Bath Time Woes

[Nillarilla]

I need some help. My 15 mo old dd has decided she hates baths. She starts crying as soon as we enter the bathroom. She arcs her back and screams when I try to lower her into the tub. If I lay her her down on the little bath thing that holds her up she rolls over and tries to climb out screaming at the top of her lungs. I've tried getting in with her. I've tried new toys in the tub. I've tried with and without her brother in the tub. She's a stubborn one. I need some suggestions. She doesn't like spongebathing either and screams through that as well. This is a very recent development from the end of April. Nothing traumatic happened to her in the bath and we haven't changed anything.

[SpuglyRoo]

Is it warm enough where you are to try bathing her outside in a kiddie pool while she's playing?

We went through this with my son, but getting in with him and getting some bath crayons, sponge letters, bubbles and bubble bath worked to distract him from his fears.

Good luck!

[kimmypoo]

My LO did this too about that age. What worked for us was we filled the tub and let her stand next to it and play in the water to show her that it was ok. Someone told me that maybe she was scared of going down the drain, so when I pulled the plug, I tried stuffing different toys down the drain to show her that they wouldn't go down. And I talked to her about big vs. little and how only very little things could go down. After several days of that, she was fine again. HTH.

[CoBabyMaker]

We are just now getting over this with out 22 month old. I feel like we tried everything! What is finally working for us (and mean working as in she only cries a little instead of flipping out) is singing a song that we also had to sing for a long time for brushing teeth. (Apparently hygiene is scary or bad to her.)
We sing, this is the way we wash our hair, wash our hair, wash our hair, just like (insert special person).

We change out the activity as needed and she gets to choose who we sing about. We usually go through a list of uncle (who is bald), grandma, cousins, her friends as needed.

[tri31]

I feel your pain. My ds goes a few months hating baths, then wants two or three a day. No rhyme or reason. He is 30 months and currently hates them. He loves to play in the water, but he hates the be washed. He has no problem getting washed up at the sink (much more messy for me of course).