13 Month Old Hates baths...any Advice?

I always bathed with my daughter because she also was afraid of baths (of being in the big tub alone.) When I realized this was not always practical, I bought something called a Snug Tub Deluxe on Amazon.com (they also sell a version at Walmart I think) - this is wonderful!!!! She loves it and it only cost about $16. You put it in the tub and it's like a small inflatable pool - easy to use, cozy and will accomodate her probably until she is about two if not older (she is 22 months now.) It really has been the answer and now she has so much fun in the tub that she doesn't want to get out! Good luck!

My daughter went through the same phase. I explained to her about germs and why we need to take baths which helped some. But maybe you could try making this a time when you sing songs together or take him to the store to pick out a new bath toy. I usually let my daughter pick what songs we sing and we bought a fish that you pull the string and it swims around the tub. She loved it. It's now hard to get her out of the tub. Every kid's different, maybe it'll just blow over, but it might be worth a try. Hope it helps.

Like others have mentioned, most of our 6 kids have gone through this stage. It doesn't seem to last long. I have tried several things - showers, hand held shower while standing in the tub without water, or leaving the water running from the faucet without plugging the tub and using a cup or wash cloth, giving a sponge bath, giving a bath in the kitchen sink, mostly, I just put them in, washed them up, got them out and dried off as quickly as possible - they cried through it, but it didn't last long. All of them loved their bath again after getting through the stage.

Good morning! My son, who is now 3, started hating baths also around that same age. We just gave him a shower instead. Also I used a big plastic cup to not only rinse him but to play and make it interesting. I would flip the cup upside down and let the fast stream hit the bottom of the cup and it would make splashes. He loved and loves it! He now prefers showers but will still take a bath.

Start him out in a minny pool and make him think he is swimming. Let him play with a wet wash cloth.The minny pool is the best I think. Unfortunatly its too cold.If your bath room is big enough it will work till the weather changes.Do you have any relatives that have kids close to his age? Let them join. Worked with my kids and they are 34 and 36.
Mamabear

maybe he will enjoy a shower with you or your husband...maybe by seeing a routine of you or your husband getting clean he will learn to like it... my son still plays in the shower with his toys while my husband finishes up. Good Luck

My daughter is 16 mos and I would get in the bathtub yourself strip him down and let him come to you. Let him feel the water and I'm sure hell wont to join you.

I am a mother of two and a grandmother of two. This happens to almost every kid at some time. Try to keep the baths as short and as pleasant as possible in the meantime. Try to avoid getting water in his face, since that is disconcerting to almost everyone. Don't stress too much over it. It will likely end just as suddenly as it started.

Have you tried colored tablets that change the water color? Our son went through a "hating bath" period when he was about the same age as your son and he ended up loving to pick out his water's color. We didn't have any problems getting him to take his bath after that.

This is just a phase. I know that doesn't sound reassuring, but know that its a phase. Try letting him play on the outside of the tub. You'll need to fill it up pretty high w/lots of bubbles.
Another tip: Reward him for every step starting w/getting his bathrobe, diaper, other items needed for getting ready. I had tattoos all over the house so I could quickly reward my boys (now 6) with the good things they did.
3rd tip: Use the tub crayons so he can write on the walls.
4th tip: Let him wash his favorite blanket or stuffed toy. Maybe start in the sink w/this so he sees how gentle it is.
Good luck. I hope these help.

When my son was around 15 months old, he started really hating baths. My husband started taking him in the shower with him instead and he liked that a lot. He'd hold him at first, then he'd want down to stand, and he'd end up sitting and playing despite the spraying water all around him. After about a week of showering, my husband would put the plug in and let the tub fill up a little bit....which turned into a bath, and then he liked them again. Maybe it's worth a try. Or change the toys...give him a plastic strainer or some spatulas or something completely different to play with. My twins are 22 month now and enjoy that kind of stuff in the tub better than their actual bath toys.

Does he have any other sensroy issues?? myabe that is why?
good luck J.

Try not to get up-set he will sence that and continue till he gets his way.Talk calmly and truthfully as to why he needs a bath have fun play then wash.Getting in with him is getting into trouble down the road.Good Luck

Bumber. I was going to say to get into the bath with him. Even when he sees me take a bath, he will want to get in to to play.

Hi! I went thru this with my kids too. Best advice is to give him a bath in the kitchen sink, my kids used to love it! Also if you don't get alot of responses search back in the archives here, I know there was a similar question in the last few months!

Good Luck!

Try taking him to the store only to get bath toys. Then maybe he'll have more of an interest and he'll get excited picking out new toys for the tub. Mine went through something like that and them being apart of picking out toys, shampoo and bathing items helped. Now its kinda fun to find new bath items. They love bath paints.
Good luck
Pattie

Take him in the shower with one of you...the handheld shower heads work great...they love to play with them. Our son started hating baths for a while when he was 2, my husband was taking him in the shower. Then he didn't like the shower, went back to baths when we put him Mommy and Daddy's big tub.

Once we got the removable hand-held shower head...he loves it. Still hates getting his hair washed though, so we do that quickly and he's fine.

Remember they go through phases and will test you on everything.

Hey S.,
Sounds like it may be time to introduce a shower. Maybe he is bored with the bath or bugs him to sit in water. Good luck.

try taking him in the shower with you or your husband. when my boys were little, they loved a shower!