What to do if your baby or child hates bath time
How to overcome bath time struggles for babies and toddlers
Let’s face it - bath time can be hit or miss for kids. Some kids love it, some hate it, and more often than not, most will go through phases of one or the other at some point during the little kid years. If your child is in a bath refusal phase, it can feel like you’re forcing your child to take a bath, which no parent wants to feel like….. but they have to get clean at some point, am I right?
Bath resistance can be a phase or can be a longer-term issue, but regardless, here are some strategies to try to help make bathtime a more pleasant experience for everyone:
Make bath time part of your routine. Often children will struggle with bath time if it is inconsistent and they don’t know what to expect. Therefore, try telling your child in advance what is going to happen. This might look like “In 5 minutes, we are going to clean up the toys and go take a bath.” Having the same series of steps - clean up toys, get into bath, wash body and hair, play in the bath, get out and dress in pajamas - helps your child to be able to predict what is going to happen. This helps your child become less resistant to it.
Focus on the transition. Some kids will struggle just getting INTO the bathroom. One of my best strategies in the toddler years is to offer two creative choices on how to get there. For instance, ask them if they want to hop like a frog or gallop like a horse into the bathroom. Remember, little kids love to have fun and be silly. Play into that and make sure the two choices you offer actually help get them in the bathroom : )
Add a toy or an activity. Think of ways to make bath time fun for your child. Maybe it is letting your child use bath crayons so they can color on the walls of the tub or keeping some toys set aside that are used exclusively in the bath. Choose things that will add novelty to bath time. You can also have them pick out a toy or two to bring from their play space into the bath each night, giving them some control of the situation, which toddlers love.
Check the water temperature. This is one of the first things we learn as new parents and it doesn’t ever really go away. Some kids will like a warmer bath and others will like it a little cooler. If they are resisting, try changing the temp and see if it helps.
Troubleshoot hair washing. This can be the trickiest part of bath time for a lot of families! Kids may not like having their hair washed because they don’t like water in their hair or ears, they don’t like tipping their head back, or simply because it is something of which they have no control. Some children may even know it is coming which will cause anxiety and fear. Try talking them through the process so there aren’t any surprises. This could be something like “I need you to look up at the ceiling and I will pour water over your hair. I will try to be careful not to get it in your eyes and ears. Now I am going to wash it! Get it all squeaky clean! It’s time to rinse it out - look up at the ceiling again. I’m going to do four scoops of water and then we will be done! Here is a wash cloth if you need to wipe your face.” Narrating as you do the steps can help lessen any anxiety your child may be experiencing.
If you are experiencing struggles with your child’s bath time routine, take a step back and evaluate where the struggle is happening. Is it getting in the tub? Is it washing hair? Make small changes and see if they help and then reevaluate after a week or two. Not every suggestion will work for every child, but I hope this helps spark some ideas to help make bath time a more enjoyable experience overall.
*Note: If your child has a consistent, severe reaction to certain parts of bathtime, such as hair-washing, touching the water, or being in the bathroom, it could be indicative of sensory processing concern. Reach out to your child’s pediatrician and ask for a referral for a pediatric occupational therapy evaluation.
Let me know which of the above tricks you’re going to try! Comment below or send me a DM on Instagram.
If you find that you are struggling with other parts of your child’s routine or transitions throughout your day, my Comprehensive Routine Guides are here to help! These age-based guides really walk you through what a developmentally appropriate routine looks like for your child so you can feel confident in knowing what the heck you’re doing at each age and stage. Remember, you got this!