Suddenly Afraid of Baths!!

My youngest son is 17 months and did the exact same thing earlier this week. We have a garden tub in the master, and I let them pay in it last week and they had a blast. Well Sunday I go to put him in the tub with his brother, and he spazzed out; kicking and screaming like someone was going to drown him or something. My husband came in and tried to help, but it got worse......I didnt know what to think, but he does fine in the regular bathtub upstairs. Baffled me too!

This is normal. All my kids went through it. It ended up that my boys were afraid of going down the drain.
I took him in the shower with me (kicking and screaming) and showed then that they could not possible go down the drain!

He may be afraid of the drain. He is at the age that he has realized the water goes away and he may think he could get sucked away...

Consider showing him how the tub drains.. Let him be the one to pull the plug. Show him even his smallest toys can not go down the drain.. You may need to sit on the side of the tub, with your feet inside and let him sit between your feet to feel safe.

This is exactly why so many children are afraid of toilets. They feel they will fall in and be flushed away.

My daughter went through this as well at around that age. It all started when we went to visit my mom and she didn't have a bath mat for the tub. My daughter slipped a little bit (although she never even got her face wet or anything...we caught her in time) and then was TERRIFIED of the bath tub. Even when we came home to her own tub and she had the mat, she was still scared. We just had to get in with her for awhile until she got over it (which she eventually did). I honestly don't remember how long it took, but it was at least a week or two before she was totally comfortable in the bathtub again. Maybe try to get him some fun new bath toy or bath paint or something to help distract him (although I know it might be hard to get him to settle down enough to even see it if he's like my daughter was). I think it's just a phase and he'll get over it. I hope it's sooner rather than later. The other option is to just stand him in the tub with no water in it and sponge bathe him until he feels more comfortable. Good luck! Isn't parenting fun??

My 23 month old daughter will not get near the bath tub when the water is running, I don't know why, she used to just fine and then one day, while the water was still running I went to put her in the tub and she totally freaked out on me. I took her out quickly trying to figure out what was going on, anyways, I guess some where along the way she became scared of the water running. We still do normal bath routine, you know the potty and undressing, and stuff, we just don't put her in the tub until I turn the water off. She is fine as long as we don't try to put her in the tub with the water running.

some times my son dose not want to get in the water. he is not afraid of the running water and actually likes to put his hands in it and play with it. if he is resisting the bath time i pick him up and rush his feet threw the water back and forth so it makes splashes or waves basically he is moving the water around with his feet. i think he is a bit worried about the temp of the water? once i hear him giggle i put him in. good luck.

Maybe I'm wrong, but could it be the heat? I dont mean that you are running HOT water...rather, its just so freakin' hot out....he just wants a cool bath?
Recently, my daughter has made it be clear (in her own certain 'hot, hot') speech....that maybe a warm bath has something to do with it?
As we all know, we're havin' a heat wave...Dont you love Texas!?! I know I do!!!
A cool bath is just what the DR. orders!!!

Just a thought!!
Margaret :)

wow
i hav never had an issue like this...ever
while he is off doing something else fill the tub up to like an inch put him in swim trunks get the little tube thing and some bath toys(ie. colors ducks watever) then paly with him and give him a bath but let him think he's just playing
if that works gradually get the water to where it was origionally
good luck hope you find something that works

My son is 2 1/2 and he did the same thing about a month ago. He began with not wanting to add as much water as before, then he didn't want to sit down, then he didn't even want to get in. He likes to play in the tub with his tub toys when he is fully clothed, but doesn't want to physically take a bath. After a few days of trying...I decided that he had to take a shower with me because I could only do SO much with the water hose at outdoor time! Now, he is obsessed with showers. At the beginning (for a few weeks) he would not stand up, so we had to wash him while holding him. Then I forced him to stand up out of range of the water while I washed my hair and then he wasn't as afraid of standing. Now, he gets so excited any time I walk in the bathroom. Note: We use our master shower for this activity, and when he gets more and more comfortable, we will try his bathroom again.

He is at the point where he likes to stand most of the time and play with the water because he can control how close he gets to it. When we are done and I turn the water off, he ALWAYS says "on please." He doesn't want to get out!

I think this is a phase all kids go through at one time or another. Best of luck to you!

Oh, and I forgot to mention, my son is deathly afraid of the hand shower nozzle. I tried that first and he just about lost it! Most kids like them though...

I think both of my kids went through this. My son the younger loved playing in the lake down the street, but when it came to baths he always freaked out.
I bought a shower head with a hose. I made sure he knew the water would not fill up and they would at first reluctantly get in. They have both been doing showers ever since then.
My son now almost 7 will occasionally ask to have a bath...but I have to stay in the bathroom, and keep talking to him...
For me I felt the most important thing to do was not traumatize them with being forceful and non caring about their new fear. even though they never minded before I felt it was important that I acknowledge their feelings.
Good luck and God Bless.

I like what the previous two posters replied...keep in mind that whatever is causing the fear, there IS something behind it. Se if you can get him to express in some form what he is afraid of...

It could be the drain. It can be the running water, it can be slipping and falling, it can be anything, try to see if you can figure out the cause...

Once you know the cause, work with him to overcome his fear...expalin how whatever it is works or show him that you will always be there to catch him and keep him safe, whatever it takes...

Good Luck... ;-)

My daughter is just a little older than your son, but she was about that age when she decided that she wanted a shower instead of a bath. A hand shower nozzle will help it be more effective and maybe the novelty will help him address any potential fear of the water. I've always bathed or showered with her--othwerwise I might never get one--but I think it is common for this age to start fighting it. Whether it is an actual fear or just independence.

its justa phase. start giving him showers. quick and simple.

My boys are 7 and 4 now, but my 7 yr old went through this when he was around 2. I find it interesting so many other posters are saying the same thing. My son was at my parent's house when he suddenly hated baths. We always assumed it was something my parents did that was different and caused the sudden fear and hatred of bathing. He loved bathing before then. Maybe it wasn't my parents...:) It did go away after 6 months or so. We just used less water in the tub and made bathtime a quick episode. He screamed and yelled the entire time. I would be in the tub and my hubby would hand him in and when I finished I would hand him back and my hubby would dry him off and get him calmed back down. A lot of "see that wasn't so bad... it is all over and you are fine, just cleaner!" Good luck!

Previous bad experience??
Did someone else give him a bath recently...Dad, grandma, sitter? Different soap, shampoo?

We just had 2 year old twins visit us. My husband put Aveeno (gentle, gentle soap) in the tub. The twins SCREAMED the whole time. They were used to Cetaphil soap and the different soap we used irritated their vaginal area. Needless to say, they were impossible to get into the tub the next time.

Has he been swimming lately? Did something happen there that he could be connecting to the bath tub? Thats the only other thing I could think of then what other people have said. Hope you find whats scaring him and get him back to enjoying bath time!