My Child Hates the Bath

Hi K.,

My daughter went through the same thing. Lots' of bubbles, toys, singing, playing silly games and anything else you can do to distract her. Just stay calm, positive and try to have fun. She hated getting her face wet so I try to be really careful. Now my daughter runs to the tub and tries to get in.

At around that age, my daughter hated the bath, but loved "swimming". If we put her in the bathtub with swimsuit/clothes on, she'd have a grand time, and would often end up losing the clothes one they were wet.

If all else fails, simply wash her well with a wet washcloth instead of even worrying about putting her into the water. Unless she has very long or thick hair, you can even get by with washing her hair that way most of the time. They get dirty, but usually can be gotten clean enough this way, and perhaps just a good old fashioned weekly "Saturday night bath" added in. That way you (and she)only have to go through the trauma once a week. BTW, I remember that being the way we bathed when I was a kid... back in the dark ages. :-)

Hi K.,

How is the water where you live? Have they had to add more chemicals to the water? Your baby may be sensitive to the chemicals in the water. My family has a filter for the shower and one for the kitchen sink. We drink and shower with Piwater. The children love it.

If you would like more info let me know.

Have a great day.

N. Marie

Hi K.,
This is a very common phase. Usually it is instigated by a "traumatic" event, such as hitting their head or plowing face down into the water and choking, etc. I have 4 girls and I think they all went through that phase. What I did was take a bath with them so they could sit on my lap and feel safer and then we could also play and they would have such a wonderful time. They usually get over it relatively quick if you do something like that. Choking on water is quite traumatic for them, so it's not surprising they have a fear of it for a while. I personally wouldn't try to change bath sites or just give "spit baths" or make any changes to the routine. That will just cause it to take longer for her to get over her fear. I would stick with the bathtub and regular wash routine, except be in there with her so she feels safe. Good luck and God bless.

It sounds like something scared her. My little girl went through this about 2 months ago (she'll be 2 next week). She had tried to get out of the tub herself & had fallen on the bathroom floor (we have a clawfoot tub, so it's a bit high for a toddler), and was afraid to bathe after that, till we figured out what the deal was and had a talk with her about it. She's been fine ever since.

Hello K.: This was one my granddaughters wanted me to talk about. We have a great kitchen sink, big enough for a 4 year old (she is a bit to big) my little ones can play mermaid or be a fish as long as they get to take their bath in Nana's sink. One little one is a riot she will tell her folks to leave and start right up to the kitchen(her daddy put the new sink in for me. People have been doing this for years. So realize all children come with a washable gurantee and unless she's playing in the dirt everday she will be o.k. no one should be judgeing hey even if you have to use a wading pool it will be alright.
I keep 2 things on hand at all times so I can send things home with the little ones-- colored tabs that you can get at the dollar store or walmart cheap, the kids like to see the water change colors, and a great bath foam that is soap that also comes in colors generally 2-3- in a package I just squirt it on the little one and they get to use it like finger paint and have fun- they get clean, we have fun, I don't have to bend on the floor and we have created memories.
Or maybe you should consider a hand held hose shower handle and just let your little one start showers. My son started at 21/2 because he saw a scarey scooby doo cartoon. Relax because this is only the start of your adventure into parenthood. Feel free to contact me if you need anymore encouragement. Goodluck Nana G.

Dear K.,
I think it's pretty typical for kids to go through phases like this. One thing I learned very early on was that neither of my children liked tepid water. I was obviously afraid for the water to be too hot, but they did not like being stripped naked and put in water that made them feel colder. So, check the water temperature. Maybe she'd prefer the water warmer. The other thing you can do is just put your daughter in the shower with you. My kids were taking showers from the time they were just little, little babies. They loved it. They still had toys and cups that they would fill up to pour over their own heads. Just give it a try.
I'm sure it's something she'll get over soon.

Have you tried bathing with her?

My younger son was like that. He would howl like he was being murdered whenever I put him in the tub. Eventually I figured out that the least traumatic way to wash him was to have him stand in the tub, while I used the hand -held shower massage on him, with the water on very low. He wouldn't let me use it above the neck, though, so his hair would get pretty dirty, but I kept it real short and eventually he came around to liking baths. Now he is a pre-teen, and I can't get him out of the shower!

Hi K., My son did this when we had to transition from sink to big tub..... he hated it! I think it was too overwhelming for him at first. So I went and got some bubble bath and some bubbles. My husband blew bubbles and I covered him with bubble bath, and the next day he was saying and signing "bath"!!!! We still do a few bubbles every night b/c he loves to say "ba-bowl". Hope something works for you; I know it can be tough!

K.,
Does she have a yeast infection? They burn when the little girls sit in the water.
W. M.

How about taking her in to the shower with you until this phase wears off? Just when we think everything is fine, they turn the tables on us!

