At what point did the baby taking a bath and laughing at the water splashing become a nightmare? Babies love their baths, but at some point all that squealing and splashing turned into screams of terror and struggles to get out of the water. Why does that great, fun experience that results in the sweet, clean baby scent turn into such a tale of horror?
Typically, babies begin to experience bath time fear around 13 to 18 months of age. They’ve developed their cognitive abilities and they are being far more creative in what generates their giggles and their cries. So imagine what about the bathroom could be so terrifying for your little one?
There’s a wealth of danger to be found in the bathroom. The tile walls can seem very confining. The sound of the water draining can make a baby think they are going to get sucked down the drain. The heat of the water can scare them from being burned. Water over their eyes can scare them from being able to see.
Sound crazy?
Remember your little one has no deep life experience that tells them the bathroom is not going to smother them, trap them or blind them. Fear is a motivator. Fear is a crippler. This phase is integral to help your little one develop the experience that will assure them the bathroom will be safe. As a side note, it’s not surprising that babies fear the bathroom. A large percentage of household accidents occur in the bathroom.
The floor is slippery. The water can run too hot. It can run too cold. Soap in the eyes hurts. The sound of water getting sucked down a drain is loud and scary. The sound of pipes in the walls can be scary. The fear is very similar to the fear that adults may develop after watching several stories about planes crashing. They may experience anxiety and stress about flying on a plane when they realize how it can crash.
It does not change the fact that statistically, planes remain one of the safest forms of travel. But accidents and acts terror do happen. So if your son or daughter is experiencing troubled bath tub time, here’s some tips to help them and comfort them through the fear until their new positive experiences overwhelm their innate fear.
If they are scared of the water or the soap, offer to use a washcloth as an eye shield. It may not help, but when my daughter flipped out over the water going in her eyes, we bought this little half-hat visor that she could wear in the tub. It kept the water that poured over her head from going in her eyes. She used the cap for about six months and after that – she learned to close her eyes and tip her head back, which prevented the water and the soap from stinging her eyes. But the visor brought her comfort during a terrifying period.
If they are scared of the actual tub itself. Try giving them a bath in the kitchen sink. You can purchase baby tubs at the store and sit them inside the adult sized tub. By shrinking the space, you are giving them a comfort zone that can help them overcome the fear of the tub itself. Also, there’s great devices that can help them sit up and prevent them from sinking in the water. Those can help with their fear of the tub too.
Sometimes, it can be just as simple as you getting into the bathtub with them. I used to take baths with my daughter on a regular basis, because it made bath time fun and alleviated a ton of her fears of the size of our sunken tub. It also helped me to keep her upright and avoid her slipping in the tub.
If it’s the fixtures that are bothering them, there are plenty of bath items that you can purchase and place over the fixtures. Fun frogs, cats or other fuzzy animals can cover the nozzles and handles. It can make them look like a toy and add to the enjoyment of the bathroom. Yes, the bathroom is not a playroom, but your baby needs the sense of play and fun to enjoy the tub and help comfort them through their bath time terrors.
Share your bath time tales here and let us know what worked and what didn’t.