My 14 Month Old Baby Is Suddenly Afraid of Baths

My son who is 3 is also like that. He has gotten better recently because over the summer we got him into swimming lessons but he used to be terrifed to be put on his back in the tub so I just sat him up and told him to keep his mouth closed and shut his eyes to rinse his hair.

Hi, L.!
My best friend had this problem and she swore by those bath visors. I've never used one but she said as long as the water was not on her sons face he was OK. I've seen them at Target if you are interested. They are just made out of plastic or foam and fit under the hair line when you are ready to rinse. I would still try to start the habit of getting her to look up when you rinse so the water runs away from her face.
Good Luck!

This might sound crazy or to some even blasphemous.... but my neice was the same way. I believe in past lives and I swear it has something to do with something that happened to her in a past life. I love Sylvia Browne and in her books she talks about ways to kind of "rid" that phobia. Basically you just call on the white light of God to surround your child and rid her of all fears from anything that has happened to her before. To help her mind, body and soul forget that which has happened to her before this life. I started doing this to my neice about 7 years ago and she finally will put her head and face under water! If only I had found this out before.

I had the same problem! Then I went to my sisters house and saw that they had installed a removable shower head and her kids loved it. I bought one at Wal-mart for about $15 and it has worked PERFECT! My son doesn't have to lean back in the water and he uses a wash cloth to cover his eyes (even though there isn't a need) I just pull down the shower head and rinse him off and Waaaaa LA - Clean little boy with no fuss!

Hope this helps

L.

Teach her how to close and cover her eyes. Then pour water over her entire head with a cup. Count to 3 then pour. You may want to intro it slower. Take a bath with her and tell her that you both are going to wash your hair together. Let her pour water on your head while you demo closing eyes and covering them. Then it is her turn. Then it becomes more of a game.

You also could distract her with singing songs together. If she pipes in great, otherwise she will enjoy hearing her favorite tune. Tell her you will wash hair while singing. I did this with a little girl I watched years ago. She wasn't quite 2, but knew her alphabet. So I would sing that with her and she would sing loudly with me as she fought tears from her irrational fear of water on the face.

Another thing you can do is start reintroducing water to her face again. Show her how to stick her face down in and blow bubbles. Another thing you can do is work on trust by having her hold your arm as you cradle her and tell her you won't let her fall under water but want to dip her back. Congratulate her for making it close or getting some hair wet. It will work out before you know it. Good luck and don't get frustrated. It is just a part of growing up and when she is ready a breakthrough will happen.

B. :)

I went through the same thing with my daughter. I'm still going through it too. I don't know when or if it gets better but I've been able to use a small bowl to gently pour the water over her head. She refuses to tip her head back, though I repeatedly tell her that will make it easier and keep it out of her face. I've found it helps a little to take a bath with her and let her pour the water over my head - letting her see that I'M not afraid and that it doesn't hurt. MOstly I think it's just something that we have to work through together. I wash her hair first thing in the bath and then let her play the rest of the time and life goes on.

Our son did that, luckily only for a few months, we switched to showers, and honestly, it was alot easier. Get him wet, lather him up, do shampoo, turn the water on give him a few toys, and let him be for 5 or 10 minutes. It was great.
Good luck

Hi L.-
My son was the same way. We found a small "bucket" with a handle that is flat & soft on one side. I believe we got it at Walmart in the infant/toddler section...but I'm sure you could find it at Target, BabiesRUs, etc. It works great, and my son has learned to slightly lean his head back when it's time to rinse.

Good luck, and congrats on you pregnancy!

K.

L.(pretty name)~

The best thing that I've always done with all my kids was to have them look up at the ceiling when I rinse out their hair and I would tell them to close their eyes, so that the water and shampoo didn't get into their eyes. My 2 youngest(girls) are 3 and 13 mo. old and both of them have long hair so it takes longer to wash out their hair than it would my 3 boys. I will point up and say "look up there", usually in an excited voice so it would distract them as I was rinsing. Give it a try let me know if it works out for you.
A.

I get my daughter to look up at the ceiling and then quickly pour the water over her head so it runs back. She has started doing the same thing your daughter is doing.

Some baby tubs come with a gentle sprayer that my son loves. You obviously don't need the baby tub, but you may be able to buy the sprayer seperately.

I use a cup & pour running water on their head. I do not like to use the soapy water they are sitting in...seems like it dries the hair out? I also give my children a shower if we are running short on time- i put toys in their & they love it!

My son has always been the same way. I bought a piece of foam at Wal-Mart. They are in the craft section and are the size of a regular sheet of paper. Cheap, too! I'd get a few pieces in case you mess up. You measure their head around their hairline and cut out that size in an oval shape in the middle of the foam. Then you cut out another oval shape around it, with about an inch of foam in the back and 3 or 4 inches in the front. Once you're finished it looks like a foam oval with a hole in the middle. Just pull it over her head and back up over her ears and the water won't get in her face. This has made bathtime SO much easier for us! Maybe it will halp you out too.

http://www.leapsandbounds.com/pwr/product-reviews/4065/Ba...

check this out. It should help, not sure how much it is, or what I do is put my hand cupping the top of my sons head over his forhead and pour the water and push the water down towards the back of his head.

My daughter did the same thing to me and she is now 3 and I still can't get her to lie down in the tub. I just put one hand under her chin to hold her head up and use a washcloth with the other hand to rinse out her hair. It works just fine and she doesn't get shampoo in her eyes.

Good luck to you.

I have seen a product at Wal-Mart and maybe Toys R Us and it looks like a large measuring cup split down the middle with a soft flexible side. Sounds crazy I know!! The soft side rests against the child's forehead and when you tip their head back the water pours over the head and not on their face. It is not a visor. I plan on looking for one for my son, so if I can find it I will give you more details about it if you are interested. Good luck!!

I use to just tilt there heads back and says close your eyes.... But after awhile with the johnson no more tears shampoo we just made it a game to let them pour a couple of cups of water over there own heads.

My daughter did the same thing around that age. She's 2 1/2 now. I got a cup for the water and counted slowley "1 - 2 - 3" outloud and then poured the water over her head. Try to get her to look up at the ceiling.That way the water stays out of her eyes and nose. She may still get a little startled at first. But she'll get used to it. To this day that is how I still rinse my baby's hair.

I have seen on the Babies R Us website bath hats that is basically a visor. If this is a very recent thing then maybe check to see if she has an ear infection; that is when my son stopped letting me lay him back in to tub to wash his hair; for some reason laying back in the water made his ears hurt more. I actually from the time he was about two let him take showers, he felt like a big boy. I have also seen a bucket type thing at Wal-Mart that has a soft rubber side that you'd put against the child's face to rinse, good luck!

I wish I could help, but we have never leaned either child back to rinse--just poor and go. We keep a cup in the bathroom and just rinsed while they played. Just make sure you are using tear free shampoo.