What I did when my toddler hates baths
What to do when your toddler hates baths
All new parents alike have faced the situation wherein the former water baby suddenly starts fearing water and the bathtub. One of the reasons this is so is because toddlers don’t enjoy being embarrassed in front of their parents, making them extra cautious about water. They may fear accidentally peeing or pooping in the water. Also, some toddlers start hating the feeling of water on their faces. I did apply some well-tested approaches by parents for having a healthy bathing routine. Guiding your toddler out of this challenging face can be done through some interesting measures. These are discussed below.
Making bath time playful and interesting
Let your toddlers break out soap bubbles and be curious and playful about them while you bathe him/her. Making bath time a routine will help work like a charm every time. Use toys, and songs to help along with the “bubble bath”. Make the bathe-tub a space for creativity; like an art zone or hub, wherein your toddler explores their inner creative minds while you can bathe him/her without any fuss. There are bathe-time paints available that wash off with water. Along with a sponge paintbrush, let him/her have a blast in the tub while you cleanse your toddler thoroughly.
Bathing with favourite toys. Let your toddler focus on playing with his/her favourite toys. This helps in unlocking the curious mind, which concentrates on the toy and game at hand. Clean the toys as well along with bathing your toddler. Say to him/her about cleansing the toys while you go about bathing the toddler. It will be a fun time for everyone involved. Making every bathe a mini-event or show-time works like a charm as he/she forgets about the fear of water, which is just a small phase. Use props or sock-puppets to make some shapes, which makes them curious. Bathing with these props and sock-puppets will definitely bring in the fun element into the whole cleansing process. Make cute conversations and say your toddler to “take care” of his/her toys wholeheartedly with full attention to that. Keeping them occupied will definitely make the bathes easier than before. Playing the beauty-salon game can quickly turn into a bathing adventure with a little bit of imagination and adventure. Toddlers are always playful and use this fact to your advantage to make them stop hating water once again. This whole process makes it easier to enthusiastically bathe your toddler.
Some toddlers feel the fear of washing away into the drain. The fear of bathing or also known as Ablutophobia is very common in children. They think water will wash them away to some foreign place, which is very insecure. To avoid these kinds of fears, it is effective to put a drain cover on. Getting out before the water drains out completely also works with dispelling this kind of fear. Using a washcloth for rinsing out the hair will make toddlers more confident that the water is not touching their face directly. Cups can also be used for rinsing the hair while being used as great bathe toys thereby making the whole process playful and interesting.
Bringing back the tub used for bathing when your toddler was an infant will provide a sense of security, which works wonders with the bathing process. Giving a small break from the bathing tub before bringing it back can feel like a good way to bring fun into the whole cleansing process. Rearrange everything, and let his/her imagination run wild, while the bathing process goes on in the background. Giving a bath while standing in the tub can be a new experience, which will catch on easily with toddlers. Use a bathing mat for the purpose and let him/her stand and focus on playing with toys or bubbles. As discussed before, toddlers love to be engaged with a little drama, story, play, or small bathe-time games, which allows them to explore themselves as well as the surrounding environment. A shower visor takes out the fear of water falling into the face, which calms them down the entire bathing ordeal. Another prop, which can be used includes a children’s showerhead in the shape of animals such as a hippo or monkey. It makes them playful, which gives you time to cleanse them properly.
Decorating the ceiling with interesting cartoon characters or animals works like a charm when rinsing the hair of toddlers. The whole idea behind this decoration is to keep them engaged as is being discussed over and over again. It works like a charm every time a bathing session is in progress. Waterproof items are available for this purpose and they can be applied to shower curtains as well. Just give your toddlers something to focus on and think about while the bathing process is in progress. Along with this, transitioning back to a bathing tub gradually after cleansing the toddlers outside for a week or so can be refreshing for both you as well as your children.
Bathing together is a wonderful idea wherein your toddler can wash your hair once in a while can be a fun process. They will be very much interested in cleansing you with all the things they can use for the bathing process. The whole cleansing session becomes playful in this way.
Give proper potty training before the bathing session begins. Sit on the toilet before the whole process and it gives them the grand idea behind bathing and cleansing properly, once they are in the washroom. This also takes out the fear of accidentally pooping or peeing in the bathtub.
Some of these ideas were executed by me to ensure my toddler took baths regularly. The basic idea is to keep them engaged as has been mentioned many times above. Take out the fear factor and put in the fun element during bathing and everything will work out well. So, have fun going through this article and have a blast while bathing your toddler.
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