HELP! My one year old won't take a bath!

[bethatasitmay]

Well, she ends up having one regardless, but she screams and sobs her heart out the whole time and now just seeing the bathtub freaks her out!

I don't get it she always loved baths - I get in with her and she's got lots of bath toys so we always have a nice play before bed. In the past couple of days though she's just started sobbing and screaming hysterically and clinging to me, won't sit down and when I try to make her she bucks and nearly slips out of my grasp and headfirst into the water!

She's started refusing food (only certain ones) as well over the same period, and is definitely teething molars, but why does she only go insane at bathtime?! I really don't want it to turn into a battle, but she REALLY needs a wash every day - she's a right mucky pup.

Any advice from someone who has been through something similar? How do I get her to like baths again?

I'd accept that something has freaked her out and find another way to wash her. Shower? Kitchen sink? Flannel?
Imagine bring forced to do something that is terrifying every single day!
It won't be forever :)

I accidentally traumatised my 1yo because I knocked over the shower door (which had come off) while he was in the bath. The answer, my friend, was bubbles, many bubbles. I have no advice if your bath is already bubble-tastic, but I wouldn't try to force her to sit down if she's happier standing.

Dd2 went through a similar phase at that age. I just let her stand up in the bath and gave her a quick wash (and hair wash sometimes) as I sang cheerily and then asked her if she wanted to get out. It lasted a few weeks and then she was ok again. No idea what caused it.

You could get a seat to put her in so she feels secure. Also blowing bubbles, not the ones in the bath but, you know, bubbles. Watch them floating up in awe then when there is a load of them floating around, gently place her in one of those suction chair thingies and continue blowing bubbles all around her. She will love it!!

You could also try singing 'splish splash I was taking a bath' you know, that kind of thing. Try to do it differently if you can, with no tension coming from you and don't use anything in the water in case something is irritating her. Or playing some music just outside of the bathroom, something that she likes and just look like you are enjoying yourself (even though you may feel really tense - acting skills at the ready). You could try just playing with a few favourite toys (or a new one) just on the floor by the side of the bath on a nice fluffy towel. Or you could pretend she is flying into the bath water and then out saying 'weeeeeee flying baby' in out in out a few times until the aeroplane (that she now is) lands in the water (or into a little chair). She will grow out of this. She will not be still doing this when she is an adult. Just try to remember this whenever you go through a stage. That is all it is, a stage, and it will not last. You and she will be ok.

I think my daughter took a bath standing up for about a year. I just held her steady with one hand and used a cloth and a jug to wash the bits that weren't in the water. If that's more acceptable to her then it might be worth trying.
I'd be cautious about using bubbles, or at least use them only very occasionally, because they can cause UTIs and that type of thing in little girls. (I've no idea if the same thing is true for boys.) So they might be okay for a special treat, but certainly not every day.