As regular readers will know, for the first 15 months of Baby’s life she was absolutely petrified of the bath. This meant I had to take her in the shower with me, which became increasingly more difficult the bigger she has got.
However, we have completely the opposite situation now. She adores the bath! It is unbelievable to see the difference. So, if you have a little one who would rather not be bathed, here are our top tips to happier bathtimes.
1. Check the temperature – We have spent months trying to bath her in water around 37 ° (recommended 37°-38°). More recently I used the shower to fill the bath and it was much cooler. Baby then accepted the bath and stopped being scared.
2. Toys – Let your Baby play with a bath toy out of the bath, when they are happy and comfortable. Then, when you try to bath them give them this toy and hopefully it will have calm associations and help to comfort them.
3. Wet Faces – Don’t wipe the water off your babies face. If you always do, they won’t get used to it and will panic if they get water on their face. If they ever fall in to water, you want them to swim to safety, not worry that they have water on their faces.
4. If they enjoy swimming, use the songs and actions from these classes. I always pour a jug of water over Baby’s head (as we do in lessons). I say ‘ready…..go’ and she knows what is going to happen (she actually smiles when I say ‘ready’ as she knows what’s coming). We sing ‘this is the way we make a splash’, so I will use this when she is in the bath, again to associate bathing with the fun time she has swimming.
5. Get your little on playing with water in other situations. Baby’s turnaround happened after she had played with her new sand and water table, which seemed to make her much more confident.
Most of all remember to HAVE FUN! Make bath time a really fun experience for your baby and you. Baby has gone being totally petrified, to trying to get in herself and squealing with happiness at the thought of a bath!
Comments 42
great tips! So glad that she’s not afraid anymore xx
Author
Thanks hun! She loves it x
I’m so glad she enjoys bath time now. I really miss bath times now my girls are older. They prefer to shower now but even when they do go in the bath, it’s not the same now they’re older because they don’t delight in the fun that can be had anymore!
Author
Thank you hun. She really does get so excited now every day at bath time! x
These are great tips! I’m glad to hear bath times are happier for you both now. I used to struggle to get the water temperature right when my son was little. I needed the bath thermometer each time (I am rubbish at judging the temperature myself) but it was worth it.
Author
Thanks. The temperature is a tricky thing. She is definitely so much happier now it is cooler x
My son went through a stage of loving having a bath to hating it and refusing to go in. After weeks of battling with him he started coming in with us and seemed to feel safe again. Now we can’t get him out!
Author
I hope it lasts! x
Great tips, so glad you and your little one are now enjoying bath time. She looks so happy!
Oh and my tip would be, I think sometimes the fear comes from the nervousness of those first initial baths, mum/dad wanting to get them washed in that huge space, worrying about them slipping out of your arms when they wriggle. Even the baby bath seem safer, and mine hated that too.
So I started my twins off in the kitchen sink, it was small enough to make them feel contained. I felt more comfortable having all the flannels, soap, toys etc easily in reach and less strain on the arms, happier Mum, happier babies. It seemed to pay off for me.
Author
Thanks Jo, great tip x
Great tips Aby, thank you! I especially like the wet face one xx
Author
Thanks hun. I hope they are useful xx
It’s great she’s no longer afraid…bathtimes are the best, well I definitely think so – one of my favourite things to do!! Great tips.
Author
Thanks! It has made such a difference to us. She just LOVES it now, a total transformation x
Great tips! It’s so important to get children used to water and happy in the bath x
Author
Thanks hun x
Somw great tips. Glad she enjoys baths now. My two have been the opposite and throw tantrums when its time to get out of the bath. I’m not sure if it was because we threw them in the deep end and never used baby baths or anything, they just had a bath support in the big bath from the first bath, and both had showers with either me or daddy from 4 weeks old, but they just love baths and showers now!
Author
She is like that now, it takes a lot of effort to encourage her out! x
Great tips 😉
Then they get older and seem to develop an aversion to anything that gets them clean lol
Author
Thanks! Yes I’m sure I will have this at some point! x
Great tips and great to hear she is doing better in the bath! Temperature can be a biggy for us, Monkey doesn’t even like it at 35 degrees! very odd! We go through stages where he loves bathy and where he hates it and we can;t always fathom why as nothing changes! xx #ssamazingachievements
Author
Thanks, she absolutely loves it now, hands down her favourite thing to do x
Great tips! I adore babies cheeky smile in her photo 🙂
Author
Thank you. She is a cheeky monkey! x
SEbastian hated baths as a tiny baby but thankfully he adores them now!
Author
I am so grateful she has changed her opinion of the bath. So much easier now x
Ah bless her, this is a huge step of progress! What a little cutie. I remember singing to my little ones in the bath, distraction is the best technique for most things 🙂
Author
Thank you, it is quite the transformation x
Great tips. I especially like the wet face one.
Author
Thanks! That has really helped her confidence x
Great tips. My little one hated the bath for months, but if you saw him in one now you wouldn’t believe he ever hated it. He’s such a little waterbaby now 🙂 xx
Author
Thanks! That’s great to hear. She is exactly the same now, it is the highlight of her day xx
Good tips! I never did baby swimming with either of my kids and I kind of wish I had, to teach them to be used to water on their face. As you say, that is not what you want kids to be worrying about if they ever fall in the water.
Author
Thanks. It was a tip from our swimming class, that really helped us x
Some wonderful advice on baby bath times. I am sure many parents have babies that fear water.
Author
Thanks. I hope someone finds it useful x
So glad your bath times are easier now. Love the advice about water on the face. I’m terrible and had water on my face but Darren has always just poured water over Ethan’s head and he has got used to it x
Author
Thanks, it is wonderful now! It is surprising what they get used to x
Great tips and it’s good that she’s no longer scared of the water. Bath times and water play are such fun, especially in this weather 🙂 #SSAmazingAchievements
Author
Thanks. We have such fun now every day. She adores it x
Awww such a cute photo! I can tell someone goes or went to waterbabies! The ‘ready….go’ gave it away! I’m so glad she enjoys the bath now, there’s so much fun to be had! X
Great list. I hadn’t thought about the wet faces one so glad I read this! Boo loves a bath and has from day one but I am expecting that to change at some point as she likes to keep me on my toes!