Sunhats

[sunnydays]

Any tips on how to keep the kids from pulling their sunhats off every ten seconds? I'm a new provider and I don't remember having this problem so much with my own three kids, but maybe it's the kind of hats. I am constantly putting hats back on!

[small town provider]

Depends on the age. With my 5 month old, I am constantly putting it back on. With the older kids, I do the same as with the mittens in the winter, if they want to play outside they have to wear them.

[playfelt]

With our own kids we had hats that had strings to be tied up. Same for jackets - the hats stayed on because of the strings.

Make sure the hats are big enough and therefore coming down far enough on the head without being so big they fall off if child barely moves. There are some styles that do stay on better - the ones that resemble those used in desert areas with the piece of cloth down the back wrap around the head pretty good. At this point in the year asking them to have a hooded sweater helps as the hood holds the hat on.

You can sometimes have some success using an elastic headband to hold the hat on. This works well for the really little ones and for the older ones it is a matter of instilling the rule "no hat no play" Designate a spot in the shade to sit - a stool works well for this. Repeated abuse and the parents are asked for a windbreaker type coat with adjustable hooks at the sides of the hat that I can tighten.

My issue is the parents that want the toddlers to wear glasses but won't spend the money on the proper baby glasses that have the velcro strap around the back so they buy the cheaper ones and the kids just play with them, poke themselves or others with them as they take them off and on or they fall off and on. This summer I am going to insist on the proper glasses or non at all because the safety becomes my responsibility. Besides the yard is 3/4 shaded when we are out there so sun in the eyes is a minimal issue.

[mom-in-alberta]

I found when my kids were little that the sunhats HAD to have a velcro or tie up strap in order to stay on their heads. A good fit is also important. Nobody wants to wear a hat that keeps falling into the eyes, or on the other hand, is squeezing their little head!
My thoughts on the sunglasses: if they are wearing a proper hat (which is preferable) they don't need to wear the glasses. In fact, through personal experience, I would rather not put sunglasses on little ones.

[sunnydays]

I agree about the sunglasses; I really don't think they are necessary and are just a hassle. A good hat is all that is needed (plus sunscreen).

[playfelt]

"New" mothers have been bombarded by the scare that their child can get cancer and other eye maladies if they get too much sun in the eyes from the ultraviolet rays or whatever. Which means unless they have the super expensive sunglasses they are compounding the problem anyways with the cheap ones.