Bath Fears

Do you have any suggestions for me??

My son has loved the bath since his second time in the 'big baby bath tub.' First time he screamed, I got in with him, and then he loved it and cried when it was time to get out for a couple months. Last week he drank water from a tupperware container, choked, and got really scared. Now as soon as he gets in he starts to whine and it escalates to panic if he's not taken out right away. I have gotten in with him the last two times. He still cries but not hysterically, and I get through the basics of washing. I use a washcloth to rinse his hair now because he was always a little fearful when we rinsed his hair out. I'm wondering if I need to go back to the sink baths? Or keep getting in with him? I feel like I shouldn't make him stay in when he's crying b/c I don't want him to develop a worse fear of the bathtub.

Thanks for any ideas!!

 

QUOTE(jenanne @ Mar 22 2009, 11:32 PM) [snapback]1239946[/snapback]
Do you have any suggestions for me??

My son has loved the bath since his second time in the 'big baby bath tub.' First time he screamed, I got in with him, and then he loved it and cried when it was time to get out for a couple months. Last week he drank water from a tupperware container, choked, and got really scared. Now as soon as he gets in he starts to whine and it escalates to panic if he's not taken out right away. I have gotten in with him the last two times. He still cries but not hysterically, and I get through the basics of washing. I use a washcloth to rinse his hair now because he was always a little fearful when we rinsed his hair out. I'm wondering if I need to go back to the sink baths? Or keep getting in with him? I feel like I shouldn't make him stay in when he's crying b/c I don't want him to develop a worse fear of the bathtub.

Thanks for any ideas!!


My boys LOVED the bath as well. Then one day...we put Anthony in and he FREAKED out! It was insane. There was no rhyme or reason why he did. This was in the big bath tub, which he had been in a few times prior. Then, Nicholas also would freak out at bath time. They used to run from the bedroom to the bathroom and try to climb in the tub! I was so perplexed.

But I came in here and people said they had the same problem-all of a sudden their child(ren) were afraid of the tub. It was a phase, and was going to pass. And it did within a week. Even my mom and mil were perplexed when they saw the boys freak about the bath.

I would still give him the bath in the tub. If going in(I know ppl said they did that to help calm their fears) with him works, then keep doing that. I think eventually he will be fine with it. Good luck with it!

 

We had that phase here too, and it continues to happen about every 6 months. I used to sit the fraidy cat outside of the tub to watch their sibling for a bit and ask "are you ready to get in yet". I let them set their own pace, and when they see how much fun their sister is having, they want in!


PS - You need a new ticker.

 

That happened here too. All of a sudden, after loving the big bath tub for months, Piper suddenly became afraid. I let her skip baths for a few nights. After that, I got in with the girls a few times, and then let her take really short baths until she calmed down (maybe two weeks later). Cricket went through the same stage about four months later. Since then, they've both continued to love baths.

I agree with the PPs, do whatever you feel is the right thing to keep him clean but not terrified and the stage will pass.

 

Yup, a stage. Both of mine took about a month for them to get out of the stage, from 14-15 months. Now they only cry when I rinse their hair.

 

3 days ago, out of nowhere, Amelia started to do the exact same thing. Freak out in the bath tub! Then when Lily sees her sister freaking out she starts to freak out. It's been 3 days in a row of that and I have no idea what to do.

I hope it is a phase that goes away as suddenly as it came.

 

I hope it is just a phase too. I would keep getting in with them for now, if he sees that you are not afraid, perhaps he won't be afraid anymore. Hang in there!

 

QUOTE(jenanne @ Mar 22 2009, 11:32 PM) [snapback]1239946[/snapback]
Do you have any suggestions for me??

My son has loved the bath since his second time in the 'big baby bath tub.' First time he screamed, I got in with him, and then he loved it and cried when it was time to get out for a couple months. Last week he drank water from a tupperware container, choked, and got really scared. Now as soon as he gets in he starts to whine and it escalates to panic if he's not taken out right away. I have gotten in with him the last two times. He still cries but not hysterically, and I get through the basics of washing. I use a washcloth to rinse his hair now because he was always a little fearful when we rinsed his hair out. I'm wondering if I need to go back to the sink baths? Or keep getting in with him? I feel like I shouldn't make him stay in when he's crying b/c I don't want him to develop a worse fear of the bathtub.

Thanks for any ideas!!


I'm so glad you posted this. Mine have started hating it too. I think it's because of the hair rinsing, but it's almost impossible to keep from getting water in their eyes with them squirming, so it just gets worse. Can't wait to read the suggestions!

 

QUOTE(Mom to Jack and Anna @ Mar 23 2009, 01:04 PM) [snapback]1240638[/snapback]
I'm so glad you posted this. Mine have started hating it too. I think it's because of the hair rinsing, but it's almost impossible to keep from getting water in their eyes with them squirming, so it just gets worse. Can't wait to read the suggestions!


me too!

 

This happened to us between 11 and 12 months. I don't know what happened, but one day the girls decided they hated baths. After two weeks of rushing through baths to get them in and out, I got them some new bath toys and within a week they went back to loving baths again. I think its a common stage around this age. GL and I hope its short lived.

 

I had read on here about this, so was saddened when a few weeks ago my DS, Conner, freaked out when we put him in the tub. He actually wiggled to avoid going in....pulling his legs up to his chest when getting lowered closer to the water. We plopped him in & he went ballistic. He was screaming so hard he could barely breathe & he climbed himself right back out of the tub in almost a split second! When we finally got him calmed down (as DS Aiden looked on trying to figure out if he should cry, too), he very calmly said,

"NO BUBBLES"

Hmpf, guess that's why he didn't like the bath....we had put a few bubbles in the tub that day & he apparantly did NOT like them. Even to this day, when we start to rinse the soap & the bubbles start to float on the surface, he tries to push them away & says "NO BUBBLES".

What kid doesn't like bath bubbles?