My son is almost 3 and hates getting his hair washed. He doesn't like his face getting wet, except this summer he got into a hose fight with the neighbor boy and had a blast! IDK why that's different, but it is. He used to have longer hair, which he loved, and baths became a nightmare. He loves baths but when it's time to wash his hair he flips out into unreasonable panic. I can't calm him down at all. I've tried bathing with him and having him sit facing away from me and lie down into my lap to get his hair wet, using the shower attachment, letting him use the shower attachment, letting him squirt me with the shower attachment, giving him choices (you can lay back and get your hair wet or use the sprayer, which do you want to do?), and nothing can calm his panic. I looked at the cups that have one rubber side that you push against the forehead so the water runs straight onto the hair and not the face, but honestly I think he would freak out and pull back and get water poured onto his face. He won't wear goggles, either.
I started just washing it as quickly as I could with him screaming, but I always felt awful. He is able to talk rationally about it afterward, but it doesn't help "in the moment." We eventually convinced him to let Daddy use the clippers and "buzz" it down to about 1/2-inch, and now we wash it with a washcloth, and he does fine. Is this an OK long-term solution? Is it just avoiding the problem? The other day he did blow bubbles into the water with just getting his mouth wet, nothing else and he started "listening" to the tub by submerging just his ear, so he is getting braver I think, but is still terrified of getting his hair washed without a washcloth.
I started just washing it as quickly as I could with him screaming, but I always felt awful. He is able to talk rationally about it afterward, but it doesn't help "in the moment." We eventually convinced him to let Daddy use the clippers and "buzz" it down to about 1/2-inch, and now we wash it with a washcloth, and he does fine. Is this an OK long-term solution? Is it just avoiding the problem? The other day he did blow bubbles into the water with just getting his mouth wet, nothing else and he started "listening" to the tub by submerging just his ear, so he is getting braver I think, but is still terrified of getting his hair washed without a washcloth.
He HATES it, cries the whole time, tries to jump out of the tub when he see shampoo, etc. I just do it anyway and get it over with, and talk him through the whole thing. I always warn him before I pour water over his head. I count "1-2-3-whoosh" and pour the water quickly. I tried using the shower attachment too but that scared him too much. In the winter we can get away with the washcloth as well since his hair is faded up but in the summer he sweats and you really have to wash it properly.
