bathtime trauma at 10 months

[rosie and joe's mummy]

I think here's as good a place as any to ask this.

rosie always used to love bathtimes. BUT in the last few weeks she's started getting really upset about it. she screams when you carry her into the bathroom and gets really hysterical when you put her in the bath (she's in the big tub, in a bath seat - I have also tried her without the seat and it still happens). if you play with her for a few minutes with the bubbles, or toys she calms down and it's ok to wash her, but I really don't understand what's going on.

she's gone from loving the bath to hating it.

the only thing I can pinpoint is that we went away for a week with the inlaws, and my mother in law bathed her a couple of times, and it does seem to have started then.

any suggestions on what to do about it?  she used to have a bath as part of her bedtime routine, but it's become such a trauma for us I'm only doing it once or maybe twice a week.

[Mum to cool dude]

DS went through a spell of this lately. I got round by going in the bath with him. You can play a bit together then get out or quickly wash her, get out and let her relax in the water. We do the bath in the morning now over the weekend, because we suspect that he gets a bit too carried away playing in the water before bed time ! If Rosie is getting tired at the end of the day, she's not in the best of mood to face the bath if she doesn't want it anymore

[rosie and joe's mummy]

you might be right there. I've been trying to avoid it if she's looking tired. I suppose she's a lot more mobile now as well, so must be getting herself a lot more tired.  I might try getting in with her too, make it more fun. thanks! xx

[Erin M]

I've also heard that people have let their LOs go in the bath without the water to get used to it that way at first.  Seems like something that a lot of LOs go through, I think I've heard of people having the most success by getting in the tub with their LOs - or one person mentioned that they had their DH get in the tub and had a great time taking a bath so that their LO would want to get back in and join in on the fun -- might work if she won't even get in the tub.

[rosie and joe's mummy]

well hopefully, the thing is she loved getting in the tub before this stupid trip with the in laws. it's not that i've tried her in the big tub and she's not used to it yet, she's been going in the big tub for about 5/6 months now. 

I'm going to try getting in with her tonight.