Help with Bath Time!

Amy - posted on 05/27/2010

my son hates getting his hair washed but i went and bought this safety cup to poor water on his head and it keeps the water out of his face so now he dont mind it.

Brenda - posted on 05/17/2010

Unfortunately at this age I think a lot of what our LO's are doing is exerting their independence by trying to make their own decisions. I'm having the same issue with other things. I found that presenting my LO with a choice of two things, both of which I would be happy with, help him feel that he has some say in his daily activities. Maybe you could give him a choice of a bath or a shower.

Lisa - posted on 05/17/2010

My son also used to love baths oh so much but found that the shower is that much cooler - he is also 2 1/2. Now he takes showers for the most part except when he asks to get in the bath and has all the same toys in the shower.

Kat - posted on 05/07/2010

When we moved we had that problem. So one day I jumped in with my swim suit on and had her in hers already and told her that I was going to and she could just sit on the floor and watch. No joke she kicked me out of the tub. Now I have to shower when she is sleeping because she thinks it is only her tub!

Andrea - posted on 05/05/2010

my son will be 3 in september and also hates having a bath now but once he gets in he is fine. Our struggle is with the washing of his body and hair. He also screams if I try to dry him off afterwards, so no he sits in the tub until he is almost dry.

Stephanie - posted on 05/04/2010

It is most likely a stage that he's going through. My daughter went through the same thing last year and we didn't even move! From day one she loved her bath and yet all of a sudden she was so upset if we tried to put her in the bath. After a few unsuccessful attempts we left her for a few days without offering the bath. When she still refused we actually put her back into her baby bath, which she was very happy about. We used if for a couple of weeks and then I actually let her get into the bath fully clothed one evening and she just played like that while I slowly undressed her. She was still a bit hesitant to get into the bath after that but could be persuaded. A few more tries later and she was completely over it and is back to loving her bath. I suppose we will never know what was going on with her at that time. Good luck and hope he comes through it soon.

LAURA - posted on 05/01/2010

Hey!!!Probably a combination of things with the move and age/stage however try and maybe introduce new toys e.g plastic food, cups, bowls, straws etc or bath dolls/teddies....Hope this helps....

Amy - posted on 04/28/2010

thanks so much for the advice!!!

Dawna - posted on 04/27/2010

we have the same problem. we recently moved to a new house, and our daughter, who used to love baths, hates them now. she liked them in the new house for awhile, but now she will do anything to avoid them.

i think it is partly a stage they reach at this age, and partly a way to control a new and scary situation brought on by living in a new house, new town, etc.

some days, she just has to get in screaming and i wash her quickly. other days, i don't force a bath. bathing every day is not necessary at their age, and it can cause skin problems, which she is genetically prone to.

some tricks we have found that work: use a handheld shower head to rinse her hair and let her play with it; bribe her with a place she wants to go to or activity that can only be done after a quick bath; get in the tub with her; build bubble castles in a bubble bath; use bath markers to draw pictures on the tub/shower walls with her. also, i now try to always warn her at least 30 minutes before bath time and keep warning her every so often. if i take a shower first, and tell her it will be her turn when i am done, she will usually come and ask if her bath is ready once i am out, even if she initially said she wouldn't take a bath. hope some of this helps!

Dawn - posted on 04/27/2010

My son used to love baths too, but then a couple months ago he didn't want them anymore. I got him some bubble bath and he thinks that's cool. However, it doesn't always work. I wish I had the answer! Once he gets in he stays in forever! I really think it's because they have so many other things they think they can be doing!