Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

SUDDEN BATH HATING!

11 replies

gillythekid · 05/07/2009 16:03

DS is almost 1 and has always loved bathtime. For the last 3 nights he has literally screamed on merely being taken in to the bathroom! trying to think of anything that may have spooked him but DH and I have drawn a blank. Any ideas how I can make bathtime less scary?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

WhiteWineAndJaffaCakes · 05/07/2009 17:38

I had this problem although a bit later with dd - no apparent reason for it. Can you get him in the bathroom when it's not bathtime? Try taking a toy in there and just play for a few minutes or as long as he'll stay happy - don't even worry about actually bathing him. He might then be ok building back up gradually to going in the bath (without water) to then adding water. Again lots of bath toys might help. In the meantime you could give him a quick wipe down with a damp cloth in his bedroom before bed so he doesn't get too mucky! Took a couple of weeks with our dd to get back to being happy at bathtime but it did work - we had to do lots of praise at any small step in the right direction.

TheArmadillo · 05/07/2009 17:42

agree with white wine - a lot of kids go through similar and also the refusing to sit down in the bath thing. I would give him a wash down for now.

Also if you are giving him bath at night try giving him one earlier - during day time if you can or earlier in the evening. It may be tiredness making it worse.

He will grow out of it eventually

Picante · 05/07/2009 17:43

Yes I'd hold off for a few days.

Doodle2u · 05/07/2009 17:43

Have you got a bath mat?

If not, get one.

DD slipped around when she tried to sit and that was it, hated baths thereafter, until we got a mat!

ImOverHere · 05/07/2009 17:46

I think its something a lot of kids go through. My DD did at about 18mths (as far as i can remember). We did what Armadillo suggested, moved bath time earlier, which def helped. She's now 3.8 and we have trouble getting her out of the bath, so it will pass (and if you can manage not to feel too paniced or make a fuss, that helps too because they pick up on your feelings and actions).

IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 05/07/2009 17:51

DS was a bit of a soap dodger for months and I gave up the fight and washed him down instead one night he was filthy hab been digging in Granny's garden and I had to bath him, he was screaming but I presevered sponging the warm water off him to clean the dirt off and he actually did calm down and liked the hot water since that day he won't get out the bath.

Not recommending you dump him in screaming but just really saying that it does pass.

spiderlight · 05/07/2009 18:35

My DS had this at about 2 - sudden fear of going down the plughole, in his case, after being bathed at my dad's house with much noisier plumbing. I avoided baths for a few days and just sponged him down, got a new (Thomas) bath-mat, let him have a good look at the plughole with no water in the bath and made sure that he, all his toys and the beloved bath-mat were out of the bath and on teh other side of the room before I pulled the plug out. This all made precious little difference. My sister-in-law then solved it all by buying him a Thomas bath island for his birthday - all fear instantly forgotten.

ilikeyoursleeves · 06/07/2009 16:46

My DS did this after being in a strange bath on holiday. He would scream and hold on to the side for dear life. We started bathing him on alternate nights and I also had lots of baths with him again so he could be washed while holding on to me for a cuddle so it wasn't so scary. Distraction with toys helped too and he soon got over it although it does depend what mood he's in!

moocowme · 06/07/2009 18:51

where do you buy these Thomas bath accessories from? we have a little someone who would like a some.

IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 06/07/2009 21:02

Mothercare do loads of Thomas stuff. Bathmat, potty, step, toilet seat etc.

slimyak · 07/07/2009 11:48

Do you have a shower? Our DD went through a similar soap dodging phase - goes swimming at least once a week so isn't afraid of the water. Two things worked for us:

She liked the shower - tickly, tickly! and it's definately the best option for hair washing.

When she could do with a soak to get the ingrained muck off she sometimes chooses another toy that could do with a bath - teddy, doll, macka packa is often needing a wash, but there again he does have a touch of OCD.

Might work, but don't worry about it their bums don't rot off is they don't hit water for a while and I get the impression that this is a comoon blip.

Spiderlight - yes the plug hole is a scarey one. DD freaks out completely if you pull the plug while she's still in the bath.

Flip