Picture this: it’s another family day – you got your baby daughter’s OOTD all set up on her bed, including all of her accessories – the cute little hairband, the fuzzy mittens, and the tiny leather boots that will go really well with your little one’s ensemble.
Finally, your baby’s all dry from her bath, and it’s time to put on her clothes. Everything fits so well – everything except the headband. Why? Because it keeps falling off of your baby’s head.
Either your baby’s hair is too slippery, the headband is just too big, or your baby hates headbands. The OOTD, of course, is ruined. You go and find another accessory to adorn her head, but alas, nothing else is cuter than that headband.
So, what do we do? Oftentimes, we just abandon the headband and proceed with our little one’s OOTD without it. It’s no big deal. Except for that mini disappointment in your head, that tells you the headband just makes the look much better.
But, what if we tell you there are plenty of tricks to keep that headband from slipping?
Yes, the rumour is true: the headband can stay on!
The Right Material for a Baby Headband
The craze that parents have for newborn accessories has gone overboard and entrepreneurs are sure to take advantage of it. They went over and beyond: selling headbands with various designs, colours, and even the material. There are plastic headbands, feather headbands, knitted headbands, and fur headbands – honestly, parents can just go nuts over this accessory.
But, more than their aesthetic value, headbands need to be safe and comfortable for babies to wear. Otherwise, what’s the point? Remember, taking care of your baby’s head is top priority over any fashion accessory at this stage.
The recommended type of headband that your baby ought to wear is one that is made with soft and stretchy material. The keyword here is soft – not too soft that it slips off your baby’s head and is soft enough to make your baby comfortable enough to wear it.
And by stretchy, we mean one that is not too stretchy that it might as well be used as a scarf for your little one and is stretchy enough that it fits snuggly on your baby’s head and does not suffocate it.
Image Source: iStock
Babies and Headbands: Start Them Young
Applying the same concept of when you’d feed vegetables to your kids when they were younger just so they get used to it and encounter no problem eating healthy as they get older, you also introduce headbands to your baby early on.
The sooner and the more frequent you wear headbands on their heads, the better they will get used to having them on their heads. No fuss, no headbands slipping down their faces.
Be their Role Model and Wear One Too
What else keeps that headband from slipping? By wearing one yourself. Your baby looks up to you as her hero. So, whatever you do, she’ll follow. Does she always see you wearing red lipstick in the morning before going to work? Yes? If so, they’ll copy you, and even start doing the same thing when they become much older themselves.
Are you always eating vegetables? There’s no surprise there. If she sees you love eating vegetables, she will follow her mom and start loving them too.
Does she always wear a headband? You know it, sis. She’s going to want to wear a headband too. Why? Because you always wear one.
The idea here is to get your daughter to want to put on headbands. When you’ve instilled that idea, the less likely it is for them to feel uncomfortable with headbands.
Moreover, though it can be frustrating, don’t make a face and get overly annoyed when your baby takes her headband off. Babies like to elicit any kind of attention, so if they realise that they’re getting your attention every time they play with their headband, they are more likely to do it again, and again.
Best Way to Put Baby’s Headband On
According to one YouTube video, the most secure way to put a headband on a baby or a toddler is to place it right before the largest portion of her head. So it’s past the forehead, but not too far, just behind the ear.
For elastic headbands (more common for babies), you want to stretch the headband as wide as you can when putting it on your baby’s head so that it won’t be uncomfortable for them if you do. Again, place it on the largest portion of the head, not too forward, but not too far back.
How to Care for Your Baby’s Hair
Taking care of your baby’s hair is another helpful step in ensuring hair accessories will stay on their head. Here are a couple of things to remember:
1. Shampooing Your Baby’s Hair
Image source: iStock
You want your baby’s hair to be strong, and one of the factors that cause it to be brittle and thin (ergo, the headband not having a strong hold on your baby’s head) is a dirty scalp. So, you ought to regularly shampoo them.
You might be asking next: do I wash my baby’s hair every day? The answer is no. By regular, we mean two or three times a week, because overwashing your baby’s head can leave their hair dry and shed off their natural oils.
Keep in mind to use mild shampoo as well. Plenty of gentle and tear-free shampoos are already on the market for babies, so make sure to get one of those. We want the baby’s bath time to be as fuss-free as possible.
2. Oil ‘Em Good
Another way of strengthening your baby’s hair is to oil them. Find a good product that not only helps in addressing your baby’s cradle cap (those yellow flakes that form on your baby’s head) but also helps in hair growth and has calming and healing properties too.
3. Combing Helps
Tangles can cause dirt build-up. So, detangling your baby’s hair can help in strengthening their hair. But, of course, there is that fear that you might be combing their hair too harshly. Try a wide-toothed and soft-bristled comb. It allows you to detangle your baby’s hair without going too harsh.
4. Use a Soft Towel to Dry of their Hair
Again, we want to be gentle with our baby’s hair, so after shampooing them, dry them off with a soft towel. For the same reason you use soft towels to dry up your hair, this step helps avoid breakage.
5. Avoid Hair Ties
There are plenty of baby hair ties that could have been cute for your tiny bundle of joy can wear, but they won’t be cute anymore if their hair starts breaking or, worse, falling off. If you really can’t get away from this type of accessory, you can use a silk headband to tie your baby’s hair back. It’s gentle and won’t pull so much off of your baby’s head.
Image Source: iStock
And there you have it. Tips on how to keep a baby’s headband from slipping.
Now, if all else fails and your baby still fusses over her headband, it’s maybe time to try other hair accessories for girls. You can always try turbans, hats, or little clips. The world does not end at headbands that don’t stay on. Your baby will still look cute and adorable no matter what you put on their head.
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