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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

Hairwashing/bathtime phobia

3 replies

Annie75 · 24/03/2009 20:34

Beware small incidents that cause deep emotional scars! Think I remember getting a teeny bit more water than usual in 19 month DD's face three weeks ago and she's had the screaming abdabs now every time I put her near a bath. (How do you rinse a toddler's hair without getting water down the face at some point?)

I've given baths a break and just strip-washed her, but her hair is changing colour with the grease... So, lowered her in a braved the screams with lots of reassurance and distraction toys earlier with some success. Didn't even attempt the hair and reckon that might be the way to go - get her comfortable in the bath again for a week or so without hair washing.

Sound sensible? What if she'll never let me wash her hair again and I end up with a stinky toddler with greasy dreads?

OP posts:

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bodiddly · 24/03/2009 20:39

start off slowly by wiping it with a damp flannel .. it will get her confidence up. Ds was like this for EVER. He now is happy to hold a dry flannel over his face and have a visor thing over his head .... it took a long time to work up to that though so you have my sympathy!

rubyslippers · 24/03/2009 20:41

get in with her

let her pour water over your head (don't scream!)

make it fun

kissmummy · 24/03/2009 20:50

we're going through this phase too. my DS is exactly the same age as yours and has a weird semi phobia of the bath despite having loved it in the past. he used to be brilliant at having water poured over his head for hairwashing but now he screams and screams. i only wash his hair about once a week - it never gets greasy so it doesn't need to be washed any more often - and just grit my teeth at the misery, but he's still very wary and at the moment he often won't sit down in the bath at all - he just stands up in it and plays with his toys [hmmm].
i found a little game that he really enjoys (just a made up thing where he pretends to pour me a 'cup of tea' with cups of bathwater and i pretend to spill it - he finds it very funny ) and that has helped persuade him get in. maybe you could try something similar, something that she finds funny?

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