*update-2* He hates his baths!

Discussion in 'The Toddler Years(1-3)' started by MNTwinSquared, Nov 2, 2009.

  1. MNTwinSquared

    MNTwinSquared Well-Known Member

    Ok, he is probably scared. A month ago he went from sitting up to falling backwards for some reason. :unknw: The next bath session was not the best and then it got better. But then the 3rd bath after that incident went worse and it has grown worse ever since. I am not giving him baths as often as I would like because he is just petrified. I may try to do it in the kitchen sink next time. :( I've tried being really fun and playing, I've tried taking a bath WITH him. Nothing works. He just screams bloody murder.
    What am I forgetting?
    (we've always done bubble baths, so that is nothing new.)
     
  2. maybell

    maybell Well-Known Member

    so sorry... do you do bubbles? my husband always gives them "bubble heads"... and though its more fun with two in the tub, he might enjoy it too. and do you have only bath toys?

    I don't know, we haven't had any incidents that have prompted any fears... hopefully it gets better soon.
     
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  3. MNTwinSquared

    MNTwinSquared Well-Known Member

    Yes, they are bubble baths. Helps with the quick clean up! :winking: But we have always done bubble baths, so that is nothing new. Thanks.
     
  4. Aeliza

    Aeliza Well-Known Member

    well, I don't know your setup at home, but woudl you be able to shower with him? Kiefer one time fell in the tub and that was it for him. He was so afraid of water on him. He was ok in the bath, a bit apprehensive, but ok. But the minute water touched his head, he'd scream and run for the sides grabbing on to me for dear life. I figured, try holding him in the shower. SO he sees Mommy showering with him and getting wet and that since I'm ok, then so is he. He began to enjoy getting his hair wet and eventually became less and less afraid of the water. He now takes his bath well. He has his days he does not like the shampooing, but he'll take it well enough that he doesn't cry. He'll just hold his breath and sometimes he needs a little hug from me. I get soaking wet from it, but it calms him down and I can continue with the rinsing. It's all worth it.

    You can maybe try that? I thought at one point I could take a bath with them, but I wasn't sure if that would really give them enough room to play. They LOVE their bath toys including the bubble machine. That must be on in order for them to enjoy their bath. If it's off, one of them will turn it on. I don't usually give them a bubble bath. They don't seem to care for it either way. But having those bubbles flying through the air really distracts them from me soaping them up and rinsing them off.
     
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  5. kingeomer

    kingeomer Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    :hug: I am sorry he is still scared of baths, Jackie. Would adding toys to the tub help? Tadoodles has bath crayons, maybe that might be distraction enough? Other then that, I don't think you are missing a thing and I would try the kitchen sink. Hopefully he will get out of it soon :hug:
     
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  6. MNTwinSquared

    MNTwinSquared Well-Known Member

    I don't know about showers.. babies tend to be slippery!!! But, it might be something that would work, so I just might give it a try. Thank you!

    Nancy.. I even opened up a new bath toy tonight for him to play with. He was VERY interested in it until I started carrying him towards the bath. :(
     
  7. ohjojo

    ohjojo Well-Known Member

    we had a similar traumatic bath time incident here and DS was terrified of taking a bath for a while. anytime we even went into the bathroom he would grip me with arms and legs! mostly it just took time for him to get over it but i did let him play in there with no water in the tub and that seemed to help a little. i also gave him baths at a different time of day, he seemed to handle it better when he wasn't so tired at the end of the day. do you have a bath seat you could use for a bit, maybe he is afraid of falling over again and something to hold onto may make him feel more secure..
     
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  8. MNTwinSquared

    MNTwinSquared Well-Known Member

    I was taking a shower this morning and thought of this!! Thank you! :give_rose: I will be giving it a try!
     
  9. MNTwinSquared

    MNTwinSquared Well-Known Member

    Ok, so today, I had Clayton hop in the tub (no water) and then put Evan in there with some toys. No issues at all. He woke up with an icky diaper and a horrible red bottom. :( Ouch! He's been very grumpy lately, ever since the time change. He just hasn't been himself. So, I needed to clean his bottom tonight (another poopy diaper). So, I put water in the sink. He didn't care for it at first, but then I got him to laugh and he relaxed. Take a peek. Thanks so much for reminding me of that!
    [​IMG]
     
  10. kingeomer

    kingeomer Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    :woo: Evan! Glad he took to it well. Cute picture :wub:
     
  11. maybell

    maybell Well-Known Member

    glad he's doing better, hopefully you'll be back in the big tub soon.
     
