Washing a baby's hair is one of the most important procedures, which requires a special approach and some knowledge. Many people think that there is nothing complicated about this, but often, for various reasons, the child develops fear before starting this procedure.
Although it happens differently, some children take it calmly, while others, especially those aged 1 to 3 years, are afraid, cry and flatly refuse to wash their hair.
The interesting thing is that they can calmly splash in the water, play pranks, play, as long as their heads are not touched.
My son and I had to face this problem. At first everything went like clockwork, but after water got into the baby’s nose and mouth, he flatly began to refuse to wash his hair. This problem started when I was three years old. Everything came to the point of screaming, hysterics, just some kind of horror!
As it turns out, many parents face such a difficult period. We managed to overcome this, so I want to share important tips on how to overcome this fear.
How to fix the situation
By the age of three, the fear will pass. What to do before the age of three? If you organize the bathing process correctly so that the child is less afraid, you will survive three years calmly.
Important! You cannot use force or threats when putting your baby to bathe. Refuses - scold, cannot be forced. Persuade, explain, convince, distract. Screams, force, and threats from parents increase fear, the desire to resist, and cry. Keep calm, be patient.
Give your baby time to forget negative emotions. Don't think about washing your hair for two weeks. Let him play with water, foam, toys. We wash after fourteen to fifteen days. We try to wash our hair, distracting with toys, pictures, and game elements. We use shampoo that does not irritate the eyes.
Make bathing comfortable. Monitor the water temperature. Sudden changes should not be allowed. Babies are washed at a temperature of 38 degrees.
Let the baby feel pleasant emotions, feel positive. Give it a bath when your little one is in a good mood, not tired, hungry, or drowsy.
Reasons for fear of water treatment for the head
The first thing you need to figure out is why the child is afraid of this, and don’t even think about scolding him! This will make the problem even worse. Acknowledge his fear and you're halfway to solving the problem.
There may be several reasons for the fear of washing your hair:
- water getting into your eyes;
- nose;
- mouth;
- fear of choking.
There may be other reasons, so it’s worth talking to your child about this topic, even if he is only 2-2.5 years old. You should not convince your child that there is no problem. You must be on his side and make it clear that you are his protection. Only then will he trust you.
Another reason is boundaries and “myself.” This appears between the ages of 2 and 3 years. That is, until this time everything was fine, and then suddenly it suddenly refuses. At the same time, the baby can splash around in the water quite calmly, but with just the word “let’s wash my hair,” problems begin.
The third reason is a fear of water, and a sudden one. According to psychologists, this period begins between the ages of 3 and 5 years.
Interesting: Parenting in the modern world - which grandmother’s advice is outdated, and which is still relevant today
Recommendations from experienced parents
Every parent tries dozens of ways to distract the baby, trying to find at least one that is effective. Find a method that works for your baby.
Try the following options:
- Distract with interesting objects. Bright pictures and toys hung above the bathroom. The baby will want to look at it. The head will be thrown back. Wash it. If you do it quickly, the procedure will go smoothly;
- Attach the figures to the wall. Novelty and brightness will make an impression, the child will be distracted. No toys, paint the tiles with bright colors;
- Give your toddler a tube of toothpaste. Show on the wall where to squeeze the paste. Determine the place above eye level so that the baby involuntarily throws back his head. Squeeze out the paste and let it spread with your hands. Children love to smudge. The baby is busy, soap, wash your hair;
- Make foam for the beard, crown, ears.
Children love to watch from the sidelines. Try hanging a mirror in front of the bathroom. Let him watch.
Buy a special visor for washing your hair. There is no visor, roll up the towel and tie it over your eyes.
How often to wash your child's hair
Children, unlike adults, have light, thin hair, and the scalp is very sensitive. For this reason, children need to wash their hair with special shampoos that are designed specifically for babies. It is best if you constantly buy shampoo of the same brand. This way you will already know for sure that this is a proven shampoo and the child definitely does not have any reactions or allergies to it. For example, for 5 years now (since Leni was born) we have been buying washing products of only one brand.
How often to wash your child’s hair with shampoo depends on the child’s age:
- Children under 1 year old should wash their hair with detergent 1-2 times a week. If you wash your child’s hair more often, the skin film may be damaged, which will cause dryness. To wash your hair, it is better to use mild baby shampoo rather than soap.
- Children over 1 year of age are recommended to wash their hair 1-2 times a week with “tearless” shampoo. This will allow the baby to get used to the procedure, and he will not be afraid to wash his hair.
