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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

Hysterics after bath time

17 replies

BocaDeTrucha · 10/04/2014 20:02

Ds is almost 7 months and generally a happy baby. However, it all goes pear shaped when he gets out of the bath. Dying him, putting cream on, putting a nappy on, pyjamas etc is all done to a background of wailing and tears and when dh takes him up to bed for his bottle, he is absolutely shattered from so much screaming. It's heartbreaking.

We've tried distractions etc but nothing seems to work. Dh says I spend too long getting him ready for bed but I don't want it to be a rushed thing. Anyone have their little one behaving like this at bedtime? Once he's had his bottle he generally goes down to sleep just fine is just the pre- bedtime that's such hard work.

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Original poster

BocaDeTrucha · 10/04/2014 20:03

Oooops, I meant drying of course... Dying him might not be such a good idea!

OP posts:

Purplemummy44 · 10/04/2014 20:09

Hi Boca

My little one is very similar- was happy in the bath but as soon as I laid him down to get dried and changed he would cry until we gave him his bedtime bottle. However, I've recently tried drying him / putting clothes on whilst sitting on my knee. It's a big improvement and no more complaining!! Might be worth a try !!

Passmethecrisps · 10/04/2014 20:11

My dd was - and still is a bit - like this. It was awful. Bathtime was lots of fun but the aftermath always put me off. At 17 months old my dd is much better usually but generally isn't keen. I just try to give her something she likes to hold and if that works we have a lovely massage type getting ready otherwise it is quick smart on the jammies.

Passmethecrisps · 10/04/2014 20:12

Oh, and as purple has said anything which is not lying down works. Sometimes I just whip the nappy on then get her up for dressing. She calms as soon as she is off the mat

ArtFine · 10/04/2014 20:15

Could you bring the bath time a bit earlier? Maybe he is just too tired by the time the bath is over and wants to get to sleep?

pookamoo · 10/04/2014 20:16

Have you considered that he might be too tired by the time he goes in the bath?

Sometimes the bath can be super stimulating for babies - perhaps try giving him his bath earlier in the evening, or even in the morning instead? Then just a top and tail at bedtime.

ChoudeBruxelles · 10/04/2014 20:17

Earlier bath time?

pookamoo · 10/04/2014 20:17

cross-post with art

Fluffalump · 10/04/2014 20:18

Is he getting cold? Have you tried turning the heating up and warming the towel ready for when you get him out? One of my little ones gets very cold as soon as he is out of the water.

Coveredinweetabix · 10/04/2014 20:20

We re-jogged the routine. Tea at 5ish, then upstairs for bath & then downstairs wrapped in towel to get dressed, have stories and, once DC1 was past one, TV. Standards slipped with DC2 and I think he watched Peppa for the first time at the ripe old age of 22hrs!
DC are now 4.6 & 22mo and we still do this.

BonaDea · 10/04/2014 20:22

Try putting him to bed half an hour earlier. He sounds just shattered maybe?

Hamnvik · 10/04/2014 20:30

Ds was the same and I think it was overtiredness, bath time was just too stimulating I think. We ditched bath time from the bed time routine in the end and now at age 1 we tried it again recently but he was just the same.

Original poster

BocaDeTrucha · 11/04/2014 16:10

Thanks so much for all the advice. I think I'm going to try with the sitting up to get dressed as I know from general nappy changing that lying down is not his favourite position anymore.

I think I read somewhere that you should try and get them in bed within half an hour of bath time as they are nice and relaxed (!!!!) which I've been trying to stick with but it's clearly a load of rubbish so will try bringing bathtime forward a little too and try to catch him when he's less tired.

OP posts:

Bedsheets4knickers · 11/04/2014 17:44

My dd was like that at this age, carry on as normal was my approach .

trotzdem · 11/04/2014 17:49

My nearly 3 year old still screams after an evening bath - unless he is actually dirty at 6.30om a morning or afternoon bath works much better for us - over tired and over stimulated by it just before bed, as others have said. Some people insist baths have to be part of the bedtine routine because it worked well for their children, or because its just "what you do" but like so many other things its often not true for all children!

slightlyconfused85 · 11/04/2014 19:06

Dd was like this till about 14mo. Pita but just get on with it as quick as poss he will get over it eventually. She is 17mo now her dad deals with dressing time and they have a ball. They laugh, play and chase each other round the bedroom and she hasn't whinged for months. It's a phase, it will pass.

pookamoo · 11/04/2014 19:10

In my experience, bath time has one of two effects on children. It either calms them down, nice and relaxed (!) or hypes them up. The problem is, sometimes you can't exactly predict which effect it's going to have on the baby, even when you did exactly the same thing at the same time last night!!!

We are big fans of "random baths" in our house. If it's all going a bit pear shaped with the toddler, whatever time of day or 3.30am bung them in the bath and it seems to distract them, if not exactly calm them!

Good luck!

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