Help Getting Daughter to wear Helmet

[lattelover]

We are excited to get started riding as a family. We have a Burley attached to my bike for my daughter and my son is on a Trail-A-Bike with my hubby. Problem: 20 month old daughter screams bloody murder and tries like hell to get her helmet off the ENTIRE time. I've tried distracting her (that helped me get it on her, but once she realized what was up, she wanted nothing to do with it), tried giving her snacks, toys, books, etc.

Anyone have any great ideas I can try to get her more comfortable with wearing the helmet? We have all the pieces in place to have some really great family time on the weekends, and this is our X-factor.

Help!

Thanks so much in advance...
Cyndie

[KSH]

Have you tried making it into a game with putting it on? In the house, outside of the typical scenario where you put the helmet on her.

You can play with yours and she can play with hers. Maybe you two can make believe you are some kind of "professional" who has to wear a helmet... and you have to put it on to go work. Like you are playing police man or something?

Along with the game, what about sitting down and decorating the helmet. Get her stickers, stuff to glue on there... and make a game out of decorating it. You could even glue a little crown on it to make it really cool. If she decorates it and plays with it in the house, she won't be unwilling to put it on when you go ride.

[OakLeaf]

Just be careful of what glue you use, since many glues degrade EPS. Definitely no Krazy Glue.

[sundial]

Get her stickers, stuff to glue on there... and make a game out of decorating it.

Glue ponytails on it. Craft stores will carry these items in the doll making section. Try using hot glue on the helmet.

[spokewench]

Just making sure - does the rest of the family wear helmets? If not, you are fighting a losing battle.

[lattelover]

Oh my gosh, yes! We all wear helmets. Hubby is a former racer. Son has worn a helmet since being in the burley. He never had a problem with it. Loved it from the minute we got it for him.

I like the idea of decorating it, but she's still a bit young to grasp that concept. I guss a Dora helmet might do the trick. Maybe we'll go shopping after nap time...

Thanks for the tips, and keep 'em coming!

Cyndie

[Irulan]

I guess I'm the evil mom. At our house, she'd be given a choice. She wants to come, she wears a helmet, period. Or, the other choice is stay with the baby sitter ( get the not-fun one)

Another tough love option. Buckle her in screaming and all, and she will either get distracted by the ride and/or fall asleep. She'd probably either get used to it after that or cease to complain.

[lovelylibrarian]

We are excited to get started riding as a family. We have a Burley attached to my bike for my daughter and my son is on a Trail-A-Bike with my hubby. Problem: 20 month old daughter screams bloody murder and tries like hell to get her helmet off the ENTIRE time. I've tried distracting her (that helped me get it on her, but once she realized what was up, she wanted nothing to do with it), tried giving her snacks, toys, books, etc.

Anyone have any great ideas I can try to get her more comfortable with wearing the helmet? We have all the pieces in place to have some really great family time on the weekends, and this is our X-factor.
Cyndie

I wish I could get my 33 year old husband to wear a helmet when we MTN bike. Maybe the same suggestions would work for him!

[kelownagirl]

My daughter was like that with the carseat for awhile. I just made here sit there and let her scream because there was no way I'd give in.

I think what I'd do is do a whole bunch of short trips - 5-10 minutes at most. Maybe every day for a week. Make her wear it, ignore the screaming, and have a short ride. Then helmet off, praise for wearing it, praise for screaming less today or whatever. I'm pretty sure that she'll give up the screaming in a day or two if once she realizes that it's not having an impact.

I liked the idea of having the helmet in the house as a toy for awhile as well. You could both wear them while you cook dinner or play with other toys together, LOL... Glad I don't have toddlers in the house anymore....

[Irulan]

I wish I could get my 33 year old husband to wear a helmet when we MTN bike. Maybe the same suggestions would work for him!

I really hope you are kidding.
Take him to the next public lecture at your local hospital on "easily preventable head injuries".

Maybe if he knew that every single rider that passes him on the trail is saying themselves, "god what an idiot" - perhaps that would have some impact.

No sympathy, sorry. I've seen helmet save lives and prevent very serious injury, both to myself and others.

[lovelylibrarian]

I really hope you are kidding.
Take him to the next public lecture at your local hospital on "easily preventable head injuries".

Maybe if he knew that every single rider that passes him on the trail is saying themselves, "god what an idiot" - perhaps that would have some impact.

No sympathy, sorry. I've seen helmet save lives and prevent very serious injury, both to myself and others.

He's stubborn as a MULE I tell you. He won't wear a helmet when snowboarding either. I'll keep working on him. He keeps telling me that the chance of falling on your head in a way that a helmet will actually help is minimal. I ALWAYS wear a helmet.

[smurfalicious]

He's stubborn as a MULE I tell you. He won't wear a helmet when snowboarding either. I'll keep working on him. He keeps telling me that the chance of falling on your head in a way that a helmet will actually help is minimal. I ALWAYS wear a helmet.

Yeah I'd stop riding with him. I don't want to be the one who has to frantically ride into cell coverage to call 911 to haul someone's butt out! I can sacrifice a jersey to stop bleeding, but uh, I don't want to be the first responder to a head injury.

I wish I still had the helmet I cracked. SadieKate can tell you all about my poorly executed showing off that did that. Fortunately the helmet cracked, not my skull, and only my pride was injured. I rode home humbled and humiliated, not in a helicopter. Oh why did she have to bring the hot racer boys? I would have been so mild mannered without them there.

[OakLeaf]

+1 on not riding with him. I admit I don't know from mountain bikes, but I don't think the physics are any different from road bikes - and road bikes have a habit of throwing a person violently on their head.

I'm alive today (or at least rational) because of a helmet I was wearing when I stuck a pedal in a corner - as it was, I was out cold for 25 minutes. A couple of years ago I had a brain f*rt and rode off the edge of a bike path. Even though I was barely scraped and not even bruised, my head smacked the pavement pretty hard - enough that I had a headache the next day - and it would've been a significant TBI if I'd been bareheaded. It could as easily have been a log or a rock on an unpaved surface, or a paved path a MTBer would use to get to the trail.

[Nokomis]

He's stubborn as a MULE I tell you. He won't wear a helmet when snowboarding either. I'll keep working on him. He keeps telling me that the chance of falling on your head in a way that a helmet will actually help is minimal. I ALWAYS wear a helmet.

Does he wear a seatbelt in the car?

I'd sabbotage his bike w/ the helmet, so that he Has to unclip it from the wheel before he can ride, and thus no excuse since it was in his hand to start with.

[Zen]

He's stubborn as a MULE I tell you.

Ask him if he wants you to have to take care of him when he suffers a debillatating head injury.
Does he want you to worry yourself sick while he's hooked up to this and that in ICU?
Does he want you to have to drive him to daily physical therapy sessions?
The list goes on. sit his heiney down and have a serious chat.