himespau 

I bought a trailer to hook to my bike (Croozer Kid for 2) so I could pull my 1 year old daughter around on bike rides (and also so I could pull her to her day care as the first step of my commute to work).

The trailer is nice because it can convert easily to a stroller or jogging stroller, so I can pull it to the day care, slap a wheel on the front and my wife (who works nearby) can walk it home.

The problem with this is my daughter screams and cries (and pretty much just freaks out) when I try to put the helmet on her. I don't want her to associate fear with riding and never want to go with me, so I'm looking for suggestions as to how to get her used to it.

We've tried walking and jogging with her in the trailer (no helmet) and she seems happy enough, so we're trying to get her used to it.

The few times I've pulled her in the bike with her helmet on: (1) the first time she was upset, for maybe 2-3 blocks, then calmed down, then managed to pull the helmet off before the end of the short 3-4 mile ride; (2) on a longer ride was upset again for maybe a block then calmed down for maybe 6 miles and was almost asleep, then I stopped to help a family that had problems with one of their kids' bikes and she got upset and was crying the whole mile home; (3) got so upset we turned around after 2 blocks; (4) and then this morning was pretty calm on the way to day care (only a mile or so) but when we got there I found out she'd pulled her helmet off somewhere on the way.

It's not just this helmet, she tries to pull off any hat you put on her (always has), but the response is much worse with this helmet. I can't feel anything sharp or pokey inside.

Any suggestions? My next plan is to try putting the helmet on her for short periods at home so she gets used to it.

BartJ

I think your plan about trying it at home is a good one. Try to make a game out of it somehow. Maybe get some stickers or something you and she can put on each other's helmets. Any other children? Maybe you could all put your helmets on and have a helmet party? Trying to remember what my girls were like at 1. Long time ago!

himespau 

Stickers is a good idea. Maybe she and Mommy can do that as they like to put stickers on each other. No other kids and she's just 13 months, so I'm not sure how much she "gets" when I try to tell her something. Hopefully it gets more fun for her as time goes by.

Lieren

My suggestion: figure out how she's getting the helmet off, fix that, and then ignore the screaming.

I have a 5 and 2 y.o. We take them to daycare in the trailer every day, just as you describe. When we introduced them to helmets (the older at about your daughter's age, the younger at 8 months), they hated the helmet so much one parent had to hold down their little flailing arms while the other strapped the helmet on. Now all we have to say is "get your helmets!" and they run to put them on themselves. We didn't bother "selling" the helmet, we just consistently every day put it on their heads, strapped them into the trailer, made noncommittal soothing sounds over the screaming, and after a couple weeks the protests stopped. I really wouldn't worry about her associating her current hatred of the helmet with a hatred of biking. Nor would I bother with wearing the helmet at home--I think that's asking for tears with no payoff (i.e., going somewhere) and that helmets should be associated with biking.

Oh, and one final thought: does she have the skater-type helmet, that's rounded in the back? In our trailer (Chariot), that type of helmet is far more comfortable than the style of helmet that comes to a little point--the latter style forces the kid's head forward in an awkward manner. While I think your situation falls into the category of "this too shall pass," it could be that the helmet is contributing to a more global discomfort.

Good luck!

jakub.ner

Are you required by law to put a helmet on your daughter when she's in a trailer when riding in Massachusetts?

In Ontario it's not required by law unless on a bicycle.

My son (now 2+) hated his helmet last year. Which simply meant he wouldn't go on tricycle rides when he was fussy. He always saw me wearing a helmet and he loved playing with the lights. Eventually he started putting my helmet on. After that it was no problem, one day my wife sent me a picture of him wearing his helmet proudly. She said he just put it on. Now he demands it .

I don't put a helmet on him when he's in the trailer. Have you looked in your trailer and considered how uncomfortable the protrusions must make it on the back support? Our trailer has seat belts and essentially a roll cage.

himespau 

I don't know what the law says about kids in the trailer, but I don't think my wife is going to let her ride without one. There is some sort of roll bar in the frame (it's modeled after a chariot cougar), but she really wants her to have the helmet on.

My daughter is getting it off because it's too lose. One time I got her to sit still long enough to tighten it up on her head, but then she got upset that ride and there were light red marks on her forehead after I took it off so I thought it was too tight and loosened it up a bit. Too much apparently, but this was the first morning I got it on her without her fighting it. I gave her a book to read after putting her in the trailer and she sort of forgot that I was putting the helmet on her and was happy the mile or so to her daycare (until I tried to leave, but that's a whole different story).

I'm hoping that means she's slowly getting used to it.

