My daughter has a fear when it comes to water getting on her face SHE FLIPS/FREAKS OUT!! She doesnt like sprinklers or splashing. And it is very difficult to wash her hair. I have managed by wetting her hair with a wash cloth and rinsing it out with a wash cloth just the same. She loves the water just NOT in her face. well the method i have been using is getting more and more difficult to get her hair clean and I need tips. We have tryed the cup that sheilds her face DIdnt work no she freaks just seeing it! i have tryed covering her forhead with a reg to catch the water still no bueno. I am at a loss. Her hair is shoulder length now and lets face it dirt in the hair is VERY difficult to get out with a wash rag. ALL tips are appreciated. I dont know if it helps or is relavent but she is my water baby ( I had a water birth)
TIA
My daughter loves the water. I tryed the visors and she freaks just seeing them wont even wear them to play nothing. the mention of washing her hair makes her freak!! i have tryed over time to slow splash method she flips out and freaks and crys. I have tryed the shower thing the sink thing tilt head forward back ALLL of it over time and it seems to just be getting worse!!! I know you say eventually she will grow out of it but it really does not feel that way bc its progressivly getting worse. She startin to freak just water getting on her neck or going down her back. Its getting to the point she wont even let me was her PERIOD. Its not an independent thing bc she says no no no and starts crying even if i ask her to wash her hair or even put her hands in the water and touch her hair with a little water. It is seriously getting out of control!!! I dont know if it is something i should talk to her dr about or what but i am at my wits end I dont kno
My son like using swim goggles (not bigger snorkel goggles) in the shower, a bit of a pain to wash around but whatever gets them comfortable with water!
Have you tried one of those foam visor's?? I have seen them where its exactly what it say's it is...a visor. You can probably find them at a craft store and allow her to add her own artwork to it. It wouldn't hurt to try it anyways. My cousin's son was like this. She had him by c-section although I don't think his case was as bad as you are describing here but he is 9 or 10 now and he did eventually grow out of it. Kids are just funny like this but you just have to keep introducing it I think over a period of time-but sometimes people just have phobias for no apparant reasons. I always joke and say that in a previous life (even though I don't believe in reincarnation) I must have drowned in an ocean or something. I hate the ocean and will only go in as far as my ankles maybe to my calf but that is it. I like to be on the sand but if anyone ever tried to throw me into the ocean I would totally go ballistic. I never ever had a bad experience as a child but I also never liked it then either-I remember crying once when my mom forced me to go out in her arms so I know I ddn't like it then and I sure as heck don't like it now but I think alot of it has to do with all the crawling critters. As I say if I can't "see" through the water I'm not going in. I know how to swim VERY well so that's not the issue-I don't know what it is exactly so this might be something that your daughter may get over all on her own or it might actually be something she will have to seek help with and it's not anything you did-some people or most people and usually almost everyone has some type of phobia. Mine is the ocean/lakes, roaches, snakes, and spiders. I will totally freak out if put into certain situations with those mentioned above. Literally freak out!
We use a handheld shower attachement rather than pouring water. You can buy really expensive or really cheap ones, so look around. I think our's must have cost $20. I just have her tip her head back, and put my hand on her forehead to catch the water. At first, I kept the water well away from her face to get her to trust me. But now she is fine and we just wipe her face with a towel if we need to. Usually her face is pretty dry, And she is learning to do it herself.
I agree on the visor. I believe The First Years sells this? You might even find it at Babies R Us or Target. Just a visor for kids for just this situation. Allows you to wash hair but keep water off of their faces.
Not much help here but I can sympathize. My son was very afraid of water on his face. It is like his whole head is sensative to everything. Ear checks at the doctor are even problem. Hair cuts, blowing nose...... throat checks make him gag. It is all a problem. Sounds like you have tried everything we did. She will grow out of it. My son is 8 now and he will now take a shower and is a decent swimmer. I never would have thought that would happen a few years ago. lol.
This is a little out the box answer, but have you tried letting her participate in the hair washing. Make sure the soap is tear free of course and use a rag to wipe soap away from eyes if it drips. But my almost two year old sees her big sisters bathing themselves and she wants to do it too. I obviously have to help, but I find that when she is "washing her own hair" she is distracted and doesn't flip out. If we try to pour water , she practically jumps out the tub while we are washing. Try letting her be big girl, see if that works for her.
I had the same problem with my son. I'm a lil bit of a tough-love mom when it comes to some things. So i threatened to shave all his hair off. It worked. Just be patient with her, they will grow out of it eventually.
They make a visor she can wear while you rinse her hair. It will keep it out of her face.
you really need a hand held shower - they're not expensive and you can get one at home depot for about $30 - $40 (they used to be $20 - $30 so I'm assuming inflation). I used to tell my kids to look up to the ceiling and I'd hold the hand-held shower head very close to their hairline pointed towards the back of their head, the water would run down their back. if they looked down or ahead the water would spill over their face. If they wanted to hold a folded up dry washcloth over their eyes they would. It did help quite a lot. They learned if they wiggled or squirmed they'd get some water on their face but with a washcloth it would only seep - not splash into their face. I still buy washcloths by the dozen at Target and they're not expensive. If one get wet I'd get another out of the drawer - it's so much better than the panic and screaming!
Good luck mama - it worked like a charm for my kids!
To elaborate on Shari's answer, I was going to suggest playing "beauty shop" with her. If you kitchen sink has counter space around it, try laying her down on one end with a rolled up towel to go under her neck. Pretend you are the hair stylist and she is the customer. Use the lowest possible water pressure that will make the sprayer work. Even try wrapping a baby towel around her head turban style once you are done. The more fun you make the experience, the better she'll do! Good luck!
My daughter is kinda like that also. I wash her hair in the kitchen sink. It works for us!
I had my son hold a washcloth over his face when I washed his hair. Another way of doing it is to wash the hair in the shower. If you have one of the shower things that you can take down to rinse then use that and rinse her hair. May be take her in the shower with you to wash her hair when it needs to be washed. The washcloth over the face will work. Let her know to cover her face with the washcloth so she will not get water in her eyes or face. Good luck
I almost hate to suggest this because it is a bit of a pain and takes 2 people, but it works well for us - the only thing that does. I hold her face up over the kitchen sink and my husband uses the sprayer attachment like the sprayer at the hairdressers. It is the only guaranteed way to wash her hair without water in her eyes or tears.
We also keep her hair short to keep washing time to a minimum. Especially important because we spend a lot of time in the pool.
I wonder if it would help to slowly desensitize her to it, but not in a cruel way. Just a little splash here or there, and laugh and show that it's fun. My kids are both very nervous about the water, but they are slowly getting better, now that I've tried to gently show them that they are ok even if there is water on their faces. Swimming lessons helped us a little bit too. My son is getting to the point where I can pour a little water on his head and when it runs to his face he doesn't get hysterical. I can see that he doesn't like it, but the fear is going away.
Good luck!
Maybe try in the shower? Or with a hand sprayer? That way you can control the water more -she can stand just outside the spray and tilt her head back so that just her hair is getting wet and the water runs down her hair/back.
