Suggestions for Making Bathtime Less Hectic

We got a foam shampoo just this week and it rinses very clean. Another suggestion is to dilute the shampoo so it's not so thick. You really don't need a lot to get her hair clean. The less rinsing you have to do, the easier a time you'll have :)

Have you tried giving her a cup or something so she can wet her own hair? Or a watering can? It might be more fun for her that way. Tell her she's a flower you have to water ;)

I am going to sound like an ogre, but I swear I am a normal happy mom of 2 really great kids. Sometimes shock treatment works. My daughter has taken her own bath since she was 4 and now takes her own showers (yes, I was always around for the baths or nearby w/ door open). When she was older I had her start giving her brother, 4 at the time, showers. He'd sit on the bathtub floor (wasn't allowed to stand up for fear of slipping) and she'd scrub him and do his hair, then wash herself (great system, trust me!). But bathtimes got a little crazy a couple of times, so I warned them that if they only played and didn't get washed up within a reasonable amount of time, I'd come in to finish the bath.... with cold water. I thought the crazy warning would be enough, but kids being kids, they tested me a couple weeks later. I didn't really want to, but I had to follow thru on what I said... NEVER happened again. Now they ask to take their showers together having a great time playing, AFTER they finish getting washed up. And we laugh about the cold water day! But they know to do what I ask now.

Hello! My hair stylist suggests combing out my daughter's long hair BEFORE bathing her. This really works--few tangles as we are washing and fewer to comb out of wet hair later. Also, I let my 5 year old lay down on her back in the water and pretend she is a mermaid. Her hair swirls around her and tickles her . . . and then it's wet and ready to wash when she sits up. I let her put the soap on and suds up herself. One more thing--I purchased our girls their own washcloths at the Disney Store (on sale right now). They love them! Good luck with bath time and hope it can become a more fun experience.

We run everyone through the shower every morning and have since my kids were very young - as infants my husband would hold each in the shower, wash them, then hand them out to me. As they got older, the oldest in the shower would help wash the younger one, then as the older child would get out, I would get in to give a final scrub to the younger.

Now baths are treats - not really something to get clean and showers are just part of our morning routine. That said, with a removable shower head, I believe that washing and rinsing are much easier that way because you can work the water down their hair. My daughter is 7, but I use my shampoo and conditioner on her and we have no problems with tangles - it's about shoulder length now, but even when it was mid-back this worked well.

Now...here's how my mom handled tangles when I was a child...I wanted my hair long. If I wanted to keep it long, I had to allow her to get the tangles out. If I fought it, no more long hair - period...and she meant it! I wound up with a pixie cut once - and NEVER complained again.

My daughter was about the same age when we started using conditioner on her hair. We use Dove extra moisture and it works beautifully to take the tangles right out. Also, Dove has that wonderful campagin for "real" beauty..... so it makes me feel like I am doing a little something extra for womanhood. :-) Hope this helps. I tried the whole if you want to keep it long you have to take care of it talk......trust me conditioner just works better.

What about getting some of the special bath toys and sops they make now? They make this one soap that is sort of like a mousse bottle that comes in green and purple. They also make these crayons that are made of soap the the child can color on the wall with. Or how about rewarding her by going toget a special coloring book or whatever of her choice that she can only use or play with after a bath. Or the sticker reward system. I made a chart like this for my nephew. He refused to take a bath and brush his teeeth. So I made this reward chart and if he did well, I would let him pivk out his own sticket and put it on the chart. After he had so many stickers accumulated, we would take him to rent a Playstation game. I have also used shells in a jar. When the jar was full, it was reward time! I hope it helps!

I found a pitcher type thing at walmat that has a soft rubber band thing on the front and you place it against there forhead and it prevent the water from going in their face. It was much at all. I found it in the baby sections. It worked good for my daughter either that or the wash cloth over the eyes is good too.
My daughter has horrible knots in her hair too and brush time used to be horrible until I started taking a brush and brushing her hair with the conditioner still in it! It works wonders, it's easier to brush them out with the conditioner still in plus it makes brushing the knots out a lot easier for the next day or two. Hope it helps.

I have the same issue. I have found that there is a relatively new shampoo (baby, no tears shampoo) that also has a no more tangles type part to it. We combine that with the shower and I help her rinse to keep it out of her eyes. It has helped tremndously and her hair stays much nicer that way.

I have a five year old girl and she just thinks she's too big for a bath....only her baby brother should take baths. I allow her to take showers, with my help to make sure her hair really is getting washed and rinsed out well. It makes things a little easier on me and she loves feeling all grown up. I don't know what type of shampoo/conditioner you use, but my daugther's hair is curly and knots up a lot. I no longer use little kid stuff on her hair, cause it just doesn't condition as well as it needs to be. That has helped with the knots and screaming!

Maybe you should consider keeping her hair short while she is young. A good hairstylist could give you options.

I used to use a cup to gently pour the water directly over my daughter's hair, I'd also giver her a washcloth to cover her eyes, I'd play peek-a-boo and that way the water wouldn't run and she didn't feel out of control.

I used to use the No More Tangles spray with my daughter and it worked great.

