Ok so I've tried tying on hats with strings and mitts with strings but my dd is not at the age where they can understand that they need to keep a hat and mitts on to go outside. And it's such a struggle to get it on them in the first place! I mean, if I say, if you don't keep your hat on we won't go outside, she doesn't understand that yet. Tips anyone?

I am guessing it is VERY cold in Canada right now. I don't know how you could solve this problem other than to put her in a onepiece suit with a hood that ties in front that has hands on it. Do they even make them?
The only other suggestion I can offer is to just let her get cold and then maybe she'll learn to leave the hat and mittens alone. How old is she?

Would threatening to take away her favourite toy work?

Right now it is around zero where I am. My dd is 1.5 years old. She has just grown out of her coat that she wore last year that has the mitts attached to it. Hopefully as she grows older she will learn she has to keep her hat and mitts on!

I had struggles with Dd about keeping her hat on...now it's not as cold here in Oregon...but she still needs to keep it on. At first I would tell her no when she went to take it off, and then if she did take it off, i would put it back on her head the first time with another verbal warning. The second time she took it off, she would get a hand spanking. She still takes her hats off when we are inside sometimes, but she knows now if she's outside, she needs to have her hat on. I just found some mittens of hers, and she likes them a lot, so she keeps them on, but I do have a snowsuit that has footies and mittens attached, and it's an 18 month size, so I am sure they have bigger sizes. The mittens on her snowsuite snap on, so she can't get them off if she wanted too.
Even if she doesn't understand the reason for her having to wear her hat and mittens, there is no reason she can't understand obeying you. My Dd is 14 months, and she knows when she is doing something I told her not to do. I think you might want to look at it as more of an obedience thing other than an understanding why on her part thing. I don't know if I would really let her get cold to see if she would keep her things on, it's possible she would put two and two together, but who wants to deal with a cold 1 1/2 year old....I would try and get her to obey before I let her get cold.
That's my two cents, I hope you find something that works....zero degrees is a bit cold!! :-D

Amber

Thank you for your perspective. I appreciate it. I will try to look at it that way from now on and hopefully it will get better. Thanks again.

Both my boys were born in warmer weather & hate to wear hats, but now Blake is enthused about mittens at least. Some of my friends who put hats on their babies daily from birth have no trouble with them when they're older. I guess I was never really into sun hats on newborns either (just tried to keep them out of the sun), although in hind sight I think it would have helped them to like hats if nothing else. I always think all those baby bucket hats are so cute, but never could do it with mine! :( :(