How do you keep a hat on a toddler?

[wencit]

Help! My son keeps taking off his hats, but I don't want his little scalp to get sunburned. Even when he tries on the kind with a strap that goes under his chin, he manages to pull it off in 5 seconds. Anyone have any tips (aside from superglue ;)) to help me keep my hat on my son? Summer's just around the corner, and I'm worried about burning his head.

Thanks!

[BeachBum]

We use the Hanna Anderssen brimmed hats that tie. He doesn't even try to take them off for some reason.

[needscaffeine]

When ds was a baby (he's 8 now) I bought a hat from Baby Gap that had a snap on the strap and he couldn't get it off although he certainly tried. I don't know where to get that kind of hat now but it was effective.

[Tondi G]

Good Luck! I'd love to know too. Neither of my boys would wear hats past maybe 10 months.... then my older one finally started wearing them again when he was maybe 3 or 4! get some spray on sunscreen... neutrogena makes a nice one!

[Melanie]

Put them on from the time they are so little that they cannot remove them, so they just get used to it. Ds did go through a phase around 9 months, but I just kept trying. Now he loves them!

[shburks]

We started hats with ds very young and he never took to them. Even the ones that snap or tie under the chin he either gets off or nearly chokes himself to death trying! We live in Hawaii, so I certainly understand your concerns about head burning. No advice though...I finally just gave up. I'm going to try a baseball cap style soon and see how that works.

Sorry...no help!

Susan

[tigeratty]

Honestly, what works best is for everyone else in the family to also wear a hat. He is much more likely to want to wear one too. Winter hat has been no problem, so maybe that will continue with ball caps. However, once they are a toddler, no more straps or ties, so we'll see.

Oh, and at this age they start liking and disliking things and character. I guess a hat with Elmo that he wears is better than no hat at all, LOL.

[betsydenny]

I was just reading about this in the SuperNanny book. Her response is: put it back on, they take it off, you put it back on, they take it off, you put it back on and so on.

I guess it works like the naughty corner- they eventually give up. You just have to be persistant.

HTH!
Betsy

[snowangel]

Yep, persistence, persistence, persistence. That's all it takes. You just keep putting it back on. ie there is NO other choice. It will take a couple of days, but they get the point!

[blueeyedb]

I've found that if DS is distracted when I put the hat on (like he's playing with daddy and I slip the hat on), he will keep it on for quite awhile. It's only when he knows that I am putting it on that he rips it right off. He still won't keep it on forever, but it usually stays on for an hour or two.

[Dcclerk]

I think I am just a hardass about it, so they are used to it. I've always started since they were little, so it isn't that much of a big deal.

However, when they each went through a phase of protesting their hats, I gave them a choice. Either, you wear your hat and sunglasses, or you don't get to play outside. After a couple times testing to see if I actually meant what I said, they were pretty compliant. I also let them go hat shopping, and have a variety of hats for them to choose. Somehow it is a more do-able proposition if they get to choose which one they are going to wear. My daughter has come up with some fashion choices that make me cringe, but she is still being protected, so I let it go. :)

[sweetpea]

We started a no going outside unless you wear a hat rule as soon as dd was old enough to try and tug hers off. Unfortunately she's now old enough to yell "Mom, hat!" at me whenever we go out so I have to wear one too now. And I look like such a pin-head in hats, lol.