Bath Phobic... what do I do?

[MrsWaggsnapps]

Hi there, abit of back story first, DS is 2 and a half yrs and has happily bathed or showered most of his life, he recently slipped in the shower and banged his head and since then he will not have a shower or bath (except at the swimming pool), the most I've managed to get him to do voluntarily is stand fully clothed in the bath while I wash his feet under the cold tap.

We've got rid of the showermat he slipped on and replaced them with fun animal stickies and I occasionally hold him in the bath while giving him a quick sluice but he gets very upset at this behaviour! He also thinks it's beyond the pale to be washed down by the sink, if it wasn't for the hosepipe ban, I'd take him into the garden and hose him down each morning.

He's not potty trained yet (that's a whole other phobia) and I can't even imagine doing that till I can get him over this fear - he keeps telling DH and I that he banged his head in the bath

Any suggestions gratefully received, should I just back off and wash him once a week at the swimming pool or what???

[mustrunmore]

ds1 is 2.8, and is in a bath phobic phase, but with no obviuos reason.But he did happily have one the other day because dh went in with him. Worth a try?

[Cappucino]

yeah, big bath together with dh and fun toys

with bubbles and that

[gigglinggoblin]

paddling pool?

[MrsWaggsnapps]

I tried a bath with me yesterday morning, go him undressed, got in - he ran into his bedroom, grabbed his favourite nappy and lay down on the floor crying, for a good 10 mins.

I even tried to get him into the shower with pants on (he's very suspicious of nappy free time) but he wasn't having any of it.

[prettybird]

They don't need to be bathed every day - at that age they don't have any of the hormones etc that make them stinky.

Ds is 5 now and frequently gets by with just his weekly shower at the swimming pool. Or if we don't go swimming, we make a point of having a bath with him on a Sunday (he likes coming to play with us). He's not keen on the shower.

We are fortunate though in that he has alwys been a "clean" child.

[littlefrog]

I'd go with the hosepipe option - you're allowed to use a hosepipe for all sorts of things (filling swimming pools, ponds etc.) and I can't imagine anyone would question using one to wash a child! We had a bath in the garden for a few weeks (work on the house) and filled that up and used it - great fun!

[FanjoFanjoWhosGotTheFanjo]

My DS1 has gone through bath-phobic phases, I mostly wait it out, or try to lure him in with toys and company. It seems to pass. (Granted, he's younger than your DS1, and he's never has as good a reason for being bath-phobic, but still ...)