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Original poster

Desperately seeking hairwashing tips

28 replies

Tireless · 25/07/2001 17:54

I am finding washing my two year olds hair a real nightmare. Has anybody successfully overcome this problem and if so how?

She cries and won't sit down in the bath, consequently i am left with a head full of shampoo and no idea how i am going to get it off. I usually resort to tipping the water over her head, but this is making me feel cruel. She seems so desperatly upset i can,t get her to understand that if she sits still the water won,t go in her eyes.......... HELP......!!!!

OP posts:
Candy · 25/07/2001 18:18

My two (six and four) have only recently stopped fussing about hair washes - having said that I well remember screaming the place down as a kid when mum washed my hair!

I would recommend the L'Oreal Kids range, if only for the fact that they LOOK fun - also, we lie them back in the water and let them be mermaids which works better than the old beaker method we used to try. You could try letting her use "mummy's shampoo" for a special treat, or getting her to rub it in herself too. Hope this has some effect!

Janh · 25/07/2001 19:17

candy's right, lying back in the water can help a lot with wetting and rinsing, although you do need to end up with a clean water rinse - a jug or a spray. also about the l'oreal kids shampoos, they are lovely.

have you tried diverting her by giving her a mad hairdo with the shampoo and showing her in the mirror?

they are least likely to get soap and water in their eyes if they will tip their heads back, but if she won't, you could try giving her a dry flannel or a sponge to hold across her eyes. when she is standing up is she hysterical or calm enough that you could give her the flannel, preferably having discussed it with her before? (is she old enough to discuss things?)

if she really won't negotiate at the moment, could you cut her hair really short (has she been to a hairdressers yet or would that be another nightmare?) for the summer (so-called)(lancashire!) and then wash AND rinse with a damp - not dripping anyway - flannel on her head?

or do you go swimming? will she go in the shower at the pool? could you wash it there instead for the time being?

Jodee · 25/07/2001 22:03

I've got a kind of visor thing that I use for my ds aged 16 months, which goes over the top of his head and acts as a barrier when I'm pouring the clean water over, so none goes in his eyes. It's quite stretchy and would probably fit over a 2 year olds. I picked it up in Mothercare.

Bo · 26/07/2001 10:38

My son really hated haveing his hiar washed. I bought a visor & he hated it even more & wouldn't wear it. My husband got fed up with all the fuss & just chucked the water on his head with lots of high pitched "splish, splash, weeee etc - it indicate it should be fun - ha). I must say I was a bit upset, as tireless says, it made me feel a bit cruel. I was trying all the flannels on foreheads, tipping head back etc.
Anyway, my husbands approach definitely worked, after a couple of miserable baths ( always wash hair staight away to get it over & done with) he's now perfectly happy to have his hair washed, never a complaint, loves being slashed (even in face) and of course splashing. Try & make it fun & don't pander to it, was his approach & it worked. (& Not just with hair washing)

Bugsy · 26/07/2001 11:34

Tireless maybe try leaving it for a few days as toddler hair doesn't get greasy. When you start again, try wetting her face first so that she is starting the whole process with no shocks in the offing. Given that toddlers don't get greasy hair, if it is just sticky from grubby fingers going in it how about just doing some rinsing around the sides and backs with water and running wet hands through the top. She may find this less distressing and then after a few days you could try shampooing again and pretend that it is a special treat?
I would strongly recommend wetting her face first, we do this with our son in the bath and swimming pool following advice by an infant swimming instructor and it really does help. All you do is just wipe their face with your damp hand - its not scary or frightening and makes them less worried about subsequent water going on their face.

Tigermoth · 26/07/2001 11:40

There's so much useful advice here. Janh, my ways of coping with hair washing are uncannily similar to yours!

I too think that the l'Oreal is good. It helps persuade my 7 year old that hairwashing isn't all bad. My two year old couldn't give a damn about the make of shampoo, unfortunately - all he knows is that he doesn't like it much. He's got a love/hate view of hair washing at the moment, veering from laughter at the bubbles to cries of protest at the rinsing.

Also, echoing what Bo has said, I have got my husband to wash my son's hair in a very matter of fact way - and the results have been better all round. However, the boy's improved tolerence to hair washing only extends to my husband. When mummy gets the shampoo out, the protests begin again.

