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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

For crying out loud - I'm only trying to wash her hair!

30 replies

pregnabrain · 17/07/2007 15:12

dd's twice-weekly hairwash has become a total nightmare. Struggling, screaming, wailing, cursing (and that's just me ) - I end up covered in water and shampoo, and she ends up with a load of brown crusty stuff stuck to her scalp coz I can't wash her properly.

Somebody help me please.....

ps. have been to chemist to buy a visor thingy today - will report back if this solves the problem. Am sceptical.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

PrincessGoodLife · 17/07/2007 15:16

have endured the same with DS for the past 4 years

bought him a 'special' strawberry smelling shampoo tha would make him 'smell like a lollypop' but that only worked a few times. It's upsetting isn't it.

puppydavies · 17/07/2007 15:17

how old is she? would letting her do some of it herself help? how about shower instead of bath?

Tigana · 17/07/2007 15:18

Casual listeners must dial social services whenever I wash Ds hair the squawking is so impressive.

He enjoys rubbing in the shampoo himself, but despises getting hair wet and rinsing (water in face)

womblingalong · 17/07/2007 15:21

awful isn't it, we seem to have cracked it by getting dd to lie down in a shallow bath, so the shampoo doesn't go in her eyes. might work for you? good luck

slinkyjo · 17/07/2007 15:23

i hate it neighbours mus think im trying to kill her or something the way my dd screams

IdrisTheDragon · 17/07/2007 15:23

DS is 3.7 and hates having his hair washed.

I symapthise (but have no solution I'm afraid)

Desiderata · 17/07/2007 15:23

I have all but given up washing my ds's hair (2.8). Every now and again I spray dry shampoo in it!!!

He'll grow out of it .. hopefully!

RGPargy · 17/07/2007 15:25

I used the Johnson's No More Tears stuff when my DS did this and that solved all the problems!

mistlethrush · 17/07/2007 15:25

We seem to have solved ours by getting him to lie back on my (L) arm with his head tipped right back so that its possible to get hair wet without hitting face or ears - have a dry flannel on stand by to stop the drips when sitting up. Sit up to put the shampoo on then off whilst lying back again. We now find that the visor thing actually makes things worse in terms of getting things in his eyes. Good luck!

friendlyedjit · 17/07/2007 15:25

I also used to dread hairwashing night- I also hate daily hair combing!!

I gave my dd a pair of barbie goggles which she used to love wearing in the bath!

I've also done the lying down in the shallow bath water with dd3 who loves that as she thinks she's swimming!

I also try and make a game out of the weekly wash of hair in shower cubicle by blaming the shower!! the screams usually turn into laughter especially as I get really wet too when they start splashing me- ... I think we might need a wet room..

suezee · 17/07/2007 15:27

i find the johnsons shampoo that comes out foamy is great for the kids.......y dont u buy a cartoon face cloth for her to put on her face and have her put her head right back and use the shower....if u havent got a shower y not buy one of those shower attachments you put on the taps

friendlyedjit · 17/07/2007 15:40

what has made me laugh most about dd2 and her apparent aversion to water is her amazing confidence in water swimming. Signed her up for lessons half expecting her to run in the opposite direction and to refuse to get in. Completely the opposite, she is so naturally at home in water its bizarre!

Reallytired · 17/07/2007 15:49

I found that a damp soapy sponge that had ben wringed out easier for hair washing. I then dried my son's hair with a towel. Admitally he has short hair which makes hair washing easier.

As she gets better at swimming you could get her to lie back in the bath as if she is swimming on her back.

Budababe · 17/07/2007 15:53

My DS was exactly the same. He DID grow out of it but we did go through a stage where he just didn't get his hair washed properly for a while. I used to just sponge it - easier with a boy with short hair obv.

The lying back thing then worked and then Daddy doing it worked! DS will still sometimes ask for DH to do it "cos he doesn't wash the front Mummy". Oh yes he does!

OhNo40 · 17/07/2007 15:59

There was a thread on MN about a month ago which recommended flannel over the eyes and counting spiders on the ceiling. It worked a treat for my DD who has now all but stopped screaming.
Just have to find something as good to stop the noise when we do brushing / combing. I'm seriously considering a grade 1 skinhead at the moment to solve that one.

McDreamyGonagall · 17/07/2007 16:01

Mine used to be the same but have grown out ofit - well at least DD has and DS has just copied! They are both very used to being in the swimming pool, swimming underwater etc which has increased in the last 6 months, think that has something to do with it, but I too could have been committing murder if you had listened outside my bathroom for many a hairwash night!!!

saadia · 17/07/2007 16:04

I always tell dss (5 and 3) to look at the ceiling when I wash their hair and keep a towel close by for them to dry their eyes and face as soon as I've rinsed out the shampoo. They used to absolutely hate it but are OK now because they have a bit of control I think.

mistlethrush · 17/07/2007 16:15

BTW, we use one of his bath toys to do the wetting and rinsing - was cup with holes in the bottom, often empty shampoo bottle now. Much better than the shower attachment that he is paranoid about.

puppydavies · 17/07/2007 16:55

ooh yes swimming goggles in the bath works a treat here too.

Original poster

pregnabrain · 17/07/2007 19:51

Wow. Thanks for all the replies!

She's 2 and a bit. I've tried getting her to lie back but that leads to more screaming. She doesn't get looking up (but I love the spiders idea - she's petrified of them so that would definitely get her attention!).

We've got a shower, so I'll try going in there with her. Maybe if she sees me getting my hair all wet she'll feel a bit better about it. Mind you, I tried joining her in the bath for this week's screamathon, and it didn't do any good. In fact, she screamed so much she wee-ed on me .

It's good to hear that they grow out of it. It's such a shame, coz bathtime used to be such fun. Now she just spends the whole time eyeing up the shower head really suspiciously.

OP posts:

puppydavies · 17/07/2007 20:13

maybe try rinsing with a cup rather than the showerhead?

Original poster

pregnabrain · 17/07/2007 20:47

I've tried it, but she wriggles around so much it takes forever and I end up resorting to the showerhead just to get it over with.

sigh - I like the goggles idea. Might give it a go too...

OP posts:

terramum · 17/07/2007 22:32

DS hates his being done, even though we don't use shampoo so it's no more than a quick rinse. If he refuses I generally just rub his head with a damp flannel & then brush his hair...

Original poster

pregnabrain · 22/07/2007 22:09

Hello

Just thought I'd report back to say I tried a triple whammy of:

visor
washing with sponge not showerhead (her suggestion!)
"can you see any spiders / flies / ants on the ceiling?"

And...it sort of worked. There's definitely less screaming.

Hooray and thank you as usual...

OP posts:

IrishMammyto2 · 23/07/2007 12:42

When my daughter was this age i found doing her hair at the start of the bath helpful as she then calmed down and could enjoy the rest of her bath. This way they can also have some positive associations with bathtime. It had got to the stage where she spent the whole bathtime anxiously looking at the showerhead waiting for the torture, and had started to refuse getting in the bath.
I would also advocate just getting on with it, rather than waiting for them to be happy about what you are doing. ie explain in a firm clear voice, "i am nearly finished, just one more rinse then we can play" type of thing.
HTH

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