Bath time

[JenLove]

(Not sure if this is the right place - please move if necessary)

My 1 year old screams for baths all of a sudden. There was nothing that happened where she should be afraid but if I say bath she whines, if I run a bath she screams, and if I try to put her in she clings to me.

I have tried bathing with her and she cries on my lap, I have tried the sink, and even a tote with water in it. No luck. Any other gentle suggestions?

[Mama Mko]

This was something we just had to power through. I only do baths about once a week unless there's a reason to do them more often. Both of my kids went through a bath-hating phase. I made it as quick as possible and explained to them the whole time that water could be fun, it would be over soon, let's wash up really quickly! Only time helped. One day they just decided they liked it again and now I have to drag them out.

[hakeber]

Same thing happened to me...I just stopped making him take one and found other ways to get him clean. Like in the summer I hosed him down naked in the garden and he was DELIGHTED, and in the winter we went to the community pool once or twice a week where you had to take a shower before going in and rinse off after and he never argued about it because he loved the pool so much!

Another thing that really piqued his interest in baths again were these colored tablets and bath paints and soap crayons (he's a bit of an artists and LOVES playing with color mixing and drawing and painting so when he found out he could paint in the bath....AWESOME!). My mom got them at one of those big pharmacies I think, like Walgreens or maybe Rite aid, but I am sure you can get them anywhere.

Then we moved to a house without a bath tub and he had to take showers and he flat out refused at first. I thought...oh, he's going to be the stinky kid at school...I don't want my kid being THAT kid...but I tell you it didn't take him long to realize that other kids do not like playing with dirty kids, and now he wants to take a shower every night!

It's just a phase, and not bathing every day won't kill her.

[One_Girl]

Have you tried showering with her? My dd loved the shower water raining down on her while I took a shower. I also gave her plastic toys to play with when she had a bath or shower and that also helped a lot.

[Honey693]

Originally Posted by One_Girl

Have you tried showering with her? My dd loved the shower water raining down on her while I took a shower. I also gave her plastic toys to play with when she had a bath or shower and that also helped a lot.

I was gong to suggest this too.

[LynnS6]

Alas an all too typical toddler phase. This too shall pass.

We did a lot of sponge baths, and only washed hair when absolutely necessary during this period. (Seriously, it was about once a month!) It also really helped to get a bath visor to keep the water out of their eyes. (Ds is 8 and he still insists on the visor.)

[nhoutdoormama]

I was going to suggest showering too. Wearing a bathing suit? Puppets?

I would try spending some time playing in the tub without water, then slowly add quick wet washcloth cleaning, still without water, then gradually add small amounts of water to the tub each time. Special toys, bubbles, and try to not worry too much about it! Warm weather is around the corner, backyard hoses, baby pool, etc. will keep her clean! Cleaning private areas could easily be done pretty well during diaper changing while you work through this phase.

I would not force the issue. Remain calm and reassuring. You are safe, Mommy is here, etc. Best of luck!

[JenLove]

Originally Posted by One_Girl

Have you tried showering with her? My dd loved the shower water raining down on her while I took a shower. I also gave her plastic toys to play with when she had a bath or shower and that also helped a lot.

She hates showers...

Originally Posted by nhoutdoormama

I was going to suggest showering too. Wearing a bathing suit? Puppets?

I would try spending some time playing in the tub without water, then slowly add quick wet washcloth cleaning, still without water, then gradually add small amounts of water to the tub each time. Special toys, bubbles, and try to not worry too much about it! Warm weather is around the corner, backyard hoses, baby pool, etc. will keep her clean! Cleaning private areas could easily be done pretty well during diaper changing while you work through this phase.

I would not force the issue. Remain calm and reassuring. You are safe, Mommy is here, etc. Best of luck!

I like the progression thought. I think this will be the way we take it.

I know she doesn't need a bath every day or every other day, but she used to have so much fun playing and splashing. And I could soak my feet or just sit next to the tub and chill for awhile.

You are right. This too shall pass.

Thanks for your ideas!

[Sheryl1678]

My 14 mo DD also hates baths. She will actually stand in one but freaks if I try to get her to sit. I put her in with her sister and she will stand and play and I sort of splash water on her.

She is also terrified of showers and can't even be in the house when I shower so that is out.

We no-poo hair so I never wash her hair unless she actually gets something in it. It is soft and gorgeous.

We use a washcloth and soap if she needs her skin cleaned in any real way.

[sparkysgirl]

we went through this after I labored in the tub...guess it was a fear issue. Anyway we tried a bubble bath, didnt' work. Tried just sticking her in with daddy, and she freaked out, well silly daddy got a bunch of water in his mouth and spit it all over the bathroom. She thought it was so funny and immediatly snapped out of her crying fit and begain playing too.

so my suggestion, try being a little silly. Sometimes when she wont take a bath (she is almost 3) we say, well are you stinky? and we smell her feet and overeact at how stinky she is and get real silly. after smelling a few body parts she agrees that she needs to wash them off. this example probably wont work with a 1 year old so think of some other ways to make it a game or be silly