Help Getting Daughter to wear Helmet

**lattelover** · 06-23-2008, 02:13 PM

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** · 06-23-2008, 02:23 PM

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** · 06-23-2008, 02:40 PM

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

**sundial** · 06-23-2008, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by KSH

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** · 06-23-2008, 02:52 PM

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

**lattelover** · 06-23-2008, 02:56 PM

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** · 06-23-2008, 05:30 PM

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** · 06-23-2008, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by 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.
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** · 06-23-2008, 05:46 PM

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** · 06-23-2008, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by lovelylibrarian

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.

**Flybye** · 06-23-2008, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

I would try persuasion for about 5 minutes and then go for Irulan's technique. I'd even go as far as to leave her screaming in the driveway while we rode off (like a total of 20 feet) to help her understand. Then I'd put her on the bike and the second she started fussing, take her off, put her down, and head out again. It will only take 3-4 times of this and she'll get the idea. I would ONLY do this in a no traffic area, of course. We are near the end of a dead end street.

I teach parenting courses on occasion, and I tend to find that if we try to hard to please a fussy kid, we end up teaching them that their crying behavior can be a way to manipulate adults to get what they want. Having said that, each child is so different. Some you can reason with, some you can persuade, and some are just more strong willed. It is the strong willed ones who really figure out that the crying and fussing is a great way to manipulate events to go their way. Just ask me - I was one spoiled hombre!

One other thing that came to mind is to get a doll/stuffed animal and put the helmet on it before it gets on the bike with her. She's pretty little, but might understand that the doll/animal needs it to be safe, just like her.

**mimitabby** · 06-23-2008, 06:33 PM

Flybye, YOU ROCK!

great ideas!

**oxysback** · 06-23-2008, 07:59 PM

You've gotten some great suggestions!

The only thing I'd add (maybe as a last resort) is to make sure the end destination is a fun place, like the park or a stop for some ice cream. If that didn't work, I'd go so far as to have your hubby or son call from the destination on a cell phone to make sure your daughter knew what fun she was missing out on or how delicious the ice cream tasted. You know, really play it up so next time she won't want to miss out on wherever you're riding to. But really hammer the idea home that she won't be able to go unless she wears her 'big girl helmet'.

Let us know how it goes!

**Kano** · 06-23-2008, 08:23 PM

When the helmet is on, ride.

When she escapes from the helmet, stop and put it back on.

Xander (grandson) was a little older than your daughter when we started him with a bike helmet. He thought it was great fun to wear a helmet like Grandpa, and ride in the trailer. He DID try to take it off a couple of times, though, and when he did, we stopped the ride.

Rion didn't like the helmet at all when we got him a helmet. He was outraged about the whole idea too. He was younger than your daughter at the time. Recently, we got a couple of bikes at a garage sale to have around here for the boys to ride on when they're visiting. It's easier than having to schlep bikes over to the house for the day! Anyway, Rion was pretty excited about the "hemet" and wanted to put it on himself. He also wanted to do the "seatbelt" himself. (well, it IS like the seatbelts in shopping carts!)

He won't get on the bike yet, but he'll push it around the driveway wearing his helmet, giving his favorite stuffed monkey a ride!

Maybe it's just an age thing -- when she's ready, she'll be ready!

Karen in Boise

**ilima** · 06-24-2008, 01:45 AM

Originally Posted by Irulan

Or, the other choice is stay with the baby sitter ( get the not-fun one)

I like this option. Gives the kid a choice.

When I was a kid (like 2-3 years old), I refused to go to bed and wanted to stay up. My parents decided fine, I could stay up, but then promptly went to bed themselves. Not too long after, they heard the pitter patter of my feet heading down the hall to my bedroom.

Perhaps if the helmet is uncomfortable, you could also take her helmet shopping and try them on. Would a cap or bandana underneath make it more comfortable for her?

Please note the following disclaimer--I own two dogs and have no kids.

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