Daughter Hates Taking a Bath

Updated on May 20, 2007
L.G. asks from Rolling Meadows, IL
6 answers

My daughter is 2 1/2 she has started to hate taking a bath in the last few weeks at first she would just whine, then recently she has started screaming...she usually doesnt like her hair being washed and I try and do it so she doenst get all wet in the face...But now its to the point where I have tried getting in the tub with her...that didnt work! Now we have to do a speed bath while she screams the whole time. I hate this any suggestions??

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So What Happened?

Well this past weekend things got a little better..I found the special cup to rinse her hair but she wouldnt let me use it just yet...She did LOVE the bath crayons we had the ones that came with the ELmo as well...I couldnt find too many new bath toys at wal-mart so I went to the pool toys section and found some good stuff there :) Overall i hope the phase doesnt last too long and seems things are getting a little better!!! Thanks everyone
L.

More Answers

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C.U.

answers from Chicago on

My daughter LOVES her bath, but why not take her to the store and let her pick out a brand new bath toy that she can only play with in the tub. The bath crayons are a great idea, we got some that came with an elmo doll. Good Luck!

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P.

answers from Chicago on

We went through this phase with my daughter as well. It will pass. I would suggest getting some new bath toys like the bath crayons that write on the side of the tub or something else new and interesting. Also, do you have a whirlpool tub? My daughter loves to bathe in our "big" tub. Don't worry, it will pass but I do remember how frustrating that phase was. Good luck.

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J.H.

answers from Chicago on

Yep, phase for us too.

Another suggestion, maybe try a shower if you have a head that can be removed and taken down with a spray nozzle. Showers aren't as fun as baths are, but for a quick and thorough cleaning, we used the shower. My daughter would tilt her head back and that way, it was much easier to spray the water down her head, away from her eyes. Good Luck!

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C.

answers from Chicago on

My son is 3 and we recently got through this. Part of his deal was his skin was SOOO terribly dry and after the dermotologist it got better and better. But anyway, at our toys are us they had a great shampoo rinse cup. I went looking for the bath visers and they had the rinse cup, so I got that instead and it works great as well. I hold a washcloth over their face just in case as well and they get no water in their face at all with it. Also, we went through different toys like bath confetti, fizzie balls, bubble bath (though bad for their skin, so not all the time). I know how frustrating it is for them not to like the bath. I think it's a phase that will pass though. I had my 18 month old (now 18 months) hating the bath as well because he learned from the 3 year old. Now they both LOVE the bath and ask to take a bath every night (which is a good thing with this summer sunscreen), so hopefully it will pass soon and some of these ideas might help it pass more quickly!

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A.H.

answers from Chicago on

My son has always hated having his hair washed, and so does my daughter (actually I'm starting to think SHE was a cat in a past life or something because she all but claws her way out of the bathtub most times!). I have found that once my son was old enough to stand up we started introducing showers and that has helped a LOT. I let him have control over the sprayer periodically throughout, and have installed a holder for the sprayer handle lower on the wall, so it will hold it at about shower height for him. He gets "used" to the spray in the beginning of the bath by rinsing himself down (and me or my husband too as one of us usually goes in with him as opposed to just getting soaked standing outside the curtain). Then I help him get his hair wet from the back of the neck, working slowly forward. I also use a gentler spray for most of the shower too, only turning it up to harder spray briefly for that final hair rinse to make sure we get all the soap out. I also usually use the 2-in-1 kid shampoos (I think there's a tear-free one by Loreal that we use mostly) so we only have to deal with one wash & rinse and it's over quickly. Then we finish off on the fun note with him doing most of the rest of his shower.

Don't know if it would work for you, or if you've got a shower on your tub, but it's what seems to be working for us. Good luck!

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R.M.

answers from Chicago on

I do the hair washing immediately as the bath is filling. She is so preoccupied with the "bubbles" that are forming in the tub and the water pouring out, she doesn't care that I'm washing her hair and face. And then we are free to play with the water and bubbles without fuss.

When I don't use this technique (ie. she's distracted), then it's fighting the whole time.

Good luck. You never know what will work - some told me that bath crayons were good for her son to divert his attention from hair washing.

PS. My daughter has NEVER let me share a bath with her - "MY TUB MOMMIE" she says.

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