If she is being naughty in the bath, then she should be punished accordingly. Unfortunately, you do need her cooperation for 5 minutes while you wash her body and hair and rinse her hair, after that she can play and be a silly goose all she wants!

If she doesn't want to cooperate, then I would cut the hair below her shoulders!

Good luck!

I had this problem with both of my children, I feel your pain! What worked for us was getting this foam type stick on the walls cars toy. You can order one (or the dress up one for girls) through lillianvernon.com It's called the "Fashion Fun Bathtub Set" for girls, about $10.00. Then they get to play and build roads or outfits and it keeps them calm. Plus we would give them a damp clean (not used in the soaping process) seperate wash cloth to fold up and keep over their eyes while rinseing hair, we have hand held shower heads, but a pitcher works well too. I would tell them to put their head back far and keep the wash cloth pressed to their forehead so that water will not get in their eyes, thet's why the wash cloth is damp, wrung out, they don't seem to notice as much water getting into it verses a dry cloth. Let them know that the towel is right there and stop if the freaking out is severe and give them a hand towel to dry off with and hang onto,(so what if it gets wet) to soothe the fear. Talk to them the whole time letting them know that you hated washing hair when you were young but now you get in the shower all by yourself because you are not afraid anymore. When all is done, let them play until the fingers and toes are wrinkled. Dry off on a regular size towel and toast up the pj's in the dryer before hand for a warm toasty after bath treat. Make a big fuss over how good they smell and then read a book or play for 30 mins. and then off to bed...it gave our kids something to look forward to and 85% of the time it worked.
Good Luck!
Ps. A "Turbie Twist" hair towel worked great with my daughter's waist length hair when she was young, it dries the hair faster!

About me- 36 Mother of 12 year old girl and 6 year old boy Phila. suburbs.

I have a 5 yr old daughter with long hair also. It can be a royal pain in the butt washing her hair. She usually ends up screaming mostly out of fear of soap in her eyes, which there never is. I started using a wash cloth, having her hold it over her eyes for more reassurance. I think it's just a phase we have to deal with. Good luck.

Maybe what we've done with our son with help your little girl. I found a kids poofy mesh sponge for the bath that has a monkey's face made out of terry cloth on it. When I wash his hair and the water goes in his eyes he says, "I want my monkey" and he closes his eyes and puts the cloth part of the sponge up to his eyes. Maybe finding a bath toy that she can hold up to her closed eyes when she gets her hair washed will make her tolerate it better. It could be a special wash cloth or a little towel that she picks out herself. I bought my son's monkey at Wegman's, but I've never seen it anywhere else. Good luck! M.

I have a 6 yr old with long hair that gets very, very knotty when washed. We always use shampoo and rinse, then conditioner and let it sit while she gets a bath and then rinse well. If you need to- use one of those foam visors to keep the water out of her face. Either way though- she is five years old. She is old enough to know better than to behave that way and if she does, she needs to be put on time out or have a toy taken away after the bath. There is no reason for her to behave like that.

Hve you tried putting her in the shower with you? It is a new experience for them and sometimes they really enjoy that. That way she can see you wash your hair and she can learn to wash her own. She is definately old enough to learn. You may also tell her throughout the day that "tonight is bath night" that way she is ready and prepared for when the time comes.

Cut her hair short. Is the stress of what you are going thru really worth it? Don't we just want more QT with our kids so that they grow healthy, trusting and secure?

J.,

When my niece turned 5 she would stay at our house at least twice a week. Her hair was down to her butt and very very tangly. To help with the bathing and hair washing problem we would section her hair before the shower. and make a crazy hairdo with scrunchies. Then we'd wash each section when she was in the shower and comb it as we got done. When she was all finished I would do a really crazy french braid (made a circle around her head) and let her go to bed that way. She had significantly less knots the next day and she loved all the papmering and personal attention.

Hope this helps. We also let her play with those shower crayons while I was washing her hair. We have that shower/tub deal so there is plenty of white to draw on. :)

When bath times starts to get hectic, for me I started showers. First with me then slowly on their own. That way they are with you (which they will not like but----you control the water mess and get them use to the idea of showers-Quick and easy-wash lather rinse (repeat if necessary) and out. Eventually they will get a hang of it.

mother of 4.

maybe instead of 3 times a week you can take her to a neighborhood hair salon and get her hair washed once a week in the big sink. You may think she needs to be "cleaner than that" but the reality is that our kids don't need to be washed all the time. Dirt is good for them and it helps to build immunity in their bodies.

Maybe the stylist can give you some tips on how to comb her hair after the bath. You must always use a comb on wet hair and a brush on dry hair. Brushing wet hair is painful to little scalps.

You can also ask your daughter to express to you what is making it so hard for her. She might be scared of the water going in her eyes and all it will take is a washcoth to make it easy for both of you.

They know what they want and maybe you shold defer to her on this issue, let her take control instead of making her bend to you.

good luck

I totally agree that having her take "big kid" showers will help! It makes it so much easier. We had a plumber install a second, lower shower head with a removable handle and it is perfect! Also, I completely agree that you need to use a "quality" shampoo and conditioner, plus a spritz in detangler! Good luck!