Make bathing a game
- Set up an impromptu puppet theater. Place the toy on your palm and lift it, forcing the little one to throw back his head. The toy should speak in the voice of a doll, sing songs, and read poems. The little one is keen on playing, wash your hair;
- Place your baby's back on the water and rock it, simulating waves. The baby will be a boat. While shaking, soap your hair and rinse. The little one will like it, want to swim, ask to make waves;
- Play the game. The little one will be the flower that the gardener waters. Using a baby watering can or ladle, rinse your hair. The water flows silently. The baby will like a toy watering can more than a shower;
- Let the little one be a diver. Put your child on a diving mask. First, put it on, show it, explain it - the mask will prevent water and foam from getting into your eyes;
- Play hair salon. Let the baby be a hairdresser and wash your hair. Swap places and wash baby's hair.
Try telling a fairy tale about the “magic bottle”. Cover a plastic bottle with pictures, decorate it with markers, and fill it with water. Say: “If you wash yourself with a magic bottle, you will grow up quickly.” Fidgets like the game "Train Engine". Place the little one, give him a doll, sit in the back. You will get a train. Let him soap the doll’s hair, soap the child yourself. Rinse the doll's hair, rinse the baby. Accompany your actions with comments.
Little ones are delighted with the novelty and unusualness. Lather your hair, make hairstyles from the soaped hair (horns, bows, curls). Give a mirror, offer to do the fidget's hair.
Lifehacks for washing your hair
Such innovations will help the child overcome this fear, the main thing is to correctly explain to him what they are needed for:
- wear swimming goggles to protect your eyes from water and foam;
- put on a visor (rim) for swimming so that water does not flow onto your face;
- give a towel so that he can cover vulnerable spots;
- Do not wash off the detergent in the shower, but rather pour some water from a jug or ladle or a special mug;
- play this procedure on dolls;
- prepare for the procedure: first close your eyes and ears tightly, then tilt your head back.
Well, if you managed to successfully carry out this procedure, do not forget to add: “Look, baby, we managed to wash the head, while the eyes and ears remained dry. What great fellows we are!”
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You can play with an older child
If your baby is already 3-4 years old and still throws tantrums at the sight of shampoo, turn washing your hair into a fun game. Place a mirror at the baby's level and invite him to build funny figures out of foam. First, you can play with foam in the bath, and then invite your child to make a crown like a prince, ears like Mickey Mouse, or a comb like a chicken.
The baby’s good mood during bathing is the key to successful completion of the task. When going for a swim, set your child in a positive mood. Do an activity with him that usually lifts his mood. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the child will not want to be distracted from the game, and you will not drag him to wash at all. If the baby is upset or wants to sleep, then it is better to postpone going to the bath until tomorrow. Nothing bad will happen because of one day.
I'm afraid to wash my hair, what should I do?
TaNic, 03.06.05 14:45
That's the problem!!!! My son really doesn’t like washing his hair! Almost every time with screams and tears! We use Johnson shampoo ("no tears"), and we distract in different ways. But everything is useless. He even lets you soap your hair, but when you wash it off with a shower, you immediately scream! Please advise what to do?
Bird, 03.06.05 15:09
TaNic , The same thing... And lately, it used to be okay. Manka doesn’t like the fact that water is pouring on her face and she can’t breathe
Vic@, 03.06.05 15:15
ok, we went through this..... you can: 1. buy a special circle for the head (unfortunately, it is only suitable for large-headed children. It was too big for us and water flowed onto our faces) 2. offer any rag, towel, napkin, your child’s own a T-shirt so that he could cover his face (this is exactly what helped us) Good luck and patience s:s:' /> yes, and keep in mind that such dislike can manifest itself in periods (disappear and appear).
Fossya, 03.06.05 15:24
Vic@ , Came in to write the same thing. Well, we just escaped around and very successfully. We have a Chikkovsky circle, we sometimes indulge in it even now. And it’s absolutely certain that from time to time, we still had periods of fear of water, which we gradually eliminated by arranging water games with toys in the basin, sink, bathtub.
Vic@, 03.06.05 15:27
QUOTE (Fossya @ 3 Jun 2005, 12:24)
Our circle is Chikkovsky
Fossya, 03.06.05 15:27
And here is the circle
Katerinka, 03.06.05 17:25
Oh, I’ve never even seen such mugs. We also have periods where I either wash my hair normally, or at other times it doesn’t want to. Lately I’ve adapted to watering it from a mug rather than from the shower - that water doesn’t get into my eyes and so far, ttt, I even wash my hair with pleasure, and even to myself from tries to pour mugs on his head
olgau, 03.06.05 17:27
I also wanted to write about the towel: it helped us, it’s a pity I learned about this method too late... I fold the towel several times, thicker, Arsenka holds it himself, covering his face. And no problem!
