WHY YOUR CHILD MIGHT BE GETTING UPSET AT BATHTIME
1. Transitioning
Finishing one activity and moving to another can be really difficult
for kids and they benefit from preparation and warning before this
happens.
Create predictability by having a set "nighttime routine". This will
help your child understand what happens before and after bath time,
making the transitions easier. Children are often engrossed in a TV
program or playing a fun game when they are asked to go bath.
Younger children struggle with the concept of time and saying
something like: "two more minutes before bath time" is an abstract
concept to them. Showing them a visual countdown timer will help them
understand when their current activity will end. In the same way, you
can count backwards to zero or use a transitional sound or song to
move from one activity to the next.
Make bath time as fun as playtime, by adding bubbles, water sprayers
and pouring cups to the activity.
Add colour or foam to your bath water and allow children to play
with sinking or floating toys. Children love drawing on the tub with
bath crayons or sticking foam letters, numbers or animals on the wet
tiles.
2. Avoiding bedtime
Many kids may realise that after bath time comes bedtime. If this is
true for your child, think about mixing things up a bit. Move bath
time to early mornings or to late afternoons.
3. Soap in their eyes
If the idea of soap in their eyes or water on their face is a
tantrum trigger think about investing in a bath visor or allowing
your child to wear goggles during bath time.
Have a dry cloth or towel on hand and offer it to your child should
you see they feel uncomfortable or distressed by the splashing.
Choose wash cloths with fun characters, puppet washcloths or even
soft toys that can get soaked to "help" clean faces and tricky
places.
Using imaginary or pretend play is a lovely distraction from the
reality of getting clean.
4. Sensory sensitivities to touch
Bath time involves many textural and temperature changes from removing
one's clothes, being immersed in warm liquid, touched and washed by
different cloths and sponges, splashed by water and dried again with
different fabrics.
Giving a child with sensitivity to touch as many choices as possible
during this time, helps them to feel more in control e.g. "which item
of clothing are we going to take off first?" "Should we wash with the
loofa or the sponge?" "Are we going to use the bar soap or gel soap?"
Wrapping them up tightly in the towel when they are done may also
provide some much-needed deep pressure. Using firm strokes or squeezes
to dry them is preferred to soft, fast strokes of a towel.
5. Sensory sensitivities to sound
Bathrooms tend to echo or distort sound which can be very
dysregulating to some children. The noise of rushing water or a
flushing toilet may be a sensory trigger for others.
Filling the bath
before your child gets there or only emptying it after they leave, may
assist with the lowering of sound levels in the bathroom. Dressing or
undressing in a different room can also help to decrease the time spent
in the bathroom.
6. Sensory sensitivities to smells
The bathroom is filled with pleasant and unpleasant odours, but to
some kids, it is all just too much.
Pay attention to your child's preference for certain soap flavours
or smells and try to use the ones that they prefer.
Odourless options may also be a good idea.
7. Irrational fears
When imagination takes flight, things like "water monsters or bugs"
might be lurking in the bath. Some children may be scared of
slipping or getting stuck in the drain.
Creating positive associations with bath time will help your child
to overcome their fears.
Respect instead of force is key to breaking the chain of negative
ideas. Add toys that you can catch or scoop out with a net and
pretend that you are removing all the bugs from the bath.
Bring out the dinosaur toys or your child's big shark toy to
gobble up the other monsters so that it will be safe for your
child can get in.
Playfulness, fun and laughter can help them relax and make them much
more willing to have a bath.
The challenge is to not see your child's refusal to bathe as a
"naughty or bad behaviour" but rather to seek to understand the
reasons for their avoidance. This way you can support them and still
get it done!
Should difficulties in establishing and following daily routines or
activities remain a challenge in your home, seek out support from an
Occupational Therapist.
