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Original poster

So, how do you wash a toddlers hair without meltdown?

32 replies

fizzbuzz · 30/11/2007 19:44

Dd 17 months old has long, curly thick hair, which is a complete nightmare to wash.

Hates having it washed and screams blue muder. Will not lie down in bath and will not tip head back. Dp once resorted to chucking a jug of water over her .

Ds had one of those shield things which TBH was complete shite, as loads of water used to dribble through.

Her hair is washed once a fortnight if that, and is usually encrusted with two weeks worth of food by this time. If it isn't washed at this point it becomes a horrid crunchy health hazard.

Any advice?

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puffling · 30/11/2007 19:46

DD despises it too. Someone suggested I give her some shampoo to rub in her hair. That didn't work. Just do it as quick as poss. and wear ear plugs.

Original poster
fizzbuzz · 30/11/2007 19:54

The shampoo is the easy part.......it's the rinsing that is a problem!

Will remember ear plugs

OP posts:
jelliebelly · 30/11/2007 19:56

I don't think any toddlers actually enjoy having their hair washed! Best tactic with DS (now 2.2) was to just carry on regardless but get the job done as quickly as posssible - jug of water works well because its quick! Over the last two years we have had a couple of phases of not liking it but never lasted for more than a few days.

do you take her swimming? - we take ds swimming regularly and on the basis that he's never been bothered about water in his face/on his head etc in the pool he obviously wasn't really bothered by it in the bath. IMO the more of an issue you make of it, the more they are likely to make a fuss. Try the no-nonsense approach. It might be worth persevering more often - ds has his hair washed every time he has a bath and now realises that its just part of the routine.

Orinoco · 30/11/2007 19:57

Message withdrawn

paulaplumpbottom · 30/11/2007 19:58

I let her wash mine at the same time

crokky · 30/11/2007 19:58

My DS hates having his hair washed - I hardly ever wash it, but it looks lovely still!! If any food gets in it, I get it out with a babywipe at the time.

Chopster · 30/11/2007 19:59

I'd say the jug of water too. Some toddlers just are not going to have their hair rinsed without a screaming fit so it's best to get it over with as soon as possible. Also, if you start it young they don't actually mind it as they get older! I stick the shower head over mine, far easier that struggling with them to tip their head back in water which is full of soap anyway.

agree about swimming too, mine have got a lot more laid back about water after they started swimming regularly. dt1 jumps straight in the deep end of the pool so isn't bothered about water in his face/eyes/ears at all.

Original poster
fizzbuzz · 30/11/2007 20:01

Yes, we try to do it very fast It is a 2 person job though.

Have just read somewhere about laying them on the draining board of a kitchen sink, so their head drops over the edge. This is meant to be an easy way.

OP posts:
Walnutshell · 30/11/2007 20:04

I wash ds's hair most days but leave it if he is not in the mood. Usually get him to help (?!) and try not to make a big deal of it - he likes to use the shower attachment which is a useful way of getting hair rinsed. Sometimes these things just escalate and become and increasing problem. Hmm, that's not terribly helpful. Will have to defer to 'quickly' and 'good luck'!

Walnutshell · 30/11/2007 20:05

Hmm, good point Chopster - ds not bothered about going underwater so perhaps that explains it.

CatIsSleepy · 30/11/2007 20:07

yep we do it fast too, pour water straight on and don't worry about trying to get dd to tip her head back etc
she's got used to it - the hysterics come when I try and brush it afterwards

Original poster
fizzbuzz · 30/11/2007 20:17

Will probably return to tipping jug on her then....very traumatic for us all!

OP posts:
lalalonglegs · 30/11/2007 20:51

Very strong shower attachment - easier to direct than jug of water. Once she gets to bribery age (about 2 with my dd), took to giving her small treat if she was good during hair wash. Also give her towel wrapped up tight to hold over eyes once she was old enough. She's fine about it now (as long as still gets treat...) but ds of 18 months gets hysterical still. Is much, MUCH easier with a good shower. I don't think they need hair washed more than once a week or even every 10 days.

Orinoco · 30/11/2007 21:25

Message withdrawn

MuffinMclay · 30/11/2007 21:43

No helpful advice. Ds (19 months) is the same. I do it quickly and very infrequently and try to ignore the tantrums.

mandymac · 30/11/2007 21:49

Rinsing is the problem for us too. DH holds a flannel over her eyes while I pour water from a jug over her hair to rinse it. She went through a stage of yelping for a while, but we just got on with it. She was normally Ok within 30 seconds of us finishing.

mustrunmoreisntmakingabadge · 30/11/2007 21:51

Mount a shaving mirror on the wall so it can be angle for said toddler to look up to see himself from the bath.

Cajole him into allowing shampoo by saying you'll make his hair stick up like one of the neurons on Nina & the Neurons.

boo64 · 02/12/2007 20:59

I have to share this - after TWO YEARS of major screaming at hair wash time (which we'd taken to only doing every week or two as it was such a nightmare) we have finally had a hairwash with ds (2.5) without tears!! (By the way Johnson's are talking cr*p with their claim that it's no tears shampoo.)

It was quite a specific ruse with him that seems to have cracked it - one of his little friends at nursery has a hairdresser daddy and ds quite likes this little girl, so we said if he was really brave he could go and work at her daddy's hairdressers when he's older!! Worked a treat!

For younger ones, I'd echo others and try and get them to look up - maybe look for birdies or something. Other than that get it over with as quick as possible and do it as infrequently as possible.

bekkaboo · 02/12/2007 22:02

ds 15 months nearly has his hair washed in shower in a morning with no fuss. might b worth a try. Evening complete battle!

serin · 02/12/2007 23:00

Mine were like this.

I wrapped them up in a towel so they couldn't struggle too much/escape!!! then lay them on the draining board, tipping the head back over the sink (like a Baptism!).

Ignore screams.

They were more scared of getting shampoo in their eyes than water as could all swim!

Smee · 03/12/2007 13:47

Use combination hair/ bath stuff, then just dunk a brush in the water and comb it through with loads of praise if they sit still long enough. That way they don't get the soap in their eyes and it seems to be a bit easier for them to accept. Once they're okay with that, then you can build to tipping water on to rinse it off, or more easily just brush it out with clean water. Hard if they've got loads of hair though. snip, snip?

Kathyis6incheshigh · 03/12/2007 13:50

Why make her have long hair if it causes this much grief?

My2Weegirls · 03/12/2007 13:55

what about googles? if the issue is with water in her eyes?

AttillaTheHan · 03/12/2007 14:04

This might sound really daft but it worked with my son from about 18 months onwards. We had a mirror mounted up high (as someone else mentioned)and we made up a song.
"look up in the sky so it won't go in your eye". My ds was so busy singing the song he didnt realise I was pouring water merrily over his head. Good luck and if all else fails I would resort to a quick jug of water and a flannel over eyes.

boo64 · 03/12/2007 14:07

Had to laugh at googles instead of goggles My2weegirls!!! The world really is being taken over by a certain search engine!