TaNic, 03.06.05 17:48
I need to try this circle on my head. Thanks for the advice!
*Sati*, 29.07.05 17:20
And our daughter shows where the light is, thereby throwing her head back and I carefully wet or wash off my hair. Good luck.
Zayka's mom, 30.07.05 19:29
And our daughter really doesn’t like washing shampoo off her head, she screams SOOO!!! The towel doesn’t suit us yet; as an option, she won’t allow herself to cover her face with it, and she won’t either. And the Kurg is a good idea, but I’m afraid it won’t suit us either. Our child is freedom-loving and doesn’t even tolerate a Panama hat on his head, but something like this would simply scare him. I know this in advance. So what should we do?
April, 31.07.05 05:07
We have the same problem... (And it appeared recently). Thanks for the advice, we'll try it!
Janna, 01.08.05 14:36
We cope this way: firstly, we never wash off the shampoo in the shower - this method immediately causes tears and fear, we wash it off only from a jug; secondly, I ask you to tilt your head back, close your eyes and QUIETLY, so as not to get it on your face, I wash off the shampoo... Every time after we wash my hair, we fix it - it wasn’t scary or painful at all. At the same time I wash the doll Masha, who, “ doesn’t cry either,” because we do everything carefully and quietly...
Heleshka, 01.08.05 15:17
None of the above methods work for us. Therefore, I wash it once a week, quickly and with a roar throughout the entire apartment. But he roars for exactly two minutes, and after drying his head, he himself begins to tell how Fedya cried when they washed his hair. Let's laugh together
TaNic, 03.08.05 18:49
Thank you, girls, for the advice. I still wash my hair with dissatisfaction. But no longer with screams. I noticed this - the more often I wash, the less screaming. He's probably getting used to it. So I wash my hair almost every other day - it’s summer after all.
Talikoshka, 04.08.05 05:30
Girls, thanks for the advice about the towel! We’ve already washed it twice like this, Danka is delighted and already asks to “wash it with a towel.” Otherwise, I was already going to spend money on the circle, but it’s expensive, it’s an infection.
Nyusha majo, 04.08.05 17:04
But we are not afraid of the soul, but in general we don’t like it when water gets into our eyes. It’s like that for me, I really don’t like this thing. It really hurts my eyes afterwards. But we have not yet learned to close our eyes when asked. and tilting our head back is also not for us. too small. In this case, what to do? I wash my hair at least 2 times a week, since after the sandbox there is no other way.
Talikoshka, 04.08.05 19:52
Nyusha majo , but it will still be the same - either buy a circle, if you don’t mind the money, or press a towel to your eyes. Dad can do this while you pour water.
valkil, 05.08.05 02:58
Alyosha is also afraid to wash her hair. He always watches me wash my hair under the tap in the washbasin, so I decided to rinse it off for him as well, while he’s sitting in the bathroom, lathering it up, just a little bit, pouring it out of the ladle, then taking it in my hands and running it under the tap, washing off everything that’s left. , at first he screamed a lot, I kept talking all the time, my mother also washes her hair, now she hardly screams, sometimes out of habit she starts, then falls silent, but she definitely doesn’t get into her eyes.
Difficult Happiness, 05.08.05 19:34
I fought like this - I climbed into the bath with her, and they washed me in turn... she watered me from a jug, I stopped being afraid of her (but I still don’t wash it off with a shower) I really don’t like it when water gets into my eyes - but I I understand - I have sensitive eyes myself, it also hurts...
Nyusha majo, 06.08.05 15:17
Talikoshka, thanks for the advice. Let's try it with a towel first. I’ve never even heard of such a circle.
Lyolik, 06.08.05 15:44
There is also a Velcro visor, so it is suitable for any age. It helped a lot and this visor lasted for 3 years for all the children.
Suella, 06.10.05 22:23
Janna,
QUOTE
we wash it off only from the jug, I ask you to tilt your head back and close your eyes
These requests do not work for us. I also wash it out of the jug, and as soon as she sees it, she immediately starts screaming. He is afraid when water pours on his face, and this fear appeared suddenly, before they doused themselves without problems. Let's try the option with a towel
yuta, 16.10.05 04:00
Nyusha majo , Have you tried asking her to tilt her head and close her eyes. My Kostya is only a month older than your Dasha and, at my request, he tilts his head forward and closes his eyes, and I warn him when I’m going to pour. I count one two three and pour a whole ladle at once, and not a little at a time. A little bit for a long time, but one at a time. and immediately wipe the water off my face with my hand. three ladles and a clean head. But Kostya is really not afraid of water.
