Bath time help?

[SmartGrl001]

Just curious if anybody has or had issues with their children and bath time. My 3 year old love the bath, but we're having issued with her letting us get her hair washed. Most of the time she's okay with getting her hair wet, and us putting the shampoo in, but she doesn't want us to rinse it out, and obviously we have to rinse it out. This didn't used to be a problem, and I'm not sure why it is becoming a problem, but when her father is upstairs giving her a bath I can hear her starting to tantrum about getting the shampoo washed out of her hair. It is tear free shampoo still, it works the best for her hair. Just wondering if anybody has any suggestions that might ease whatever her fears are and make her not hate getting her hair rinsed out. A lot of things will be easier when she can verbalize what is going on inside her head a little better. Right now she just freaks about things that don't jive for her, and I'm trying to figure out why, but with her only being 3 (actually she turns 3 next month) she doesn't have complete verbal skills. I've been trying to ask her more and more questions to try and understand where she is coming from, and that helps with most things, but not with the bath.

 

[SRL]

If it turns out to be Sensory Integration Disorder (SID), bathtime can be horrible. Bathtime assaults a lot of the senses.

Have you tried a dry washcloth folded over and held over her eyes?
Swim goggles can help if getting water in the eyes is a problem or a swim mask if it's eyes and nose.
Some kids do best while rinsing from a large cup, while others from a spray attachment.
We used large cups and then told the kids how many rinses we'd do.

Some kids do well with a distraction like scented shaving gel to scribble in on the tub wall.

 

[maril]

Good suggestions from SRL. I would like to add maybe she could help -- if you're using a cup, she might be able to try to help rinse the soap from her hair (have her feel like she is participating)?

 

[crtaylor]

My son doesn't like it either.
Things we tried with moderate success include:
1. A bath visor which keeps the water off the face.
2. Wear it and tell the child to look up.
3. We got a special bucket that had a rubber lip on it so it formed a tight seal against the head and if you put it on the forhead no water gets in the face.
4. I also got a bubble machine and put it on the wash cloth rack inthe bath stall. If he let me wash his hair I would turn it on for a reward. He loved having the bubbles to rain down on him.

 

[AmyW]

Ditto what the other ladies have said. If none of those options work, let us know and we'll brainstorm some more! Good luck! I know it isn't easy. Big hugs to you.

 

[SmartGrl001]

Sorry...I just got on here today again and read the responses. Now I have to try to figure out where to get swim goggles or a visor or swim mask at this time of year...lol. Sheesh. Of course it has to be fall now, right?

 

[BusynMember]

sounds like she may have sensory issues. That makes it difficult for kids to take baths and for moms and dads to give baths!! Have you looked into Sensory Integration Disorder (SID)?

 

[SmartGrl001]

Yeah...I'm positive she has Sensory Integration Disorder (SID). I'm just not sure what else yet. I haven't had an appointment yet....but am waiting for a call back to get started in the process of figuring things out with her.

 

[overwhelmedmama]

Crazy idea that worked for my daughter who totally freaked out about hair washing. She liked laying down on the kitchen counter, fully clothed, on her back, with her head over the sink. I would have cups and cups of warm water ready. Supported her head and neck and kept a running conversation along with the hair washing. After about a year and a half of doing this successfully she suggested she was ready to wash her hair like a big girl. We just moved to the tub last week and it was a success. Good luck.

 

[Marguerite]

We had to wash difficult child 1's hair with a damp washcloth only, for years. He was so extreme about it, nothing else would do. We tried the ring thing you push onto their head like a hat with no crown, we had limited success with that. What eventually worked was getting him to lie down in a shallow bathtub so I could rinse his hair that way.

Looking back, it comes down to fear and a need to have control over the process. Once he felt in control, his fear lessened enough for his hair to be washed.

Cutting hair was also a big problem - trying to trim a moving target gave some awful results sometimes.

How it was handled (the bath situation) - father in law had control here for a while because I was in hospital having easy child 2/difficult child 2 - he would insist, and force difficult child 1 to lie back in the bath to get water poured over his head. I think difficult child 1 was already going to be a problem anyway with hair-washing, but I think this made him a lot worse. When I came home from hospital, we had big problems from that point on, any progress I had been making concerning coaxing GFG12 to let me use a cup on his head - gone.
Mind you, father in law had some wonderful success with toilet-training difficult child 1 when nobody else could get results. What father in law was doing - great, for a easy child. We had no idea what we were dealing with and now, with 22 years of hindsight, I can put the problems down to Asperger's, undiagnosed.

You do what works. What has worked for us is. with hindsight, very similar to "Explosive Child". Once more it makes sense.

Marg