My daughter is almost 6 months old and hates bath time and always has. What can I do to get her to enjoy it? She has an infant tub but hates it (not that I blame her its awfully hard). My kitchen sink is only one sink that is the same size as a normal kitchen sink that is divided into two sections so I tried to take a bunch of towels and make it soft for her and gave her a bath duck and she just arches her back and screams like a wild banchee! The water temperature is not cold and not hot. HELP what can I do to make bathtime funner for the both of us?
I was hesitant to put her in the bath with me because we have a huge corner garden tub but I did it and I bought some bath toys and she loved it!!!! I think I will buy her the inflatable ducky tub from walmart and put it in the tub to make me feel safer about her being in such a big tub. Thank you for all of your answers and suggestions!
Get in the bath with her. Have plenty of toys, maybe some bubbles (you don't want to give a girl bubbles every bath, it can cause "girl" problems) :) It might take a few baths together before she fun by her self but it worked for us!
I bathe with my baby in the tub. I imagine this isn't for everyone, but it sure makes bath time more fun...for me. I was really concerned about making sure that the water was lukewarm at first - and still do for the most part, but I've noticed that he enjoys warmer water on colder days, just like anyone would. My son is about the same age as your daughter and the bathtub gives him more room to experiment with splashing and kicking. He sometimes fusses when I rinse the shampoo out of his hair, but when you are in the tub with your child - it's easier to rush through the less pleasant parts.
My oldest had a very difficult time with bath time as well. As it turns out, he has various sensory issues and it makes perfect sense to me now that he wouldn't like baths. I will agree with the previous post though. I ended up getting in the bath with him and that helped him very much - he ended up like baths! I got some of those bath gloves for babies - so I had a nice "grip" on him. But ended up ditching them. Anyway, it might be worth a try to get in with her. Have a couple of things that she might like to play with - keep in mind it might not be something you would normally think of as a bath toy. Maybe just a washcloth or her favorite toy that is fine in the water. Good luck - hope this helps!
If she can sit up, I would try putting her in the real bath tub for bath time. You could even try getting in with her and bathing together. Add bubbles or other fun bath toys if you want to prolong it. At that age, we gave our daughter her teething rings in the tub and other soft wash toys that she could chew or suck on.
If she still hates it, you could try getting in the shower together. We've done that a few times and it worked out ok.
Good luck!
take your baby into your bath with you.
A.
Mine loved the big tub at that age, with just about three inches of water. He would sit and splash, or lay on his back and kick, and he absolutely LOVED bathtime. Also on these cold days, my kiddos like warmer water--not hot, but definitely warmer than lukewarm.
try taking a bath with her in your tub. If that makes you uncomfortable (ie the slippery skin and all, wear your swim suit) You can let her get used to it with you in the same tub, maybe that will calm her down enough to realize it can be a fun thing, not scary. :) good luck.
put him in the bath with daddy. Give mommy 10 minutes of rest from baby. Let dad and baby bond. Dad holds baby on his shoulder and wets his back and then eases him into the water, between his legs where he can give him lots of support.
Get the foam-pump Johnson & Johnson baby soap.
We tried this with our oldest because when I took a bath with her, she just screamed and tried to nurse the whole time.
I bathe with both of my kids (2 years and 4 months). I've done this since they were born & they LOVE bath time. We have a really big tub, so often, my husband will get in too and all 4 of us take a "family" bath and play with toys.
When I have just the baby in the bath with me, I will nurse her sometimes so she feels secure and associates warm water with feeling good (her tummy is full of milk). I will also "swim" her through the water. I put her on her back and hold her as I push her back and forth in the water. She really likes the sensation of the water flowing over her skin.
One of the main issues I've noticed with kids not liking baths is the dramatic temperature changes from getting in and then getting out. We put a portable heater in the room so the air is really warm when the kids get in & out.
PS- My kids have NEVER pooped on me in 2 years of bathing with them. I might just be lucky, but it's not a big concern in our house. That being said, they do pee in the water...a lot!
D.,
Try just putting her in the big tub. I like to put a towel underneath so it is not so hard. But at six moths whether they can sit or not, they love to splash and the big tub gives them more room to move. Also if you get some toys or containers that can get wet, she will love it! They like spoons and measuring cups and Tupperware....
Good luck
E.
Hi D.,
We transitioned to a small blow up tub. It was soft and just the right size. I think I picked it up at Babies R Us.
L.
My son has been in the big tub with three-four inches of water since he was 5 mos (now almost 18 mos). Tons of bath toys is key. The only thing he is not fond of is laying back to rinse his hair. Sometime he likes it but lately that has been a battle.
I was scared to give my infant a bath so in the hospital asked the nurse the best way, and she said to get in the bath with her, so we did bathtime together. Lots of skin contact and she could nurse etc. it made it very enjoyable for both of us, and it got me into a [relaxing] bath too!
enjoy!
