With the weather heating up Lisa Clegg shares her top tips on putting hats on babies and toddlers and keeping them there!

 

Lisa Clegg, The Blissful Baby Expert, is a mum to 3 children aged 12, 9 and 4 years old, works full time as a Maternity nurse and writes her own blog.

Have you encountered it with your baby or toddler?

I bet every one of you at some point has gone through a phase with your little one, where they are determined NOT to wear any kind of hat you attempt to put onto their head.

They need to wear a sunhat when they are exposed to hot sun and a warm hat on cold winter days so what should you do?

Here are some helpful tips to try;

*For younger babies a hat that fastens under their chin can make it more difficult for them to pull off and therefore less likely to try-particularly if you use your distraction skills well.

*If they pull it off, put it back on again and try to distract with a toy or getting them to focus their attention on something else. It may only last a minute or two initially before they pull it off, but keep putting it back on and repeating the process. Who has the most stamina in this game? If you persevere they will eventually learn that you will continue to put it on, so they may as well leave it there anyway.

*For Toddlers-let them choose a hat for themselves that they are happy to wear-ones with a favourite character they like usually go down well.

*Offer a treat or a reward as an incentive for them keeping their hat on if they keep taking it off. Stick to your agreement and use positive praise to encourage them.

*Be a good role model. If it’s hot or cold and you want your baby or toddler to wear a hat then you wear one too and encourage older siblings to as well.

*Make putting the hat on as part of your routine before you go out of the house each time. If your baby or toddler knows that having the hat on is as essential as having their shoes on from an early age, on very hot or cold days, they will be less likely to resist something you have taught them is normal anyway.

Once they are ready with their hat on then it will be time to go out!

*A light baseball cap style hat put on backwards (so the peak is at the back of their head) can mean they don’t notice it’s on their head as easily. Sometimes us parents have to be sneaky!

*For goodness sake don’t mention the ‘H’ word once it’s on! It reminds them they forgot to take it off for the fifteenth time and the whole on/off game starts all over again!

And if all else fails…

In the summer, cover them in sun factor spray regularly on their face and head-you can buy sun protection that can be sprayed in the hair and washed out at the end of the day. Ensure they stay in the shade as much as possible if not wearing a hat to protect them from the risk of sun stroke, which is much higher without a sunhat on.

And in the Winter,…

With babies, an all in one suit with a built in hood makes it very difficult for them to pull off any hat you put on underneath their hood. A double layer of protection on their head which makes it harder for them to get through to pull off the first hat at least!

Toddlers can always be encouraged to keep their hat on with positive praise and rewards. Some may prefer the idea of a set of warm ear muffs-it’s a compromise you may be willing to make instead of the hat…

Good luck!

 

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