My 12 month old has suddenly become petrified of the bath.

[tjandluca]

Overnight, my DS who has just turned one has gone from loving his baths and happily splashing away for ages, to screaming the moment he gets in and immediately pulling himself up on the side and clinging on to me for dear life. He seems to look at the plug a lot and I'm worried that he's had a nightmare about the plug or something! Has this happened to anyone else? Does anyone have any suggestions to help as it's a real struggle to get him bathed now - I've gone from doing it every night to just every other as I can't face it!

My dd did this at about 14 months it lasted for a couple of weeks. To be honest the thing I found that worked was me getting in the bath with her so she was cuddled by me in the water.

I also let her bathe with my nephew who was 2.8 years and see he wasn't scared.

She all of a sudden got over it.

Hi
My 9 month old is going through exactly the same thing at the moment. We have gone back to bathing with her and little by little she is getting her confidence back, but it is a very slow process. We were away and just had a shower where we stayed last week and she found that just as scary. I am hoping it will stop as suddenly as it started!

Hi tjandluca,
Have you gone swimming with DS? I never used a baby-bath with my 2. Both were just put in the big bath with a tilted mat to lie on while I washed them. Maybe taking DS swimming and then equating the bath with the pool might help. Worst case, DS would be clean from the pool! Children go thru phases and fears are a part of that. Just try to ride it out and not show that you're stressed (it may add to your child's stress). If they want out, out they come, all done! New toys, bubbles, splashing, a friend, all may help allieviate (sp?) any anxiety with your child.

Remember...there aren't too many adults who don't wash every day...and the ones you don't can always be advised to use de-odorant!

Hope that helps...
JandDmom

Hello tjandluca,

We've had this one an' all!!!!!
Ds3 aged about 15 months wouldn't get in the bath and just screamed and screamed. Ds2 then aged 30months translated that it was because he was scared of being sucked down the plug hole , so we bathed him in a baby bath for a bit until it was no longer an issue. Then when he went back into the big bath we covered up the plug hole with a towel and eventually and many soggy towels later he forgot all about it.

If its any consolation he swims like a fish now.

Good Luck!

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We had exactly the same issue with our youngest when he was one. He already bathed with his big brother. We started using bubblebath (had avoided doing this previously as DS1 had mild eczema when he was a baby), plus some new bath toys and he got over it within 2-3 weeks. It'll definitely pass...

us too! DS1 started it, we berated ourselves with was the water too hot / too cold, is he stinging somewhere, has he slipped in the bath, ooh i could go on (but i'll spare you) so we just thought he must have his reasons, washed him instead, and about ten days later we were at granny's house, offered him a wash and he asked for the bath instead. Ok. then ran bath at home next night - fine!!

Another one who's been there done that here! It's just a phase. He'll get over it just as suddenly as it started.

yep another one here! Just gone through this with ds aged 16 months. I enrolled him in a swimming class and within a couple of weeks he's loving the water.