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Behaviour/development

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

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Original poster

18 months ols and hates having her hair washed.

16 replies

MrsDoolittle · 04/10/2005 19:42

I know MN is the place to come for this.
My 18 month dd has suddenly started being frightened by having her hair washed. Until about 2 weeks ago there was never a problem, I just lay her down in her bath.
Now she starts crying and struggling to get up as soon as I lay her down in the bath. I'm pretty sure that it's nothing I have done to frighten her and I have never left her alone in the bath to frighten herself. So I am flummoxed.
I have tried using the shower head very gently, let her play with it first and I have tried using a small jug. I've even tried just squeezing a sponge. Nothing seemed to make it any better.
What can I do?

Thank you in advance

OP posts:

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SleepySuzy · 04/10/2005 19:56

maybe she would like one of these?

Original poster

MrsDoolittle · 04/10/2005 20:01

Thanks but I can't see how it works.
Maybe I am just being thick!

OP posts:

WOBBLYTUM · 04/10/2005 20:08

Try buying her a baby doll that she can wash too - worked for me!!! It takes their minds off whats happening...

shrub · 04/10/2005 20:12

let her use a small jug to wash her own hair?

spookylucy · 04/10/2005 20:13

I bought dd a foam visor from Wilkos and it did the trick as she realised water wasnt going to get in her eyes or ears.

Original poster

MrsDoolittle · 05/10/2005 10:08

Thanks ladies, I'll try those things too. Was the foam visor especially for bathing?

OP posts:

MusicLover · 05/10/2005 10:17

I had the same problem with my dd. She never bothered having her hair washed,even when water went into her eyes. Shes 2.5 & the past few months she's hating it-makes such a performance. It can make bath time daunting for both of you. I tried a visor to stop going into eyes & ears, but she wouldnt wear that either. At the moment we use a sponge to wet it & get her to look up at the ceiling. Ive had a bath with her also & let her wet my hair, that worked quite well. But at the moment she plays me up & not dh. Why? I dont know-but its getting better than it was.
So maybe its just a phase they all go through, & like anything if you rise to it they do it more.

The foam visor will be especially for bathing.

Original poster

MrsDoolittle · 05/10/2005 11:54

Thanks musiclover. I get the impression it's something they go through.
I do remember my brother and sisters (a couple of years younger than me) going through then same thing

OP posts:

Harrizeb · 05/10/2005 12:03

Yep DS went through this too . But for him it was just water in his ears he didn't like, too me ages to figure it out. I did buy him a foam visor but couldn't work out how to get it to stay on his head!

Now he is a regular whirlwind in the bath and the bathroom gets a through wash most nights. .

H x

JasminesMummy · 05/10/2005 13:59

I'm afraid I resorted to blackmail - I bought a pack of bath crayons from ELC (fantastic - just wipe off)when she was almost 19 months and now as soon as she's in the water she says "crayon"? (well actually it's more like "carga") and I say "yes, you can have your crayon after we wash hair" - works a treat. The other good one is hold a dry facecloth against the forehead and just tip a small bowl of water over and say 1, 2, 3 hooray, splish splash or some other such nonsense!

dot1 · 05/10/2005 14:02

Hi Mrs D!!! Bizarrely enough - ds2 is just like this aswell at the moment - has gone from not minding it at all, to screaming like you're pulling his nails out one by one... I'm afraid we just get on with it as quickly as possible while he's screaming - and only do it once a week!

spookylucy · 05/10/2005 19:37

yes it was for bathing it was blue with winnie the pooh on it. Not exactly foam but soft, not plastic.

jamese · 05/10/2005 19:57

How odd - my DD 21 mnths has just started to object in the last few weeks - perhaps they have put something in the water....

She refused to lie on her back with her head in the water (something she previously loved). My DH baths her everynight and I did wonder why her hair wasn't being washed as often - I actually saw why the other day when I bathed her - did she create a fuss... I managed to get it washed with her sitting up but much harder and she definately got more water in her face than before...

I am hoping she will grow out of this as quickly as the problem deleveopled..

Like the shower idea - she is scared stiff of our downstairs shower (don't have one upstair yet) so hopefully the play one could get her used to shower before we get a new one upstairs..

Elibean · 05/10/2005 20:43

Yes, DD went through it at about 17 months, then got better again for a couple of months, and at 22 months is now protesting loudly once more! I've tried the washing doll's hair, holding facecloth over eyes, etc...but have to confess what works best is just saying 'Mummy has to rinse your hair now' and doing it fast. She always stops squeaking the second its over, and goes straight back to giggling and playing, so I don't think she's being too badly traumatised... Like the sound of the shower toy too - will try it.

Babyblue2 · 13/10/2005 00:16

I agree with dot1. DD1 used to love baths and never minded having hair washed, then all of a sudden screamed and screamed, wanting to get out of the bath the instant washing hair is mentioned. We now wash it just once/twice a week and leave it until she's had a good play, knowing she'll want to get out the millisecond the 'ordeal' is over.

madmummyof2 · 13/10/2005 20:37

have you ever used a shampoo that may have stung her eyes?? it may be taht she associates hair washing with shampoo?. of course no one likes having water over their faces so maybe you could try making it into a game.

get her to help you do it.

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