Seeking Bath Advice for 17 Month Old

I had the same trouble when my son was about 15 months old. Before then I was still bathing him in the sink (I have a deep farm style sink, so he still fit). It took about a two weeks, the use of a slip proof bath mat and some new bath toys, that I let him pick out. I had also put on my bathing suit and got in the tub with him for the first 3 or 4 days. Hope these suggestions help. Good luck.

When my twins were about that age I put the two baby tubs on the sun porch floor on towels and they were just fine. Rines off with buckets. I also sometimes took them in the shower with me, that way I could get washed too.

Hi, maybe a mat on the bottom of the tub might help. The rubber mats with suction cups on the bottom. he might feel more secure sitting on it.

The slippery bottomw is probably making him wary and he probably is feeling your anxiousness about him potentially slipping. I'd put a suction cup mat down in the bottom and some other toys to entice him. Don't force the issue, relax, and have fun. Have you tried the bathtub crayons? My daughter loves them and enjoys coloring on the walls (good thing they're washable!).

hi there, i have a deep tub too so i've been bathing with my little guy who's 16 months. we have a great time and play. i wear undies and a bra esp bc when i was still feeding he wanted to eat. i just don't think that's the place to feed. that's my personal opinion tho. i also have those sticky bath ornaments for traction on the tub floor. you and your husband can take turns bathing him. it might help if you get in so he's not scared. good luck. M.

I have a 19 month old who had been experiencing the same thing. She bathes in a regular tub with me in it. So I get the big wet hugs when it comes time for washing hair and brushing teeth. She uses the hugs as a way out of the inevitable. It never works. She has been standing as well when it comes time to do her hair. I tell her to sit so we can wash hair. I count to 3 and if she does not sit then I pour water over her hair. She HATES water being poured over her. Once it is poured on her though I dry her face and ask her again to sit down again. This time she usually sits down so that I can have her tilt her head back and be careful not to pour water down into her eyes. With consistency this has been helpful. She knows that ultimately she is going to have all parts of her bath no matter what. I still entertain a hug. She likes to be rocked and hugged. I hate to tell her no when it comes to that. She knows she will get hugs no matter what. This phase lasted about two month, night after night. She is just now getting past it and enjoying baths again.Good luck and enjoy!

I have the same issue with my 17 month old son, and so I have started showering with him. That way, I can hold him securely while I bathe him. I also got a slip-proof mat for the bathtub and some toys that he likes to play with while I shower. Good luck!

Hi J.,
My son went through the same thing around that age. I originally thought something must have happened with the babysitter, but she said no...I think it is just a phase they go through. I remember it lasting a good month or more, but eventually they do grow out of it. Have you tried taking a bath with him? I know in the summer it is hard to skip baths, but with the weather slowly getting cooler, you could probably skip a couple of days here and there, just to give yourself a break too. As for the hair, I would just (and actually still do!) do it, despite his screaming and crying (he still hates to get his hair washed!) But, it has to be done and my theory is, I am in charge, not them. I just try to do it as quickly as possible. Not fun, but then it is over and he stops crying the minute I am done. (he is now 2 1/2).
Hope this helps. Remember, as with everything else, this is a phase...it too shall pass!
S.

Hi J.,
Is it possible for you to take a bath or a shower with him? Maybe he'd be more comfortable if you were bathing too. And if there's a shower stall in addition to the jacuzzi tub, he may feel more at ease in a more confined space.
If the bath/shower continues to be stressful for him, I would move the time up, maybe to before dinner, so that he's still clean at the end of the day and not agitated just before bed.
Good luck!

My son did the same thing, around the same age. And he all of a sudden showed interest in my husband and I when one of us is in the shower. So, we started letting him come in the shower. He now doesn't mind having the water run on his head, although we don't have him directly under the spray. If you have a non-slip mat, that might work for your situation. You don't get as much downtime as with a bath, but if they're fighting the bath, it's really not relaxing for either of you. This way, he still gets clean and so do you (I no longer have to wait to shower until his nap time!) My son plays with the shampoo/conditioner and body wash bottles while I clean up, but you could also bring in a toy or two. Good luck.

Dear J.,
Try putting him into the kitchen sink maybe he likes confined spaces. I would discontinue nursing because he will demand nursing each time. Maybe the small space will show him this is his personal space and mommy cannot join him. Bath time should not be stopped like everything this is a faze and in spite of his reluctance you need to continue. Children will resist throughout their life however remember personal hygiene is a must so he will have to get used to it again. I know hearing your child cry is difficult, but like I said there are somethings you just have to set the tone and eventually they will realize they are not going to win. I say pick your battles and when you do never loose they get the message quick. Good Luck

Hi - I read the other responses and am with Jana on this - my dgtr too would have totally resisted if I held onto her the entire time in the big tub. I bought a non-slip mat with suction cups on the bottom b/c the floor of our ceramic tub doesn't even have the 'non-stick tread' (which in my opinion has never been non stick anyway!!). She sits in there and plays and has a great time.

