleading or cajoling or threats. Then out of the pushchair and hat back on. Repeat until he gets it.

I was reluctant to use straps once he was walking as he used to love to climb things and I worried about him getting the hat hooked on something and making the straps block his airway.

clown7 · 23/04/2010 21:53

I found a great hat with a strap with a really wide brim in Boots yesterday. So far it has passed the staying on test with my 16 month Dts, which is remarkable for DD particularly as she is a pulling-her-hat-off-demon. She fought with the hat for at least 30min today and it still remained on her head.

FlyingChick · 04/05/2010 22:40

There's lots of really pretty hats for girls and interesting ones for boys as well on www.justkidshats.co.uk.

Hats come with a variety of ways to keep the hat on your kids head - chin straps, integrated toggle pulls, elasticated backs... You should find one to suit your situation.

My son has always worn a hat since a baby. I had to keep putting it back on his head when it came off but now he is 6 years old and won't be without his sun hat! I found legionnaire hats suited him best as they have elastic to hold them on the kids head and no distracting ties to fiddle with or pull undone.

Good luck!

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