Please help - just had HORRENDOUS bathtime (hair washing) we are all traumatised

[blissieblue]

Both DS's (18 months and 3.6) hate having their hair washed. I hardly ever do it for this reason but they're having their photo taken tomorrow and it was looking a bit yucky. DS2 I managed without too much upset by wrapping him in a towel and holding him across my knee, over the bath and then washing hair being very careful not to let any water / soap on his face.

DS1 bigger and a lot stronger. We tried sweet talking him in to it (worked a few months ago and he was completely happy having it washed for a while) but then we decided force was necessary. Tried same tactic as with DS2 but ended up with bathroom floor flooded, shower screen half kicked to bits, DS2 frightened and sobbing his heart out and DH and I shaken and feeling like very bad parents indeed.

It was a disaster and not how it should have been handled but I'm at a loss. I don't have the energy and patience to negotiate endlessly with a 3 year old just so we can get basic tasks done (it's not just hair washing...)

[Morloth]

Cut it really really short and then not bother? This was my solution, he goes swimming and stuff so it gets cleaned - also these days he prefers a shower to a bath so it kinda gets wet then.

[Firway]

Sounds like a traumatic time for all. You probably won't like this idea but when my 2 year old started to scream and fuss when it was hair washing night, I changed tactics. I washed her hair every single night of the week and by the end of the week she had accepted it. It was a struggle for about three or four days and took a lot of courage and energy but worth it in the end.

[taliac]

Sometimes we all get in together and DD "does" me first - ie, water over head "close eyes now mummy", shampoo rubbed in, "rinse now!"..

Then and only then am I allowed to wash hers.

The interesting thing about it is that its really not very nice having someone (esp a toddler with bad aim) pouring water over your head, so it always gives me more sympathy with her dislike of it..

[milfAKAmonkeymonkeymoomoo]

Oh we had this now I do it when I am in the bath with DD and we bought a special shampoo-ing jug from Mothercare which prevents the shampoo from getting in her eyes. I also let her do mine and we wash dollies hair too

[SixSpotBonfire]

I do DS3's hair with a flannel - kind of a speeded-up version of how tissy describes!

If it is any consolation, both of my older DSs used to hate hairwash too, but once they started swimming lessons and got used to water on their faces, they were fine about hairwash and now (aged 9 and 7) they wash their own hair quite competently.

[saltire]

When DS1 was younger, hair washing was a trauma. It would involve DH and I strippin down to our underwear, DH hold8ing DS1 under his arm, and me washing it, we would be soaked, DS1 was stressed, the bathroom was like Baghdad. On more than one occasion we had the neighbours at the door as he would scream the place down. As he got older and bigger it got more difficult to hold him. We then got him to lie back int eh bath water, we would shampoo his head then use clean water int eh sink and a cup to rinse it off.Now, he tips his head back int eh shower and has a facecloth over his face, he is 10.5 years though and I currently have to wahs it as he is holding cloth over his face, but there will come a time int eh not to distant future when obviously I won't cna wahs it,

[amess]

In my experience it gets better by the time they are about 7.

[pollywollywoowah]

Just wanted to add that we've found hair washing much easier with DS (18mths) since we started using Johnsons Easy Rinse Shampoo Foam (or something like that). Much easier to rinse out than normal shampoo so even if it is traumatic the whole experience is short lived.

Smells yum too and IIRC it was only about 70p in Tesco.

[branflake81]

We don't have a bath so have always had to wash the kids' hair in the shower. When they were little, we used to pretend we were going swimming, get our costumes, goggles (and even armbands!) on and that made it more into a fun game. It means you have to get wet too but it's a small price to pay.

[LollipopViolet]

I used to hate it too. My bad sight means I hate ANY liquid in my eyes, and when I was younger it was awful. I think I just grew out of it but I'm not sure.

[edam]

We did the getting ds to lie down in the bath and hold his own (dry) flannel to dab his eyes or ears if they got wet. Made such a difference.

Now we've moved on a stage and he'll let me do it with the shower attachment while he tips his head back. He's realised it's much faster.

He's five now and, if he's in the mood, he does the lying back thing all on his own. Reverse psychology worked, leaving the room to get a towel and saying 'now, I really don't want to come back and see you with clean hair. Do NOT wash your hair'.

[iliketosleep]

My mum always used to tell me incy wincy spider was on the ceiling waving at me and he was wearing a hat/coat etc etc just to dress it up a bit and make it more intersting. I never saw him but my hair was washed without a fuss!!

I used the same tactic with my dc's and it worked a treat just always make sure no water trickles down into their eyes or that will scare the bejesus out of them and incy wincy spider will never work again!

I was also told there was a plug hole man that drank all the water and if i didnt get out of the bath quick he would swallow me too.

I saw him, he was made of chocolate and was wearing a flourescent workmans jacket

[herbgarden]

second (or third) the lying down in shallow bath. DS has thick hair so the flannel method not that great. We've just moved and have a bath with handles and he now hangs on,leans back into the shallow water which comes just up to his ears. he's still not keen on the shampoo but at least it's better than no hairwash at all.