The helmet is rounded in back (not pointed, so hopefully that's not causing too much of the problem. I do also wonder if it's a bit heavy for her as her head is often leaning forward/down when I look back at her. On the other hand she's also looking at her book and the sun is sometimes in her face so that could be part of it too.

idoru2005

My daughter's first bike experience was on a Front-mounted bike seat. First time on the bike she hated the helmet (off the bike ). But once I got her strapped in and rolling, she had completely forgotten about the helmet because she was fascinated by actually riding on the bike.

I would imaging that the OP's kid is not getting distracted by the world around her enough to forget she's wearing a helmet. As soon as we started using a Burley trailer, however, my kid didn't want to use her helmet.

This is how I dealt with it (she was maybe 1.5 years old at the time): I told her firmly "No helmet, no bike" and I walked back towards the house. She got the message and said (as best a 1.5 year old can) "bike bike bike", then she allowed me to put the helmet on.

For a kid that young, you have to keep it simple " NO HELMET , NO BIKE" end of story.

SuncoastChad

We had a rule with seat belts in the car: buckle of we ain't going nowhere! Unbuckle and I stop the car! If she wants to go with you she will need to wear the helmet -- assuming you and the spouse are in agreement.
At one, it's tough to get that across. Some times you may just need to not ride with her, or not ride at all.
As we used to ask ourselves "Who's the adult here?"

himespau 

Sort of a follow up. If you're somewhere with a trailer, how do you lock it up so it doesn't get stolen?

Youaintgotjack

I let my son wear his around the house and help him associate it with fun things. We also do the "unless you do this" you are not getting "that" routine- which works.

idoru2005

When we go on a family outing with the bikes, we bring a Ulock for each bike, and a cable lock for the trailer. The cable should be long enough to thread through at least one wheel, through some part of the trailer's frame, and long enough to reach something solid to lock up to (like one of the bike frames). Lock the bikes up with your U-locks as you usually do, then attach your trailer's cable to one of the ulocks if possible. A 6' cable should work fine. All of these are heavy, but then again, you just throw all of it into the back of the trailer when riding....

himespau 

Yeah, I was figuring I'd get a cable lock with loops on both ends so that I could run it through at least one of the wheels around and then through my usual u lock I like do to attach my wheel that's not through the u lock currently (right now when locking up the u goes through one wheel and the frame and the cable goes through the other wheel and connects to the U).

Either that and/or getting a nutted bolt to connect the hitch to my bike rather than the quick release that's on there now. Maybe I should do both.

SonataInFSharp

My kids don't wear helmets in the trailer for three reasons: 1) Even though there are "helmet pockets", the seat backs can push the helmet into their heads; 2) Choking hazard for a kid that young. If you can't keep a constant eye on the kid, if the helmet isn't constantly adjusted absolutely perfectly, the strap can choke the kid and you wouldn't know it until it's too late; 3) the trailer is a giant helmet, anyway.

I haven't even considered a helmet for the one year old yet--no way. The three year old always wears his outside of the trailer...on his trike, around the house...to bed...

SonataInFSharp

As others have said: lock through the frame of the trailer, and attached to the bike, another lock, or a bike rack.

Snydermann

It sounds like carbonite encasement would solve all of your problems.

jakub.ner

Heh, yea, I remember reading about some European statistics about kids and helmets. They couldn't show how many lives the helmets saved (if any). They could show how many kids choked and accidentally hung themselves off of trees.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle..._helmet_straps

tcs

What's her reaction when you put your helmet on?

himespau 

She laughs and thinks it's funny. I try putting mine on first and she somehow doesn't see them as the same.

ebartom

What about putting yours on her head, as a game? Is she old enough to enjoy telling you that that's your helmet, not hers? Maybe you can play a game of putting her helmet on you, and your helmet on her, and get her to agree that you should each wear your own helmets?

I think for that age group, my most effective trick is distraction. Get something that will be totally distracting -- a favorite toy, a cookie, whatever -- and give it to her after putting the helmet on. If it really doesn't feel good, she'll remember the helmet after she's done being distracted, but if she just doesn't like the idea of it, the helmet is likely to be out-of-sight, out-of-mind.

Robert C

My daughter is in her 20's. She hates her helmet too and refuses to wear one. I try to be a good example when she is home; but it doesn't work. Part of it is that the helmets just look stupid.

She wants a helmet that looks more like a hat. There is one company that makes a hat looking helmet; but, they are a European company and it is not possible to actually see one before ordering it.

tcs

Yakkay in the USA
Lazer CityZen
The Giro Section is available in a pseudo leather-look covering.

There is some sacrifice of safety for fashion. With their stylish outer coverings, these helmets will not slide along the pavement very well.

Nutcase does a large collection of helmets that, if they don't look like hats, are still whimsical/stylish.