My little one has a thing about having her hair washed

[thatsamazing]

She absolutely hates it! I've tried using a hand shower, using a scoopy water thing in the bath, trying to get her to lie down in the bath and swish it in the water - she hates it all. She gets so upset and I do don't want to upset her.

Anyone found a way to wash their little one's hair stress free? She's just three. Thanks in advance!

Do you have a partner to help?
We had one parent washing and one holding up a mobile phone with a cartoon on - got daughter through a hair wash refusing stage, then phased it out and she's fine now.

I think they all go through this phase! I used to get in the bath with dd and do it with her laying against me.

She’s 2.9 and still hates it but I can reason with her a bit now, and get her to close her eyes.

How long is her hair? I find girls with long hair tend to hate hair washing more than those with short hair. Consider cutting it.

Hold a flannel over her eyes or get one of those halo things that fit around their head.

We didn't have this with ours as we put them under the shower since birth rather than bathing so they were used to water being in their face,

My 2 year old is like this, absolutely hates the bath full stop. It's not always been the case so I'm just hoping he changes his mind again, because at the moment most baths are a quick splash of water and soap them straight out. Showers are worse, he shakes with fear!

Newyear she can't be so easily distracted alas! Fab that it works for you though. I think she's just learned to be scared of having her hair washed :(

Trying to waste her hair in the bath with her is a great idea, thanks mustard, I'll try it.

Bloom I wish she was used to the shower! Do you know what the name of the halo thing is / where to get it?

Lying it's just awful isn't it, I so hope she grows out of it too!

I assumed all kids hate it!
Dry flannel over face works quite well. Still get some screaming which I try and gloss over. Lots of praise for the times when there is no/ less screaming.

Only thing that has worked and still works for my almost 8yo DD is a flannel over her face whilst shampooing and rinsing it off.

I had one child (either 2 or 3 can't remember which) that used to scream as though I was torturing them. Full on - close the windows screaming. They are now 7, 9 and 11 and no one screams.

@thatsamazing my mum used to use a dry flannel on me as a child (a long time ago). If she is finding the whole idea scary, can she 'help' you was your hair and play washing any of her dolls hair? Just though if she saw it was ok and interact with it it may give her some confidence

bath halo with a flannel over her eyes

My tactic definitely isn’t A class parenting but it works for us. We make ‘hair night’ a treat by allowing DS to watch a programme on the iPad in the bath (from a safe, dry location of course!). He is only allowed to that when his hair is being washed, which is once a week. We implemented it when he was about 18mo and hair night went from a battle to a coveted treat in our house .

In terms of logistics, I get in with him and use a flannel over his eyes and a jug to wet his hair.

I use a flannel and squeeze the water from that over her head to rinse out the shampoo. It’s not too bad as my DD doesn’t have massively long hair but it takes a few goes and it’s the least stressful way I’ve found

My DD hated it until she was just over 4 then we managed to get her to try the shower head for actual hair washing and she loved it.

Dd hated water going in her ears, so she puts a flannel over each ear when I'm doing it. Can your DD tell you why she hates it so much?
It's awful, I really feel for you.

Sorry having trouble with links

The munchkin jug is soft silicone and fab

John Lewis also do a moby one which is fun

I'm afraid I just went ahead and put a jugs of water over her head ignoring the screams.
It didn't scar her for life; the first thing she packed when going to have her 1st baby was her hair-drier.

eddie my eldest is now 18yrs old. I can’t imagine ignoring a fear and carrying on regardless. Not nice at all

My 17 month old DD used to scream with hair washing until I found ‘clevamama clevarinse’ and we’ve never looked back. Got mine in tk maxx for a fiver but easily found online. Honestly don’t know what I would do without it!

Oh also do make sure you've tried out the shampoo you're using on yourself. Mine cried at one particularly lovely organic one and it was only when I used it one day I realised it was really stingy.

I’ve curly hair and follow curly girl method which is no shampoo. You ‘co-wash’ with conditioner and get to the point it’s in such good condition you don’t need to wash much at all. No sulfates etc....worth a look whether curly or not?

Thanks so much everyone for all your messages!

So reassuring that others have the same experience. I give her a hand towel to cover her face but she still hates it! I've never tried just conditioner, she has wavy hair so it's worth a go, also I'll have a look at the products boring recommended.

Thanks again! x

Not sure how old she is but if a bit older maybe goggles would work.

I can remember hating it as a child. For my daughter we had one of the hats and that worked well but using the shower head and letting her play with it first worked for us.

I do DDs over the sink like they do at the hair dressers but she holds a dry flannel over her face.
She has a hard booster cushion on her chair from when she got too big for high chairs so I take that into the bathroom.