This last week we had news at home at bath time. From one day to another, for no apparent reason, my 19-month-old daughter, who I enjoyed the bathroom like nobody else, it has happened to have a terrible fear. It is a very new situation, because as I say, and since its first days of life, the bathroom has been a very rewarding moment for everyone.
Lately the songs and splashes that almost flooded the toilet were the tonic, standing up in the bathtub, playing with books or other water toys ... Anyway, a whole party.
But as I say, one day the little girl does not want to hear about the water, or the bathtub, or want to undress while it is full: cries and desperate pleas that increase when the tap is opened or when you have to rinse your head to get out . There is no one who feels her in the bathtub, stands up and only extends her arms crying for us to take her out.
Fortunately, we are returning to normal little by little. Here are some data on how we are doing, tips that could be useful to other parents in the case of being in a similar situation of sudden fear of bathing.
The fact is that this situation in which a child suddenly becomes frightened in the bathroom is probably due to something that has gone unnoticed by adults: a bad drink of water, a feeling of drowning when rinsing, overwhelmed by the water in the eyes, there was more foam than normal, the soap has stung, the water burned at one point, the noise of the water coming out scared down the drain…
- Because of the reaction to the jet of water on his head, it will surely have been that at one point he felt overwhelmed by the water. Therefore, we have tried to get to the bathroom when the bathtub is already full, so you do not see it running from the tap or from the shower.
- We have also avoided the shower jet to rinse your head: we have replaced it by gently running clean water with your hands, or draining from a sponge without soap, and not giving it on your face.
- We must explain calmly that nothing will happen, that we accompany them, so that they gain confidence and feel protected.
- Share bath time, that is, get in the bathtub with her. It feels much safer and accepts running water better.
- Introduce new games in the bathtub, water toys that have not accompanied her before (in our case, colored rings and a water book that had not yet been released). That novelty "distracts" her from the water and makes the bathroom novel and more fun.
- Put your favorite music in the background. It is good that during the bath they are accompanied by music that helps them relax, but many times for comfort, or for haste, we do not. Hearing the melody of her favorite series and singing it with her has served to mitigate fear.
- Change your little tub for the big tub. The different context will also change the perception of the bathroom experience.
- To have fun in the pool. If, like my baby, the bath in the pool or in the sea have liked it since childhood and are accustomed, you have to resume those pleasant baths to play with the daddies in the water. It is a good time to return one day to the pool (or the sea) to have fun. The water-game-fun-dad relationship is also transmitted to the smallest space in the bathtub.
- Always keep calm and patience, if one day you do not bathe nothing happens, let's accompany the baby with gentle movements, affectionate words and a lot of understanding. Nervous daddies don't help a baby with fear.
It is not about introducing all these changes at once and every day, but trying, little by little, every day, different things, to perceive which has calmed her most, and progressively make bath time a moment again funny. Then you can go back to normal.
In our case, we have been making small changes for a week and the improvement is clear. For example, you no longer need toys or music, you already enjoy the bathroom more although we do not lower our guard and especially caution when rinsing the head that seems to be the cause of this sudden fear of bathing.