Erica's mom, 20.10.05 03:24
2. offer any rag, towel, napkin, the child’s own T-shirt so that he can cover his face (this is exactly what helped us) Super. Thank you. Now we wash ourselves without screaming
TaNic, 20.10.05 20:34
Thank you girls for all the advice! Now we also wash our hair without tears - Vityushka tilts his head back and not a single drop of water gets into his eyes! Hooray! Thanks everyone!
julia_2005, 24.10.05 00:48
We have the same problem, but nothing helps!
Russia, 24.10.05 01:57
Oh. and she bought a circle from us, and this circle makes him cry even more, as I try to put it on, in a roar... the towel doesn’t help either... more or less today, his dad distracted him while he wet his head and washed it off, and when to wash it off it’s the same story...
Svetkina, 06.05.06 02:17
Based on a thread in another section of the forum about screaming in the bathroom... The child is not afraid to swim, but a problem has arisen - he is afraid to wash his hair. I don’t even remember why I suddenly became afraid. Water gets in when you rinse off the shampoo, and it chokes. I don't even know what to do. She explained that you need to raise your head, then it won’t get into your eyes, but she still instinctively lowers it - and hello. And she showed it on a doll - it only worked once, and then again - fear in the eyes and screams.. I also don’t want to wash through the screams, but it’s also not very good to walk with dirty ones..
Snegana, 06.05.06 05:58
It’s also impossible to wash my hair, but it’s still useless for me to explain anything. he doesn't like water getting into his eyes. I even covered it with my hand, but he still didn’t like it. I was advised not to water my hair, but to put my head in the bath, then the water would not get on my face and my hair would be rinsed.
Lika, 06.05.06 12:00
We also had this problem, but recently we have been quietly washing our hair. Once on the 3rd time he realized that it was SO not scary and now he himself demands a towel. He keeps his face covered with a towel, and we calmly wash our hair and rinse it off. Of course, I didn’t get used to it right away, I screamed into my towel more than once, but now everything is fine.
luna09, 06.05.06 12:07
What was it like before? Has water gotten into your eyes before? How did the child react? My daughter is now 6 months old. When I wash her hair, I pour it from a ladle and the water gets into her eyes and flows all over her face. But this doesn’t seem to bother her, she just takes a sharp breath through her nose. Maybe if it doesn’t bother her now, then it won’t bother her later? Or could this change?
Lika, 06.05.06 12:23
At that age, Danya was able to wash well, in exactly the same way. And as I began to grow up, when I realized that there was only one life and I would not give it to you, I began to yell. Screaming in a small room is something. Poor neighbors... When the baby was there, we distracted him with something to make him look up. Then all the water flowed down the back. Everyone probably goes through screams...
luna09, 06.05.06 12:27
Lika , yes, it looks like there’s nothing to be done. As a child, I also didn’t like to wash my hair, but it seems to me that it was because of the shampoo - then everyone “pinched their eyes”
Svetkina, 06.05.06 13:23
luna09 , before everything seemed to be fine, it also hit, but she held her breath. Perhaps one day I just got really choked up...
Mikimota, 06.05.06 13:37
Svetkina , I would suggest that the child wash his own hair, wet his hair with a shower head (or take a dip in the bath), pour shampoo onto his palm and then wash his hair, etc. of course, with your help, but maybe she will be interested?
Svetkina, 06.05.06 17:19
She washes herself, on her own initiative, wherever she can, in other places - I do. And to wash off her hair with a shower, she lacks the strength and length of her arms. They kept her together, but she quickly abandons the shower and runs into the corner of the bathtub.. We must try again to give her the shower completely together in the bathtub closed with a curtain..
jane74, 06.05.06 18:11
We've come up with two ways to wash your hair! The first is “like mom”... i.e. The daughter gets up in the bathroom and puts her head under the faucet - HERSELF! If this method doesn’t work, but you still need to wash your hair... then the second one is to sit in the bathtub and lean back, on your mother’s hand... rinse off the shampoo with water from the shower... and then the water runs away without getting into your eyes. Well, if even this fails, then - well, yes... POOR NEIGHBORS!!!
