14 mo traumatised in bath! help please!

[bclaremums]

I am two weeks into settling my 14mo ds into childminders 3 days per week, he is pretty happy there now but we have an ongoing bath issue.

On one of the first days dh and I were bathing him together (ds has always loved bath and found it a good way to wind down) when I was foolish enough to leave the room to get his pyjamas. He became hysterical and since then he cries and refuses to sit down. Even if I get in with him he is anxious and starts grizzling after a few mins.

Does anyone have any ideas how to wean him back into enjoying bathtime? Or should we just hang on in there, keep on with the routine and hope he will eventually go back to normal?

Thanks!!

Could you get him a new toy to take in the bath maybe? I bought my dd a dolly that she could take in and wash her hair etc and she seems quite happy doing that.

We had this recently and have just managed to get DD (20mo) back into the bath.

Based on advice on here, we didn't do baths for a couple of weeks or so, just a quick wipe with a flannel in the bathroom but we kept talking about the bath then we started baths again and DP got in with her every night. We had lots of tears and 1 min baths but gradually she stayed in longer and longer.

Then we did what Allboxedin did and got a toy just for bathtime - we let her choose it herself and she picked some bloody awful bath crayons which drive me mad and that seems to have done the trick!

Now I just need to get her over the fear of having her hair washed....

One of those chair things that you stick to bottom of bath, my dd hated the feeling of lying back and sliding around, but loved the chair thing, I got mine of ebay, HTH

Thanks everyone I will try some of those tips, might avoid the bath crayons though ha ha ha

I got everyone to buy ds2 a bath toy on his first birthday, he couldnt see the water let alone move in it for toys but he stopped panicking! bubbles worked a treat too.

Bubbles. My 14mo has spats when he screams like a loony in the bath, oddly usually when he has had an asthma-coughing fit. The way to calm/distract him is bubbles.

Get in with him?