  12. vharrison1969

    vharrison1969 Well-Known Member

    Ha, what a super cute picture!! Glad you found a way to get his bum clean. :)
     
  13. Poohbear05

    Poohbear05 Well-Known Member

    Have you tried putting him in the tub with his older brother?? I know yours are a little older than mine (there's only 18 months between the twins and the baby) but we bathe all 3 of ours together... The baby seems to like that his older siblings are having fun and splashing around with him.

    it might help in the short term to help him get over his fear if someone (I know you said you tried but maybe his siblign would be different?) was in there with him??


    Good luck. We've had issues but nothing that was ongoing. All of ours cleared up within a couple of bath sessions...
     
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  14. MNTwinSquared

    MNTwinSquared Well-Known Member

    I haven't tried putting him in the tub with the twins but since he wouldn't come in with me, I doubt that would work.

    :cry: My update.. tried to put him in the sink again but he refused to sit down. He just screamed & clung to me. I did get him laughing but he never relaxed enough to sit down. :headbang:
     
  15. cheriek

    cheriek Well-Known Member

    LOL Jackie i bath the girls in the laundry tub :rotflmbo:its just high enough they cant climb out and its a good size fit for them to play with the spout while i quickly bath each one;)
     
  16. alexafaeh

    alexafaeh Well-Known Member

    not that my boy does not like bath, but he wakes 1/2 hour before his sis from nap, so that's when I shower and he showers with me, he loves it sooo much, I finish go out, get dry and he stays in their and showers himself with the shower head, it's sooo funny. then he gets out and helps with the lotion on mommy and himself.

    now my girl sometimes does not want to get in the tub. I just let her naked in bathroom, her brother is already in tub and having fun, and eventually, she wants to have fun too and tries to climb in. as soon as I do her hair though, she's done and wants to get out again.

    toys help, they love it when I tell them to do their swimming in the tub, they would lay down flat on belly and practice kicking, they also love washclothes and I tell them to clean and wash each other, they love it. they have cups in there and pour water on each other. recently, they started to soap each others hair,it's a lot of fun.

    GL
     
  17. Aeliza

    Aeliza Well-Known Member

    Maybe try the shower idea. When I first did that with Kiefer, he was slippery, but I learned how to grip him. He was afraid at first, but he did get used to it since he saw that his mommy was also getting wet just like him. Soon, he was willing to stand on the shower floor while I soaped him up. But at first it was just using a sponge on him with one hand and holding him with the other. Washing his hair wasn't easy, but I just poured a little shampoo on his head and that helped.

    I hope he does get through this fear soon. Just be patient and never look like getting wet is a problem. If you coddle him, he'll think he's got a need to fear the water. If you just console him and comfort him with soft talking, smiling, and comforting touches (hugs are ok if he needs them) as you are bathing him, that should help...including in the shower if you do decide to try that out. He may be afraid at first, but keep trying. He does need to get clean.
     
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  18. bkpjlp

    bkpjlp Well-Known Member

    Jackie: My Lucas just started this last week. I think it's noise related. The sound of the water coming out of the spout and into the tub is loud, and Lucas has just started flipping out with loud noises this past week. DH showered with him last night in our BR while I bathed the other 2, and he did ok. Even after the shower when my 3 yr old was "swimming" in the tub, he refused to go in that bathroom. He became petrified again. I was thinking of trying the kitchen sink again to gently ease him back into the tub. He is normally much more brave and confident than his brother.

    I also like the idea of playing in the tub w/out water too.
     
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  19. Aeliza

    Aeliza Well-Known Member

    If the shower worked, why not try it a few times and then slowly introduce him back in to the tub. or go from the shower (a few times) to the sink if that is less stressful to him. But if one method does ok, then you should probably stick with that until he seems to be comfortable before attempting somethign that has made him uncomfortable in the past.
     
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  20. becasquared

    becasquared Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    Royce did it for a while, I just didn't give him a bath as often and tried to not cringe or make unhappy faces myself when I did it. After about 2 months he got better and now enjoys it until I wash him.
     
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  21. MNTwinSquared

    MNTwinSquared Well-Known Member

    WooHoo! :yahoo:

    Ok, take a peek!
    [​IMG]
    Last weekend I put clayton in the bathtub.... with every intention of putting Evan in there too. I made a game out of pouring water over Clayton's head with cups. He loved it, although Clayton was a little less than pleased :winking:. C was good though. So, today I put Audrey in the tub. Then Evan... and it worked. Somehow though he ended up with his face in the water, so I'm hoping next time will go fine too. Thanks for your suggestions.. obviously I am trying them!
     
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