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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

baths

14 replies

patkica · 31/05/2005 13:16

My 18 month DS refuses to get into the bath and screams and cries when he's put in. He used to love itand I don't think he's had any water-related trauma. I;ve tried getting in with him, but this didn't work. Any advice greatly appreciated.

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alicatsg · 31/05/2005 13:38

what about taking him to choose a special toy for bathtime and making that the interesting thing? but again, DS did this for about 6 weeks and now loves his bath again. Might just be an age thing.

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charellie · 31/05/2005 13:41

Try filling the bath with water and put some favourite toys in there. He can play outside the bath but just using his hands to play with the water. After a few days of doing this then ask him if he wants to get in to play with the toys. Make sure he helps you fill the bath and choose the toys, sponge etc

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Orinoco · 31/05/2005 21:55

Message withdrawn

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patkica · 03/06/2005 08:36

Thanks everyone. The playing outside the bath trick seems to be working: at least he seems to love splashing himself with the toys so we know it's not water he's scared of. He won't go in the shower though, but will keep trying the other tip. Problem is, his hair is filthy.

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emily05 · 03/06/2005 08:38

could you start with him sitting in the bath (no water in it) and being sponged down? You can actually wash hair this way as well (although it does take a while!lol)

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Fran1 · 03/06/2005 08:44

My dd went through a stage of this, i think she'd finally got bored of hair washing- as you say - it wasn't water she was scared of.

She agreed to get in bath, but would only stand in it! so hair didn't get washed so much for a while

Then as someone else said she forgot all about it and went back to having normal baths!

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patkica · 07/06/2005 15:23

Still no luck on the bath front: will not get into bath with water in or not, though he loves standing outside it and throwing toys in. I'm now worried that I'm teaching him that baths are not actually gor getting into

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LunarSea · 07/06/2005 16:10

Sounds like it's going to be warm this week, so you could you try a paddling pool outside to see if it's a water thing, or the bath specifically?

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patkica · 09/06/2005 09:42

A result: he allowed me to dip his feet in the bath last night but then cried when we had to leave the bathroom. What goes through their minds?

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horseshoe · 09/06/2005 13:53

DD went through this stage.

I went out a brought a big bag of balls and emptied them in the bath. Have never had a problem since.

If I mention a bath now she starts to undress there and then so me and DP have to call it a "B"

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eldestgirl · 09/06/2005 13:59

Try bubbles, in the bath and blowing them IF he gets in. Or tub tints? (fizzy tablets that turn the bath a different colour).

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sarahlou1 · 09/06/2005 15:19

Hi, I've just been through this with my DD, who's 2, and are finally coming through the other side. She has always loved her baths & although hated hair washing would get in. She then started to get upset in the bath & then went through a stage of absolutely screaming when we put her in & there were real tears!! , she'd know as soon as it was bedtime & start crying. Now for no apparent reason she's started getting in again, although will only stand up at the moment but at least we're not having the screaming fits & she does try it on a bit saying she wants her potty!!! The only difference we made was that we bought a hand held shower that fitted onto the bath taps & now give her her bath, get her out & brush her teeth and let her have a play before washing her hair, so she doesn't associate hair washing with bath, although she still isn't happy about having her hair washed. I also find that blowing lots of bubbles distracts her too!! Good luck but I'm sure it's just a phase & it sounds like quite a few go through!!

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mummyhill · 09/06/2005 16:06

DD went through this at 2 we went back to putting the baby bath inside the big bath and i slowly started putting water in the big bath as well as the baby bath till one day the water from the big bath reached over the rim of the baby bath and she then went back to having her baths in the big girl bath. May seem a little exterme but it worked for us.

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patkica · 10/06/2005 10:26

Good to know we're not alone. DD screamed when we took him OUT of the bath last night! It always seems to be one extreme or the other. he still won't sit down in the bath, but we'll keep trying.