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Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Behaviour/development

DD sudenly petrified of the bath at 14 months (after it being her favourite thing)

16 replies

StressyHead · 01/02/2004 15:50

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twiglett · 01/02/2004 15:53

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StressyHead · 01/02/2004 15:57

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nutcracker · 01/02/2004 16:00

My ds loves his bath but only if he's in there with one or both of his sisters. Put him in on his own and he's not happy. Not quite as bad as his hetred for the vacuum though.

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StressyHead · 01/02/2004 16:03

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katierocket · 01/02/2004 16:06

agree with twiglett - we had exactly same problem when ds (now 2.4) was around same age - think it's quite common. Don't force it, re-introduce slowly with bowl of water on floor/move bowl into empty bath/fill bath again.

think it took about 3 weeks for us to get him to not mind it again.

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judetheobscure · 01/02/2004 16:41

My dd was the same - for about 2 years she refused to sit down in the bath, would only stand. And couldn't do hairwashes in the bath either. Didn't find a solution but she kind of grew out of it when her baby brother came in the bath with her. So maybe find a contemporary to share her bath?

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Debbiethemum · 01/02/2004 17:29

Sounds wierd, but if she normally enjoys it try taking her swimming. My ds has had bouts of being scared of the bath but a couple of sessions at the swimming pool has usually sorted it out, meanwhile I kept him to flannel washes etc.

Good Luck

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handlemecarefully · 02/02/2004 08:59

Totally had this - from about the same age. At circa 13/14 months dd developed irrational fear of bath and became hysterical if placed in bath. Felt I was being cruel to her to put her through this experience so cut the batheing down to once per week and washed her hair at the same time. It was horrible because I felt really sadistic putting her through this. However, totally inexplicably, about 3 months later she actually enjoyed one of her weekly baths and hasn't looked back since!!! She is now having a bath twice or three times a week. Nothing happened to precipitate her bath aversion and nothing happened to 'cure' her of it. Just some odd inexplicable phase I guess. I expect you'll find the same.

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sunchowder · 03/02/2004 17:39

Just to add my experience here, I remember my DD going through a short phase like this. After she refused to get into the bath, I stripped naked and I just plopped myself in the bath first. Of course she was shocked and giggling at that point,and I begged her to join me (she was about 2 at the time). She did get in with me, but when we were finished, I pulled the button up to start to drain the tub and noticed that was when she started to become upset again. Don't know if it was the loud gurgling, sucking sort of noise that the drain makes, or if she thought she was going to be sucked down the drain itself. I remember pulling her out of the tub and we just kneeled there together all dripping watching the water go down until it makes that funnel shape and I kept putting my finger in the funnel, and then she wanted to put her finger in the funnel shape. I assured her that the drain was much too small and not even our fingers could really go "down there". I never actually asked her if she was afraid of that either. It probably took about two weeks of bathing together for her to "grow out of it". You never know what freaks them out--could be the noise, fear of going down the drain, just too, too cold in the bathroom in the winter, could be any number of things. Hang in there Stressy!

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dinosaur · 03/02/2004 17:47

BTDT too. Sorted by me getting in bath too!

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StressyHead · 03/02/2004 17:49

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Britabroad · 04/02/2004 21:32

I add food colouring to water and mix them etc and ice to the water which we ahve to catch before it melts. Stll doing this 5 years later!!!

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kagsie · 09/02/2004 21:12

dd (6 months) went mad for her baths and then all of a sudden screamed blue murder without any warning - one night just taking her into the bathroom set her off. Bathing with her didn't work. Decided to give her a complete break and reintroduce slowly so kept taking her into the bathroom fully clothed during the day, just to look around or to fill up the sink and splash her hands in. Then in the evening, undressed her in the bathroom and flannelled down for a couple of nights and played with a bowl of water on the floor - dipping feet and hands, then moved onto sitting on the edge of the sink; next night sitting in the sink and then the same into the bath. This was two weeks ago and she's back in the bath and more settled again. Also got a bath chair from Babiesrus (also one in argos) which sits her upright in a frame that she can play in and this seems to help - only goes up to 12 months though.

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Galaxy · 09/02/2004 21:21

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handlemecarefully · 10/02/2004 08:58

Galaxy

I think you are spot on with your thoughts that it might be fear of hair washing. For this reason whilst my dd has about 3 baths a week, I only wash her hair once a week....(2 baths are completely trauma free!)