Baths

[cymonguk]

Phoebe is 13 mo old, and absolutely despises having a bath. Up until about 8 mo old she loved having a bath, but ever since she effectively screams the whole time you put her in the bath. We have tried giving her a shower, putting her in small baby bath, the full size bath, toys, splashing, and none of it seems to make any difference. I think it may be related to hair washing but obviously this needs to be done, but now she screams even when we arent washing her hair.

Anybody any ideas?

She loves swimming, and can swim with just armbands, so its not a fear of water...

[mari]

Try not washing her hair for a few nights, it's not that dirty so she will be ok for a while,  just to get her used to enjoying a bath again,  if she gets the hang of it, perhaps you could try and get her to wash her own hair, just a trick that helped with DS.

[cymonguk]

we have tried not washing her hair, but she just stands and screams as you pick her up..

I might try seeing of she will wash her own hair though

[Mom2katiebug]

Can you try doing it at a different time during the day?  She might realize that it's the beginning of the winddown to bedtime and be protesting cuz she's not ready for the fun to be over. 

Have also read that this is fairly common and some have suggested going back to a sponge bath until the LO is ready to go back to the tub.

[cymonguk]

Thanks, I am not sure its about bedtime as Phoebe tends to be quite happy going to bed, usually because by the time she goes she is absolutely whacked out, and asks for her bed which is much comfier than daddy!

Hopefully its a phase and she will come back out of it.

[Mum to cool dude]

Have you tried going in the bath with her ?

[cymonguk]

I havent tried a bath for a while with her, last time didnt go well she just clung to me. I have tried having a shower with her, and in fact this is largely the only way she will get clenaed at the moment and then she clings to me and uses her strength to push against the wall to try and stop me turning her into the water...

It has obviously become a phobia for her which sounds awful, but I am stuck for how to fix it for now.


 

[sa]

try put a cloth over the showerhead and rub the showerhead over her body. that's how i wash my ds' hair at the moment since he suddenly fear of hair washing at 21 month.

if this fail, just use a wet cloth to wash her for the moment then graually add more water each day.

have you tried new bath toys? ds like something to stick on the wall ..

[xxkaty23xx]

i have this problem with both of my boys, so i bought crayola bath crayons, they can be used to draw on each other, on the bath or tiles and i ask them to draw me a picture while i wash their hair, and if that fails i usually give them a sponge and ask them to put it on their head and then as they do it i pour water on their hair from behind so they dont see and they think its funny cos theyve done it themselves iykwim. The bath crayons are possibly the best 6pound ive EVER spent though, definately worth the money!!

[shimzy]

The bath coloring toys are awesome! My son had a problem with baths for a time too because he slipped out of dh's hands during one of their bath sessions and ended up under the water.

When we gave him these 'drawing' tools for the bathtub it became a forgotten memory realy quickly.

[cymonguk]

will try those she adores drawing so that might help, the trouble is getting her in the bath, but those might help, Ill have to see where I can get them!

I think it was the shampoo in the eyes, even tho we use the JOhnsons stuff, but its hard to get her anywhere near the bath

Great ideas thanks!!

[¤ Efka ¤]

But have you tried not using soap? Every day she is not probably so dirty that just water won do it and def drawings

[* Paula *]

We went through a phase like this when DS was about 10 months old, everytime he was the bath, he would scream blue murder, we just could not get him in the water.

Eventually I resorted to changing the whole situation.  I got his baby bath out, and brought it downstairs in the lounge where we filled it up with water and loads of bubbles.  I sat DS on my knee, and took his face cloth which had a cow on it and started playing peek a boo with it.  He started getting more daring, and would get off my knee and put his hands in the water.  We made it a huge game and laughed and played for nearly an hour.  I then tried to put him in, so picked him up and touched his feet in the water and quickly pulled them away and started laughing.  He thought this was really funny, and eventually we got him to sit in the baby bath.  We did not bath him that night, just let him play about with the water.

Over the next few days we kept up this routine and he was learning to love the water again. 

When he found the plug to the baby bath, and decided to pull it out and flood my living room I then then thought it was time to brave the big boy bath again - He had no problems after that.

Paula x

[cymonguk]

we have tried the baby bath upstairs but not downstairs

[* Paula *]

Might be worth a try, but word of warning, bring lots of towels