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Parenting

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Original poster

Bath time. Help!!

4 replies

Winterbaby21s · 15/08/2023 08:33

Hi everyone. My 20 month has all of a sudden started to HATE the bath. I mean screaming, gagging, trying to climb out. He becomes so distressed that I just end up taking him out. I’m the only one that baths him so I know nothing bad has happened to cause this. I just don’t understand it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

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Cantgetausername87 · 15/08/2023 08:36

Sounds like you're getting into the realms of random behaviours! It happens with the bath, food and other things they used to like! Just make sure you pre warn about bath time, have some bath toys (I'm sure you do) and keep putting them in the bath/swimming/waterplay as it's likely phase which will pass

UnravellingTheWorld · 15/08/2023 08:47

Yep, it's just one of those things. It passes in time.

Bath toys and even screen time as distractions (I'm not a screen time mum but sometimes you do just need 10 minutes). Reduce the number of baths temporarily so it's not constant stress - so if you bathe every day cut back to every other day. Also, hair doesn't need to be washed every bath time so that's another way to shorten the duration.

Be upbeat and calm: in a few weeks your child should get over it.

Original poster

Winterbaby21s · 15/08/2023 13:06

Thanks guys

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thehonscupboard · 15/08/2023 13:28

We had exactly this around the same time. A year on and we now have tears because they don't want to get out of the bath so hopefully it will pass for you too! Initially we dealt with this in the wrong way, and gave as few baths as we could get away with because we hated seeing DC1 get so distressed. We then decided to do immersion (haha) therapy and just go for it every day. Got some good new toys. A hat thing that keeps shampoo out of eyes when hair washing. Also we took turns to get in too. It didn't take long for the turnaround.

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