Just my $.02.
Good Luck

I can empathise with "not wanting to take a bath" as my daughter went through this phase as well. We went to the store and I let her pick out her own new bath toy.. which helped some (actually a plain cup is her favorite).. but as soon as I said "do you want to go swimming".. she seemed to lighten up a bit on the temper tantrums. Infact.. it's at the point she'll ask to go swimming in the bathtub even when it's NOT bathtime. She prentends to be a shark.. or we make up other fish names. Maybe that trick will help?

I wouldnt push it and make it a battleground. Use a washcloth. YOu can buy cute washcloth-type things for kids. ALso, set up a small kiddie pool and have a fun time with her in that every day or two! I bet she'll want to get back in the bath tub again when she's ready IF YOU DON"T PUSH IT! Meanwhile, set yourself up for some fun lookng baths, let her ese you having a nice time, and don't invite her in - wait for her to ask. Good luck!

Aww! Check her for diaper rash or other urinary or yeast complication, and of course, make sure the temperature is ok, not too hot. Sometimes even when rash is not present, the stinging from a previous bath is remembered, and she may need just a lot of coaxing. Omit bubble bath as a general rule, and when you wash her hair, get her out of the bathtub shortly after rinsing. Until you rule out diaper rash or any genital irritation, I'd avoid any bath products like bubbles, colorants, etc.

Also bathtime is no longer than 15 minutes!

The image of daughter standing and crying in the bath plucks my heartstrings; my daughter has done that too. Good luck to you mama!

I would try moving her baths to the kitchen sink. That way she is close to you and feels secure. My daughter is going through this right now and the kitchen sink is working. Also, the today show featured bucket type baths that are popular in Europe. (I personally don't like them)If the kitchen sinck doesn't work it might be worth a try. It is a phase and will pass. Good luck

Hi K.,
Looks like you've gotten a lot of responses! My son is 15 mos. and is going thru the same thing. Started at about 13 mos. Nothing traumatic occurred surrounding the bath. I guess it's just a phase. When I'm in a hurry, I just take him in the shower w/ me. But, I'm trying to be patient and before I put him in the tub, I let him hang out in the bathroom for awhile. I play with his toys from the side of the tub. When he finally shows interest, I'll put him in the bath. It's been over 2 mos. and he still won't sit and starts to howl when I wash his hair - sometimes I'll just use a wash cloth w/ water on it and rub his head. He tries to get out. I sing and try to make it a fun activity. I am sure eventually this phase will pass and he'll get back to loving the bath.
On another note, I was just in Florida last week staying at a hotel. My toddler b-lined straight for the pool and had a blast. I was surprised since his response to the tub has been so negative. When I took him on the beach, he was thrilled to get in the water and kept running towards to ocean.
Best of luck. I'd just say be patient!

One thing you could try is getting in the bath first and playing in the tub while your little one stands at the edge and watches you. She may eventually want to join you and feel more secure if you're in the tub with her. Also, if you think she might be afraid of the tub itself, you may want to let her play there with her favorite toys when there's no water in it. I've done that a few times with my son and he loves throwing shampoo bottles and watching them slide down the edge of the tub. That might make her more comfortable with the tub itself.

If you think she might have (or have had) genital irritation, you might want to get coat her with a layer of vaseline to buffer her skin before she gets in the water.

Good luck!

Try a shower with her, take her in the shower with you, my son loves the shower with me or dad. He also likes baths and LOVES to play with bath crayons, available at Toys R Us, they clean up easily off bath tub and tile walls
good luck, it may just be a phase keep trying

At 18 months my daughter suddenly started screaming when it was time to wash her hair in the tub. We also tried everything and ultimately did it less which became sort of gross. Then I found a doll with hair that I put in the tub and had her wash the hair, rinse etc., and she started to enjoy that part of it and then of course want to do the same. Maybe something like that would help for you? I suppose you could also try getting in the tub and showing her how easy it is which is pretty much what I was doing with the doll. Just some thoughts.

Good luck

It may just pass. Kids get all kinds of strange ideas at this age and can scare themselves. This past week my son (close to 3), who usually loves the bath, started freaking out at bath time. He finally told me he was afraid his rubber duckie was going to eat him! I took it out of the tub and that was that. Many times toddlers fear being sucked down the drain because they don't yet know where the water goes. Unfortunately, since your daughter is so young, and her communication skills are probably limited, you may never know what the issue was. Maybe try humoring her and letting her stand up in the bath for awhile then coax her into sitting again. Hold onto her arm to keep her from falling or put a grip mat in the bottom of the tub if safety is an issue. Good Luck....

My daughter (now 6) went through a phase like this around 18 months. I didnt want a struggle, so I brought her in the shower with me one morning. within a couple days, she was asking for a shower. These days, she takes a shower every other day (in the morning before school) and maybe a bath once a week (usually on a friday or Sat evening when everyone is relaxing. Her big issue we found out, was she didnt like the water getting in her ears, and never saw us taking a bath, only showers so thats what she ultimatly wanted.