Desert Rose, 06.05.06 18:22
During prenatal training courses, we were introduced to the theory that in children whose mothers had their amniotic sac pierced, this event is deposited in the subconscious, and then the children can be very afraid of water. I don’t know about you girls, but during my first birth they did this to me, and Yaroslav really doesn’t like washing his hair very much. And when, for example, we go down the water slides, all the kids happily splash into the water, splashing, and Yaroslav rides with his neck stretched up so that not a single drop gets into his face.
Radish, 06.05.06 19:28
QUOTE (Desert Rose @ May 6, 2006, 3:30 pm)
During prenatal training courses, we were introduced to the theory that in children whose mothers had their amniotic sac pierced, this event is deposited in the subconscious, and then the children can be very afraid of water.
Well, I don’t know how true this is, but our daughter doesn’t have such problems with washing her hair, despite the fact that during childbirth the amniotic sac was punctured. Recently, our daughter even began to repeat the movements of her parents. those. she tries to wash her head with her own hands, as if she were washing her hair herself. It’s not for nothing that she is a “monkey” (born in the year of the monkey), repeats everything after her parents
Lucky, 06.05.06 19:31
We use a special visor for washing your hair. We have a slightly different one, but from the same company (Chicco). Almost no water gets on your face, unless a trickle suddenly leaks, but it’s not scary. [attachmentid=224140]
Zimushka, 06.05.06 19:55
We don’t have such a problem tfu...tfu...tfu... She even likes it when they pour a shower on her head. We just, when she was scared at first, started laughing and saying “Rain” - now when she hears “Rain” she immediately laughs.
Natly, 07.05.06 01:42
We also bought a special visor (Chicco) and showed it off on ourselves, but it was of no use! It’s unpleasant for a child when water gets into his eyes, and it’s not fun to sit in a visor. It’s fun when mom or dad puts it on for themselves. Moreover, she tries to wash her hair, wets it with water, but when it comes, she goes into the bushes! I immediately wipe her eyes with a towel as soon as water gets in, but she doesn’t want to wash her hair with a towel. But today I didn’t seem to be indignant for long, I washed, dried my hair and eyes - and again it’s fun for the baby to swim!
Russia, 08.05.06 17:49
girls, I’m not just afraid to wash, but maybe shampoo or water will get in there. All he has to do is bring a ladle, a palm of water, or a shower closer to him, and he immediately cries, breaks out, and climbs on me. We already bought visors, walks around the apartment in it normally, as soon as you put it on in the bathroom, she offered to wash your hair yourself, but it doesn’t matter, the shower throws it away, the plastic cups and watering cans come out. such torment, horror, I don’t know, we did infant swimming for up to 5 months, then until he was a year old he washed normally, he loved it. and then, out of the blue, maybe these dives are somehow remembered, or I don’t even know what, but in general, he loves to swim and play in the bathroom, he’s not afraid of water, just to wash his hair...
Yushka, 10.05.06 01:14
And we don’t like to wash our hair either. Until 8-9 months everything was fine, you could put her on her back on her hand in the bath and wash her hair so that the water didn’t get on her face, but later she didn’t want to lie down on her back. I had to water from above. Or stood there every time... But now it’s becoming calmer and calmer. The main thing is to immediately wipe your face after and sing all sorts of jokes during the process, and at the end I give you some kind of toy - it distracts. In general, it gets better over time, although I was already ready for us to continue yelling.
Tartan, 10.05.06 05:55
Svetkina , things are really bad with the headwash. And we still don’t see any clearing, although we’re almost 3 years old now—I consoled you, right? I opened a topic in Education about this matter, take a look, maybe the knowledge that you are not the only one with such a problem will somehow help, at least psychologically: Washing your hair and fear...
Aleno4ka, 13.05.06 13:48
And we found a way out. My daughter is sitting in the bath, we carefully wet her hair, lather it with shampoo, and then do “kochi-reli” (I don’t remember where I got this phrase...). Those. Dad swings it on the surface of the water, and I wash off the shampoo. The main thing is to make sure that the child does not cave in, otherwise he will get scared.
Natalia, 18.09.06 15:14
I just found out about the circle, and we wash off the shampoo from our heads with a sponge, carefully, for a long time, but without tears
Gypsy, 24.09.06 00:44
We also have a terrible shout. We haven’t washed our hair at all for probably two months now. I can't make up my mind
AnnaBorn, 24.09.06 08:44
We came up with the idea that there was a spider living in the ventilation hole in our bathroom, and to see it you had to tilt your head back very far. While Denis tried to make out the spider, we calmly washed our hair. But now he’s already used to it and knows that he needs to tilt his head back.
Gypsy , Today, 01:24
AnnaBorn , brilliant! Yesterday we tried to wash it this way - for the first time in the last year without tears
