Help at Bath Time

When I was a nanny, I would play the rain game. i would soak a washcloth and tell them here comes the rain!! And then start singing rain rain go away. Is the water to hot or cold?? Make it a fun time. She's too young to make bath times a major battle. Maybe take her in the tub with you and show her how much fun it is. I also used bubbles. I put some babyshampoo or baby bath in as the water ran and they got to play mermaids.

Hey A.!! Have you thoguht about maybe it being an ear infection? Maybe when the water is getting in her ears or close its hurting? Or have you noticed any kind of redness on her bottom area, possibly bad diaper rash or even yeast infection (believe it or not, I had no idea at the time, but girls can get them even when they are babies). My daughter got a couple when she was a baby. I was even a freak about making sure she wasnt in a wet diaper for long, etc.. The Doc. told me that everyone's chemistry and bodies are different and that she just had more yeast. When I would put her in the bath she would scream (maybe the warm water iritated her more or even the soap/shampoo's in the water, i dont know), but that was my first sign. She also always had ear infections so it could easily be either if its medical.
If its indeed some kind of "behavioral" issue this young (which I cant imagine it would be so young, but im certainly not a health professional), it could be the attention she receives upon crying (uhhh, ohhh, early terrible two's onset!) or some kids just all of the sudden dont want to bathe but usually from what I have seen and heard that comes on down the road when they begin to get tired of doing it and its not such a "big girl" thing to do anymore.

My kids all love the water, except when they have ear aches. You may want to have her ears checked out.
T.

my son decided he didnt like bathtime right after my husband got deployed(daddy always did bathtime). I went looking for fun bath things like "Sudsy Mudsy", green mud soap, color tablets to change the water color, and bathpaints. then he got to choose which fun thing he wanted to take control of his own bathtime. good luck!

They may have gotten water in her eyes or ears without realizing it. When my daughter was about the same age, she started doing the same thing after I left her with my mom & sister for a weekend. At least that was the conclusion I came to. I can't offer any "solid" advice but I just did all I could to make bathtime as enjoyable and fast as possible!! The phase lasted a few weeks. Blessings =)

My daughter went through that phase around 9 months. It was shortly after my husband deployed. I am not sure if it was her form of getting even because daddy was gone, or if she was really afraid of the water. I finally started to take baths with her. Then I would get out after a few minutes and let her play. I still take a bath with the kids - its fun and saves our water bill!

My son went through a phase of being afraid of the water around a year or so old too. He went into what we called his spin cycle. He'd stand and turn circles, screaming the whole time, when he was getting his hair washed. The only thing I could do(at the start) was get a huge cup to douse him with water and work as fast as I could. We gave him a wash cloth to hold over his eyes as I did my best to keep the water out of his eyes and off his face. This did help a lot, but it took a while to get him over it.
A folded, dry hand towel was the best help of all during bath time. As long as he had access to it and could dry his face as often as he wanted, he was fine. This may be the age when they get a healthy respect for water. His was only a phase. It wasn't long before he was showing off by holding his breath and going under water,and "swimming" in the bath tub.

This happened to me when I brought my then 1yr old son(who LOVES showers) in the hotel shower! The first day he was nervous, the second day he refused to get in the shower! But when we got home, he was ok with takign shower again!

Hello A. H

I would hate to think that maybe your inlaws could have made her experience fearful in some way. Maybe they had the water a tad too hot or cold. Maybe they were not as gentle as you. You might try putting her into a bath with yourself and bathing her that way for awhile. Just a thought.

S. B

Could she have an ear infection, a 'boo boo' that hurts in the water or something? Or did someone scare her with water near her face? Hope you get it figured out and resolved!

have you "showed" her its okay? this is what worked for me when mine got spooked at 18 m.....i filled the tub up with a bubble bath and new bath toy (bath paint). i called nate to me and asked him to come play with me. i showed him the water, splashed a little, make bubble faces and hands, and showed him it was okay, told him it was nothing to be afraid of, it wouldnt hurt him. i showed him the bath paint, and said that it would only work with water, you have to get in the tub. well, he was a little apprehensive, but he wanted that paint! after he got in and acclimated himself, he laughed and said i "forgot i liked a bath". just be understanding and go slow. who knows, maybe she caught a clip of jaws over the weekend and it scared her.

Hi A.,

I'm hoping this is a phase as my 15-month old son went to the beach with his Dad when they visited Grandma and ever since the beach (which he hated) was the same way as your daughter about the bath. He is now 19 months old and I am able to get him to stand in the tub and that is how he will take a bath now. He loves to splash the water with cups and throw the face cloths in the water. Not sure why he won't sit in the water but he seems to be getting on his knees now. I've resigned to it being a long process to get back to liking the tub enough to sit in it. We did put him in kiddie pools this past summer and that seemed to help the process some. I hope you are able to figure it out on your end but know you are not alone!

My son has a sudden fear of the bath at 13 mths. We had gone away to the beach for the weekend and I believe the different surroundings and the fact that he hated the beach (because of the sound of the waves crashing) caused his fear. I had to start getting in the tub with him to help him through this fear. The fear eventually went away. He is now 5,loves the water, includign the beach. He just spent last week jumping the waves (in water up to his chest) with his pappy.

My daughter did this same thing. One day she was fine, the next she hated bath time. I had already signed her up for swimming lessons though so I decided to go through with it even though she might hate it because it's like a big bath. She actually loved the pool and once we started that she was happy in the tub again. I'm really not sure what causes it. Maybe you should get in with her? Or wear your bathing suits in the tub? My daughter liked when I did that with her too.

It sounds like the water might be shocking her skin when it hits the first time when touch by her body.
Try putting your hand in the tub and splash the water a bit to show her it is ok. Then see if you can put her little hands in it before she gets in the tub. Or put a toy that floats in it. Maybe a doll baby that can set in the tub with her. Or a rubber ducky.
I feel she needs to see it is ok.
Then show her with a good hug she is a good girl.
I hope this will help.