My 2 Year Old Hates to Take a Bath!

Updated on November 05, 2006
S.W. asks from Pittston, PA
10 answers

Help! Over the past few weeks my just turned 2year old daughter absolutly hates to take a bath. I have to hold her in the bath tub with me and wash her while she screams her head off. I don't know why she started this. It was out of no where. My husband doesn't bathe her only I do so I know nothing happened as far as her going under the water,and getting scared. Does anyone have any advice for me. I'm desperate!

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K.J.

answers from Washington DC on

Try to explain what is going to happen right before bathtime.Perhaps give her a baby doll and a wash cloth to take into the tub with her.You are lucky the weather is getting cooler and she really won't need to bathe as frequently if she isn't dirty.

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J.S.

answers from Philadelphia on

ditto on the shower! take as much time as u can. make it fun. spray her, then push it away. let her catch the water with her tounge. position the shower head so it hits her body below her head. lots of times the water on the head thing freaks them out.

with a bath, introduce a new cool toy, just made for bathtub. they have neat crayons for the tub, fizzles that turn the bath water colors, or cool bubbles. one thing my daughter loves is that cheap shower attachment that u get at any store. it hooks onto the faucet like a big rubber hose. then we 'shower' with it while we sit in a tub of water. it is easy to wash the soap out of her hair with a controlled hand held shower head.

wish u the best!

J.

2 moms found this helpful
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L.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

I think kids are just nuts at certain ages and they will pull all sorts of crazy things, especially girls, that make little sense to us.

I would continue doing whatever you have been doing for her bathtime routine. Maybe introduce some new bathtime toys or fun foam she can play with.

Seems she is testing you. You need to stand your ground and try not to react too much to this new tantrum of hers. She will eventually give up her fight on this if you stand your ground.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.B.

answers from Washington DC on

SHOWER! For a while, that's all. My twins love the shower, but every now & then they ask for a bath. Kids are "funny. My 17 & my 10 never gave me a hard time. She'll snap out of it soon...GOOD LUCK!

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N.D.

answers from Washington DC on

My son who is almost 2 went through this phase a couple of months ago. I got in with him a few times and also got some kid bubbles and now he loves it. Im sure it is just a phase and I hope it passes quickly for you

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J.L.

answers from Philadelphia on

Does she get in the tub with you? My little one (well, she five now!), always took a bath with me. We would read a book in the tub each time, sing songs after the book, and I would bathe her singing the old (head and shoulders, knees and toes song). Daddy always got her out of the tub, and we would hide behind the shower curtain. The best advice I have is to figure on 45 minutes to an hour for a bath, get in with her, and have fun time!

1 mom found this helpful
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L.W.

answers from Scranton on

I know how you feel my son hates bath time with me but i learned he loves bath-time with daddy. I went into the bathroom last night to see what he does different there was a lot of yelling (fun yelling that is) and splashing and playing i would suggest try and make it a little more fun with toys and lots of yelling

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J.L.

answers from Erie on

My son did the same thing when he was about 1 1/2. He would simply refuse to take a bath. I knew it was completely normal so what I did was whenever I would take a shower I'd take him with me. He absolutely loved it! It was like it was raining on him. I'd start off holding him in front of me with my back to the showerhead and I would wash him first making up silly songs to go with it. When he was all clean I'd put him down and he'd play with sponges, toys and bar soaps at the end of the shower until I was done. We made a great game of being in the shower and he was young enough not to care about nakedness. It just made him much more comfortable having me in there with him and he felt safer without all the water. In about a year he was completely over whatever caused his fear of baths and now I can't get him to get out of the bathtub!

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J.F.

answers from Philadelphia on

My 4 year old hates when I dump water on her head, have you tried giving her showers and allowing her to rise her hair out. It works with my kids. My youngets is 2 and she loves being a big girl.

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C.Z.

answers from Philadelphia on

Try heating up the bathroom, it's possible with the cold weather that she got too cold one time and is afraid of that again.

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