My rule for the tub is that she is not allowed to stand at all. I know other mom's responded that it works for them - but I know horror stories about slipping in the tub and heads being slammed into things. It just wasn't a risk worth taking for me b/c she is just so slippery and I know I can't always hang onto her. If she starts to stand - I remind her - "No standing - please sit on your bottom". If she doesn't listen - we go to time out - or tub over - depends on what she's doing. Both have only been necessary 1 time each.

She tilts her head back for getting her hair washed and when I wash her rear end - she leans forward toward her hands and knees and all clean! She sometimes doesn't want her hair washed - I just tell her "I know you don't want to, but we need to before you get out of the tub". I'll sometimes give her the option of - do you want to do it now or later? Whatever she responds with - i say "ok". If it's 'later' - I give her a 'warning bell' - we're going to wash your hair in a minute. Then, I start to pour water over the back of her head/hair and tell her to tilt her head up (I help her do it sometimes - especially in the beginning of when we were doing this) - if she doesn't keep her head there - the water runs down her face - I remind her that she needs to keep her eyes looking at the ceiling if she doesn't want water down her face - but I do wipe it away for her regardless - I see no reason to make it more miserable than it has to be. I agree with the "I'm in charge" theory, but I try to make it as much a collaborative effort as possible so it's the least amount of struggle that it needs to be - but that's what works for us.

Get a tub mat, one with suction cups on the bottom.They have some that are very soft on the topside at buybuybaby.com. It worked for our 14month old. Now he doesn't slide around in the tub.
You could always do a sponge bath w/ no rinse shampoo.

Since you have access to a nice big tub, can you just get in with him? Nursing is a great way to distract while washing hair. Sometimes my 19 month old goes anti bath for a while. I or my husband will bathe with her to remind her that it's fun and then she goes back to bathing on her own.

OK first of all, if you are transitioning him to the big tub, but some of those stick on non-slip pads for the tub so it isn't so slippery.
Second, try just having him sit in the tub on his own without someone holding him. You an wash his hair and other "bits" without him having to stand up and everything else gets pretty clean that way.

He probably didn't like being held down, I know my 16m old little boy HATES that with a passion. He would have flipped out too and not wanted the bath anymore.

Try and get him to just sit in the tub with no water at first- maybe get some new tub toys for him to play with or blow bubbles. Then slowly at water- at first just enough to cover the bottom, then gradually, make it higher and higher each bath.

Tub crayons are also a great way of distracting little ones in the tub, maybe that would help him start to like his bath again!

Hi J.,

My 18 month had similar trouble when we moved him to a bigger tub. It's probably the size, and feel of the bigger tub. We put in a bat mat w/Elmo on it, lots of toys and lots of bubbles. I continued to hold him while he was in the tub so he felt secure until he was comfortable enough to sit on his own and was distracted by his toys. He now fights me when it's time to get out.

J.

hi J., i have showered all my kids since they were stable enough to hold themselves up, all before a year old. its easier, safer, and cleaner. they still get bubble baths sometimes, but its mostly showers. just get one of those giant suction cup mats, they have them at bed bath beyond etc. you probably already have the thing that covers the faucet. you can also just lay a big towel on the floor of the tub (if he doesnt move it away), that gives traction too, softens it a little, and even helps clean his feet and "under there" for you, in case he gives you a hard time getting under there long enough to really do the job. i sit in the bathroom with them and play with them or make my phone calls or whatever. they could stay in there forever if i let them. when the baby was first in the shower and just learning to stand, i had to keep a hand on him all the time until he figured it all out, a few weeks, because he would slip at the edges of the mat and try to climb, but he was doing that in the bath anyway, that actually was my signal to cut the baths out! at 17 months, im sure your son is solid on his feet. they love it, and the baby loves being in control of when he is under or out of the water. i have a ton of toys in there, etc. the crayons are awesome. the baby still doesnt like when i wash his hair, he usually fights me, though its getting better, but i just do it quick and then play some more, always end on a good note. they are usually in there so long they are pretty clean before i get to them, especially since they're playing with washcloths and soap anyway and not sitting in a tub of their own dirt! shower with him the first couple of times to transition him in a happy way and show him how it is. try it, you both might love it.

Get right in the big tub with him. We have a tub like that & my dtr & I took baths together. We would stay in the tub for quite a while & she would get a good washing because I was at a better angle. Sometimes she would nurse & then go back to playing. I only got my lower half wet so it wouldn't be much to dry off & go to bed. After a while she got bigger & wanted more toys in the tub instead of me. Good luck!

J.,
How long are you house sitting for?

Sounds like too much change in short period of time - try going back to the old tub, and stick to the routine as much as you can. Nurse him before the tub, too, I think that will help keep you dry. :)

Good luck!
M.

My son went thru a short phase like that too when i was trying to transition, the only thing I did a little different was I would let him stand in the dry tub, run a tiny bit of water in his blow up tub, then while he was standing on his own I would wash him head to toe while singing a song or two, then when we "he" got in the tub, all he had to focus on was rinsing and playing a bit, it became fun for him. I just went back to what worked last and stayed consisent, when he was a little older i went to the big tub again...