At my wits end with sodding bath time. Calm me down please.

[slatternlymother]

DS 21mo. Recently started SCREAMING at bath time. I mean screaming, screaming and gagging until he manages to bring up a bit of sick. God only knows what the neighbours think. The screaming is otherworldly.

We HAVE to bath him; he's filthy from nursery (lots of messy play; paint in hair tonight etc).
For the first time in a long time, I had to step away for fear of hurting him and handover mid bath.

mine was bath-phobic but now absolutely loves it, it was/can be a phase but we also had to a)get loads of toys in there and stop washing his hair more than once a week so it became another play place to him (bath xylophone! bubbles being blown, buckets, balls, old shampoo bottles he can fill up, anything) and b) we used a bath safety seat (tenner at asda) for a while which seemed to asuage the fear of slipping under the water he had, it swivelled so was great fun for him and c) use a flannel on the forehead to stop any water getting on his face when hairwashing. he's 2.7 now and loves the bath, will run upstairs screaming with joy when we (every other day) say "bathtime!" fingers crossed for you :)