My 16 month old son has never had a problem with the bath before...He liked to splash and play and didn't even mind his head getting wet. Then within the last week that has changed...last bath he totally lost it when I washed the shampoo out of his hair and then tonight he didn't want to get into the bath at all. When I tried to put him in he just cried and said "no no no" I finally got him to go in by going in with him but he still wasn't happy about it. I know it isn't that he is scared of the water because he loves the pool and the sprinklers. I don't really know what to do now. I am not going to get into the bath with him every time but he cries so hard like the bath is traumatizing to him (he generally isn't much of a crier). Any ideas to help him get back to loving the bath or at least tolerating it? Would love any advice or just someone to understand what we are going through. Thanks so much mamas!
When my son was that age we didn't even try to bathe him daily. We just did it every 2-3 days when it seemed like a good time. Now he is almost 3 and he gets showered/bathed daily and he loves being in the bath. It is also easier to maneuver/reason/talk him into the bath at this age. So I guess not doing it daily at this point doesn't mean it can't become a habit later on..
One thing you can know for sure, E. - there is something about the bathtub or the room that scared him badly- he is not making himself miserable just to change the pace of his day. Did he maybe slip in the tub???-- is he perhaps afraid he'll fall??? -- something happened- and he cant tell you what. I'd for sure bathe with him as much as possible - and perhaps try a mat under him so he can't fall-- it couldn't hurt ( a bath towell -- put in the tub before you start the water - would make a surface that is non-slip)Bless you all-- somehow it will come round -
J. - aka - Old Mom
THis happened to us too!! Finally I found something that worked rather painlessly. I thought, wow if only I could some how get him to come to the decision that a bath is a good idea and its HIS idea then maybe things will turn around... So I started pointing out dirt "ickies" or spots on his shirt from dinner that were "oh so yucky!" He would start looking and pointing at ickies he found then he decided he didn't really want those ickies to be on him, I'd say "Do you want to get the ickies off?" he'd shake his head, "Good! Then lets get this yucky dirty shirt off" Then we'd be onto his icky dirty pants, then the icky dirty diaper,.. and then! We found icky stink bugs all over his body that can only come off when we take a bath! Sometimes I'd have to smell his armpits or feet,.. always gets a giggle. It worked everytime! When ever he starts making a fuss I just find another dirt bug, like while washing hair.. You got to remember that if only we remember to just talk them through it all the steps, then chances are they are going to be more accepting of whats happening. Works with brushing teeth too! Now its a breeze... Sometimes I pretend to chase a sugar bug around in his mouth and say things like "OH! THERE IT GOES! ITS ON YOUR TOUNGE! STICK IT OUT LET ME GET IT!!" and by the time we're done brushing I've good and squashed it away! lol Gross but they totally relate! Hope this helps its definitely worth a try! Make sure your really animated about it,.. kids respond well to that!
You could try a couple of things: have him take a shower with his dad--give him a sitz bath for a while--make the water really low for a while--shampoo him outside the bath and then let him choose how deep to have the water.
My son also started hating baths around this age--very suddenly. When I was a nanny, the little girl I watched also went through this stage. I would certainly try techniques that others have mentioned, but if nothing works, know that it is a phase that will pass. It doesn't necessarily mean that something traumatic happened in the bath. My son would literally scream his head off and try to climb out of the tub. I had to reduce bathtimes to once per week and get my husband to help me so we could do it as quickly as possible. Now, at just past 2, he no longer screams, but he still doesn't enjoy like he used to, just tolerates. Just have patience--it will pass
That is almost exactly what happened with my first son! He absolutely loved baths and the water when all of a sudden, he screamed like crazy and refused to sit down in the bathtub. I think it is a phase kids go through at a certain age. We ended up giving him showers with little water running through the shower nozzle and letting him play with it while standing up. We also bought him some fun bathtoys to play with which he chose at the store. It took a few months, but he ended up getting over it and is fine. Just hang in there and know that it will come to an end! :)
It sounds like your son may have gotten shampoo in his eyes. It's also uncomfortable for children to have soapy water roll over their faces. I have a couple of suggestions for you.
1. See if you can find an organic baby shampoo and try it first yourself. Does it sting your eyes?
2. In the tub, soap your child's head with a tiny amount of gentle organic shampoo - don't make a lot of lather- then when it's time to rinse let him hold a dry wash cloth over his eyes. Then you very carefully hold his head in the water being careful to keep most of his face and head out of the water as you slowly wash the shampoo out of his hair with your other hand. Your job is to keep that wash cloth from getting wet.
Before I tried laying my son back in the tub for the rinse I tried pouring water over his head and too much of it rolled down over his wash cloth.
3. Tell your child what the plan is and how he can help make sure the shampoo doesn't get on his face or in his eyes. I think he might just understand. I washed my son's hair this way until he wouldn't let me see him naked anymore.
E.,
I'm smiling as I read your post. I teach swim lessons to children 6 months to 5 years old. There is one thing that I tell my parents of the 2 and younger crowd: There are 3 times when your child will. not. back float. 1) when they learn to crawl they will not float. 2) when they learn to walk they will not float. 3) when they turn two they will not do anything.
Try taking a shower with him for a bit, or let him play in the running water from the tap. Or see if he'll do better with Daddy washing him up.
My daughter is almost 2 1/2, has been "swimming" since she was 8 months old, and still hates water running over her face and in her eyes. I'm there, I understand.
Hope this helps,
Melissa
E.:
I have not personally been through this but my niece went through that phase as well. It just slowly passed with time. I think you are doing everything just fine & soon your child will begin to LOVE bathing again. One thing I did just for the convenience of myself was purchasing one of the removable shower heads. I did this because I am expecting again & thought it would be an easy way to rinse baby off one last time after she's been bathed, well both my kids. My daughter actually LOVES to use that on herself to rinse off her shampoo & her body soap. I think it makes her feel like a "big" girl. She's 3 turning 4. Sometimes I will turn on the shower & let her have the shower head as she baths just to keep her a little entertained. I allow her to rinse herself by telling her where to wash off. I also purchased the foam alphabet & numbers for her to play with & stick on the walls. She seems to LOVE those too. Those two things have made bath time SUPER DUPER easy for me... it might just work for you & your child as well. :)
One other thing I have tried was buying the washable wall paints for the bath... those are nice BUT can be a little messy. That maybe something your child might enjoy as well.
GOOD LUCK!
Maybe you should run the bath a little cooler for a while, he might be used to the cooler water with all of the swimming and sprinkler running he has been doing. My kids are always telling me the bath is too hot because they like it on the cool side during the summer months. Have you ever thought of washing him outside with the hose? I have done that a couple of times with my two and they got a kick out of it. Now they wouldn't dream of washing in that cold of water but when they were 2 and 4 they didn't care. (It was like a navy shower so they weren't in the cold water the whole time, and it was hot out)
I disagree with the mom that asserts 'something happened'. My son is in the middle of this phase right now. Distraction works the best. I get him to 'help' me pour water from one cup to another - after he's busy he enjoys the bath. I think the resistance is mostly because he hates getting water in his face - so we do our best to keep it from running down when we wash his hair.
Maybe some new bath books,games or toys would help? Good luck!
We had this happen over a year ago - I got lots of great advice - what wound up working - myself and my husband had been giving her a bath - then I left the room and she was fine - we spent weeks trying to work through stuff - my in the bath with her and all of this stuff ultimately. Bath time with daddy is what worked.
Here is the link of answers I got.
http://www.mamasource.com/request/7418865322582605825
