Washing toddlers hair--- How to prevent the tears

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Parenting our children -> Toddlers

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

queen

Wed, Aug 22 2007, 8:57 pm

My toddler started getting very scared of the water being poured over her head to wash out the shampoo. Any advice??

I can't get her to close her eyes, which obviously would be the easiest.

any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
THANK YOU

mumoo

Wed, Aug 22 2007, 9:02 pm

get a hand-held attachment that you can hold close to her hairline.
have her look at the ceiling, or tip up her chin so the water rolls down her back and not over her face.
have her hold a washcloth over her eyes while you rinse
wear a towel on you as you rinse her, that she can reach over and use whenever she needs to
make sure you use no-tears shampoo, in case it does get in her eyes
get her hair cut short to minimize rinse time

su7kids

Wed, Aug 22 2007, 9:07 pm

probably at some baby supply store, and certainly online, you can buy one of those things that look like a halo that fits over the child's head and allows you to wash the hair with the water being deflected away from their face.

Let me see if I can find a picture of one:

http://www.shopbug.com/store/p.....514da

leomom

Wed, Aug 22 2007, 9:07 pm

I have had several bath-averse children.... (and one who loves it and deliberately dumps water over her head - not sure where she came from!)

Some ideas to try:

Is your child's hair long or short? If it's short, use just a tiny bit of shampoo and rinse it out by wiping her head with a wet washcloth (& repeat Very Happy

)

Or, if your child will do this, have her look up (at the shower faucet, or I used to put some bath stickers up high on the wall) and then just carefully pour the water so it runs over her hair but not her face. Have a hand towel ready to immediately dry her face if necessary.

Or, have your child hold a dry washcloth over her eyes while you rinse her hair. Have a few extras handy in case you mess up and soak the washcloth!

You can also buy special visors that keep the water from running into baby's eyes. (I think One Step Ahead has them, and probably lots of other places.)

Keep the stress and expectations low and this stage will pass. Some children, though, need extra-gentle handling in baths for a looooong time. Try not to make her feel bad for being the way she is, even though it can get frustrating. Keep the mood light, and give her lots of playing time (if she likes that) to offset the part of the bath she doesn't like. (Try getting the hairwashing over with first so you can end happy. Unless of course the hairwashing makes her cry so much she just wants to get out of the tub after that!)

chen

Thu, Aug 23 2007, 6:27 am

su7kids wrote:

buy one of those things that look like a halo that fits over the child's head and allows you to wash the hair with the water being deflected away from their face.

we had that sort of thing when our kids were little and they were great. The Right Start catalog has a specially shaped shampoo-rinse pitcher that supposedly pours water just over the hair, away from the face, if the child is looking up. I think the shampoo visor works better, but the two together could be just the ticket.

red sea

Thu, Aug 23 2007, 8:11 am

How about letting her hold a washcloth folded into a few over her eyes while you wash & rinse?

Mimisinger

Thu, Aug 23 2007, 8:27 am

Cool bath goggles?

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Aug 23 2007, 8:38 am

chen wrote:

su7kids wrote:

buy one of those things that look like a halo that fits over the child's head and allows you to wash the hair with the water being deflected away from their face.

I have that pitcher thing. Works ok if your child actually holds his head back and doesn't squirm or knock it away Wink

Does your daughter like swimming (has she ever gone)? If so, try leaning her back into the water with your hand cradling her head so she doesn't go too deep and let the water wash the shampoo away.

queen

Thu, Aug 23 2007, 11:22 am

Thank you so much for all your great ideas!!! I'm going to try the wash cloth idea, however I think I'm going to have to get her one of those shampoo bonnets spoken about by posters to keep water out of her eyes.

and yes, she LOVES playing around in the water Smile

after all the shampoo is out.

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Aug 23 2007, 11:32 am

Good luck with the washcloth! My mother did that with us, and I try it with my son, but he hates that more for some reason Sad

ny21

Thu, Aug 23 2007, 11:33 am

The Right Start catalog has a specially shaped shampoo-rinse pitcher that supposedly pours water just over the hair, away from the face, if the child is looking up. I
I have that pitcher thing. Works ok if your child actually holds his head back and doesn't squirm or knock it away Wink

this product can Also can be found at toys -r-us and cost around 5 dollars
works like a charm . LOL

Hashem_Yaazor

Thu, Aug 23 2007, 11:47 am

ny21 wrote:

this product can Also can be found at toys -r-us and cost around 5 dollars
works like a charm . LOL

I got it at Wal-Mart for 2.97 Pesach time by my parents Wink

greenfire

Thu, Aug 23 2007, 4:52 pm

you fill only a little water in the bath and lay her down ... her face is out of the water and her hair in ... hold her so she is not afraid and use a kvart if you need to with her head tilted up and back ... good luck ...

shoy18

Thu, Aug 23 2007, 9:06 pm

I bought this and its really great no water gets in their eyes. Ds hated when I washed his hair I used to just use a wash cloth over and over until I had enough and bought this.

http://store.babycenter.com/pr.....349-2

leomom

Sat, Sep 01 2007, 9:08 pm

I just wanted to say that yesterday when I was giving my 2-year-old a bath, I happened to have a pair of swimning goggles around (because my older child was playing with them in the tub) -- so I offered them to my daughter before I washed her hair. She thought it was fun to put them on and she actually let me wash her hair with no complaint at all! And they didn't even fit her right because I couldn't figure out how to adjust them.... so the effect was mostly psychological, I guess... Very Happy

Page 1 of 1