Three-year-old suddenly refusing baths and becoming very distressed

[cloudydays2]

Has anyone had to deal with a bath aversion ? My 3, almost 4, year old has suddenly decided to hate the bath. Nothing has happened for her to react this way but the word bath sends her into a compete meltdown and being in the bath makes her scream the full street down and attack me. I am at a complete loss and very stressed, I have tried new toys, shower, a wash down out with the bath and going in the bath with her but nothing works.

We had a little bit of it after she had a abit of nappy rash and it stung when she sat in. She wouldn’t sit down in the bath for a while even when it had cleared up.

No solution here but solidarity- we're in the exact same situation with our 20mth old at the moment

Will she have a shower? Mine both started having showers about that age. Much less faff, they love to play filling up pots of water, and you can leave them to it because they can’t drown in the shower.

We only have a shower! DC had a bath at his gran’s house and didn’t really like it. We do have to supervise though as even though he can’t drown the bathroom would resemble a swimming pool otherwise and the dog would probably join in 🤣🤣

OP at 4 your child can use her words to tell you what is bothering him. Can you talk to her calmly away from bath time? Is she in pain? Afraid of something? Does she get too hot?

Often the plug hole can be scary. They imagine being sucked down with the water but can’t articulate that thought. Try a large tub filled with water, inside the bath, so there’s no danger from the plug!

This is really common and is usually a passing phase.
I would just do a strip wash standing on a big towel. Or stand him in the shower but use a jug. A shower can be scary for a small child.
There could be any number of fears, real or imagined.
My friend's dd suddenly became terrified she would follow the waterdown the plughole.
They stopped the bath for a couple of weeks. Then she got over it and was fine.

is she ok once she’s in it? Maybe a transition towards bedtime reluctance

I used to let ds stand and hose him down with a toy watering can. Didn't last long,it was just a funny stage.