All children will catch a fear of the bathtub between the age 1 & 3. This fear comes out overnight, 1 day the child is fine in the tub and the next day they are screaming and crying. They are still too young to tell us why they are scared of the bathtub, is it the water? is it the drain? is it the fear of splashing? Only your child knows what the problem is and until you figure out what it is bath time is going to be a hassle for the both of you. Here are some tips that may help
Bring back the baby tub - If your child was fine in the baby tub then let's try bringing it back into the picture. Put some water in the baby tub on the floor, let your child sit in it and play for a few minutes. If he/she is fine with that then put the baby tub in the big tub and let her/him sit in it and play again. Remind your child that everything will be fine. You can buy a inflatable duck tub that kids absolutely love. What you can do is let your child play with the duck tub outside of the bathtub, then tell your child it's time to take a bath in the big tub and after you are done washing him/her then he/she can bring the duck tub inside the big tub just like her/his very own boat. Make sure you fill the duck tub with water so that when your child is in it, it will not tip over causing an even bigger reason to be scared of the bathtub.
Avoid all splashing - Splashing will only make things worse. Splashing could be the reason your child is scared of the tub, all it takes is one splash of water in the eyes and that's it, peaceful bath time is over for what seems like forever. If your child loves to splash that's fine, but do not join in on his/her fun because one big splash may result in tears and screams.
Buy new toys - It's a good idea to try to get your childs mind off of his/her fears. Buying new toys can help and there is a big variety of bath time toys available on the market. Foam toys are a big favorite in most kids because they stick to the sides of the tub. Also try some bath time crayons or some Crayola color dots.
Bubbles - All kids are fans of bubbles. This can help get your little one back into the big kid tub.
Avoid accidents - Avoid getting soap in your childs eyes, kids have a very good memory when it comes to things like this. Kids mostly get scared of laying down in the bath tub, most of the time the cause of this is a one time splash of water on his/her face, try not to get water on your little ones face and if this accident does happen be sure to wipe the water off right away.
Drain - Fill the tub before your child gets in the bathroom and drain the tub after your child gets out of the bathroom. Kids do not know that they can't fit in the drain and most of them see it like this " When mommy pulls the plug all the water goes down the hole so I'm going down the hole too ."
Talk - Talking to your child may help distract him/her while you lay them down to wash their hair. Remind them that you are there and the water can not hurt them. Be sure to hold your hand under your childs neck so that they feel secure and they know that you are holding them.
Slipping & falling - If your little one is afraid of slipping and falling then you should buy a non-slip bath mat, bath mats come in various types and colors. Some are shaped like frogs, some have your childs favorite cartoon characters on them. If you are having trouble finding a non-slip bath mat and need help please contact us on our Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/tipsfrommoms we will be sure to direct you to the perfect bath mat for your child on Amazon.
A lot of parents think that something went terribly wrong somewhere in bath time but truth is all toddlers have fears of the bathtub, nobody did anything wrong it's just a thing that toddlers go through. There is no reason to blame yourself or anybody else, although it may be hard to listen to your child scream and cry at bath time and you think you have done something wrong, you haven't done anything wrong at all. The best thing you can do is try everything I have noted above and keep your patience. Do not get frustrated at your little one it's not his/her fault. It's not any ones fault, this is just a phase and it will pass but until it does, try to help your little one overcome his/her fears.
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