Tireless, could you duck out and get your husband to take on the hairwashing for a while? Also, I think you have to accept that there may be some form of protest. Your 2-year old is probably beginning to assert herself, as is natural at this age.

Also, could you wash your hair when you wash your daughter's hair? This works quite well with my son, or I wash both son's hair together. The 2 year old then sees he's not the only one to have to go through the hateful process.

Good luck!

And I'm off to buy a shampoo viser.

Anoushka · 26/07/2001 18:17

hi got any tips my son has grommets in and has to plug his ears so it takes me and hubbie one holding him so he does not pull the plugs out and the other washing the fastest wash in history and i try to have his hair very short so we only have to do it once a week it very distressing for me as well as my son boy i cant wait until i dont have to plug his ears

Original poster
Tireless · 27/07/2001 12:35

Thanks to all of you who replied, i think getting husbands involvement is a good idea even if it's so i don't feel the only cruel one around here!!

I'm also going to leave it a while before trying again.
Whilst a friend of mine was in hospital recently (bed bound) he is certain he had his hair washed with 'dry' shampoo? Anybody any wiser on this, sounds too good to be true!

OP posts:
Janh · 27/07/2001 20:22

tireless, there used to be dry shampoo when i were a lass but it was horrible then - just powdery stuff to soak up the grease (mmm, yum!). if it has been improved/updated i haven't heard about it...you can use talcum powder for the same result but both ways used to end up with white dusty roots...

i'm talking 35 years ago - most peoples' bathroom facilities were nothing like they are now and hairwashing was a messy affair with jugs in sinks so the dry shampoo seemed to some like a better option.

Jodee · 28/07/2001 15:39

Tireless, yes I admit it - I use dry shampoo!
Only on VERY rare occasions though, eg I always wash my hair at night and if I'm feeling under the weather or something and can't be bothered I will give my head a squirt of the stuff in the morning to freshen my locks!
What I use is called Batiste, by Schwarzkopf (spelling???) and it's in a green can, you will find it by the regular shampoos.

od2094 · 18/10/2005 20:06

Has anyone thought about washing their hair for cash ? www.getallwet.com is looking for models to create a video washing their hair and get paid 50% of the sale each time the video is downloaded. just wondering if any ladies would be interested ?

Milliways · 18/10/2005 20:07

Are you serious!

Toorisky · 18/10/2005 20:15

Eff off you perv!!!

marthamoo · 18/10/2005 20:17

If you have a look at the site (I know....) It specifies no nudity! Just hair washing - very elaborate instructions though. Amazing what turns some people on...

Mytwopenceworth · 18/10/2005 23:26

Couldn't resist checking this site out - I sat here literally p'ing myself! I can't believe it!!!!

Satanic · 18/10/2005 23:30

Apparently Jonathan Ross's wife uses Febreze on her hair when she can't be bothered to wash it!! I love her hair....am about to have mine dyed the same colour!

CreepyJess · 18/10/2005 23:31

This is like reading one of those old Woman's Owns from the sixties...

ScarySkribble · 18/10/2005 23:41

Doesn't it bother anyone that an advert like that was posted by od2094 on a thread about washing kids hair .

CreepyJess · 18/10/2005 23:43

Good God I hadn't even seen that??!! Was it never checked out???!

ScarySkribble · 18/10/2005 23:55

I know everyone is having a laugh about it but we seem to forget the world and his fetish wife can read all your posts.

marthamoo · 19/10/2005 00:20

If you get upset, ScarySkribble, then the pervs have won. No child is at threat here, we are adults, and we can deal with it. And it is - if we need one - a timely reminder that MN is not some secret club: anyone can read the posts, and not all are savoury characters.

ScarySkribble · 19/10/2005 00:22

Not upset at all it just seemed to get lost amoungst the jokes, Just imagining some pervert reading all the post and enjoying it.

marthamoo · 19/10/2005 00:24

You are right, SS - not disputing that at all - but the perverts are there, all the time, and we would do best to remember it (and yet not let it cramp our style, iyswim)

ScarySkribble · 19/10/2005 00:25

Just don't want to indulge anyone when they are so blatent.

suzywong · 19/10/2005 00:26

that's rich coming from the internet cafe at the Halifax transport caff, "marthamoo' you hairy handed lorry driver

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