Toddler Hates Baths? Fix It Now With These 8 Genius Tips

Bathtime used to be so easy!

But now your toddler hates baths, and you are left battle-weary after each one.

Sound familiar?

This situation sounds very familiar to me, but my toddler and I got over it. In this post, I am going to explain how I made bath time fun again.

Let’s get rid of these toddler bath time tantrums!

toddler hates bath

Why Is There A Meltdown At Bath Time?

Toddler meltdown bath time
Why toddlers may have a full-on meltdown when it is time for a bath.

There are many reasons why your toddler is refusing bath time. Many of which you will never know.

It could be part of the dreaded ‘Terrible Twos.’

Let’s cover the 3 main topics of why your toddler refuses to sit in the bath:


Fear

Your toddler may be afraid of baths, and we cover this below. It is likely to be a key reason why your toddler hates bath time.

Fear is also a common reason why your toddler refuses to sit in a bath too!


Annoyance

What was your toddler doing before you called bath time? Were they playing? Eating?

You want your toddler to have a bath, but if they are having too much fun, they will not want to stop for bath time.

See also  7 Awesome Pacifier Alternatives For Toddlers

If your toddler doesn’t want to take a bath, you will need to make bath time fun! I have made a list below that will help you to inject the fun into bath time!


Defiance

If you know toddlers well, then you will know they can be headstrong, to say the least! One common act of defiance is a toddler suddenly refusing bath time.

Dealing with a stubborn toddler can be a challenge, and it is up to you to rise to the challenge before it becomes too much of a problem.


Why Are Toddlers Afraid Of Baths?

toddler afraid of bath
If your toddler is afraid of baths, it is your job to find out why and address it!

Why does my toddler suddenly hate baths? This could be a genuine reason… I want to cover the fact that toddlers can become afraid of baths separately. I wanted to cover this because it can lead to increased levels of fear in your toddler.

This may lead to sleep problems and will not help if your toddler suffers from night terrors.

If your toddler is afraid of baths, then it will 100% lead to a total toddler meltdown at bath time!

It is up to you as a parent to find out what your toddler is most afraid of in their bath and address it.

The issue seems to get worse each time you force them to have a bath, so address the issue quickly to save yourself some extra grief!


Toddler hates getting hair washed.

This is a big reason why your toddler is afraid of baths!

If your toddler hates getting their hair washed, it may be due to the stinging eye pain that some shampoos cause.

You can address this by using a tear-free shampoo to wash your toddler’s hair with.


Your child is afraid of getting water on their face.

We are all the same. We breathe through our nose and mouth. When water covers one or both of these, it can lead to a brief moment of panic.

This may be the reason why your toddler is afraid of getting water on their face.

You can address this with a shampoo shield for toddlers. These magnificent inventions will stop water from getting into your toddler’s eyes and will ensure some degree of calmness when it comes to bath time!


Toddler Hates Baths? Use These To Make Your Toddler Loves Baths Again!

make your Toddler love baths
Life is a little easier when your Toddler enjoys their bath time, right?

When it comes to bath time, you need to make it as fun as possible while taking away the pain points.

This list will cover you from all angles!

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Bath bombs

This is at the very top of the list for one good reason! It worked for my toddler and continues to do so!

Bath bombs are cheap, easy, and tremendous fun for your toddler.

My son has lots of fun trying to find the bath bomb as it dissolves. As the water changes color and the bath bomb dissolves, the challenge grows to find what remains!

Also, you can buy these with little toys inside, too.


Crayons

Most kids love art, but all toddlers love to make a mess, right?

From a parent’s point of view, the best thing about bath crayons is they are easily washed away, AND the bath is close to a water supply. In terms of cleaning up, it doesn’t get much easier than that!

To add in an element of fun and learning to your toddler’s bath time routine, you should definitely consider some bath crayons!

I use any opportunity to teach my son something new, and why stop learning just because it is time for a bath?



Water Fall

I covered the fact that toddlers love playing with water when I took a look at some sand and water toys for toddlers.

What better place for your toddler to enjoy the water than in a bath?

From a parents point of view, there is not much cleaning up needed when bath time is over.

Introduce some fun into your toddler’s bath time experience with some awesome waterfall toys.


Color Bath Dropz

This is very similar to the bath bomb idea, but another great way to ensure your toddler looks forward to bath time is to use some Color Bath Dropz.

Not only is it fun to see the water change color, but you can also use this to teach your toddler how to make colors by combining other colors!

Color Bath Dropz is a fantastic, fun, and educational way of getting your toddler to stop hating on their bath time!


Magnetic Fishing Game

My son loves playing in the bath (at least, he does now!). One of the toys he plays with most is the magnetic fishing game I bought him when he struggled to enjoy his bath time.

Magnetic fishing games are fun bath-time games that you can use to entertain your toddler.

Speaking of games to play, some of these pirate toys for toddlers will float in the bath, so it is worth checking those out!


Shampoo Shield

The next 2 ideas are purely to help your toddler not to be scared of their bath time.

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I mentioned earlier in this post about toddlers being afraid of having their hair washed or getting water in their eyes.

Why not get yourself a shampoo shield! My son uses one every time his hair needs to be washed. They are simple yet effective!


No Tears Shampoo

Another important tool in your arsenal for helping your toddler not hate bath time is some ‘no-tears‘ shampoo.

When your toddler already hates bath time, getting soap in their sensitive eyes is going to be a major setback.

No-tears shampoo will ensure that your toddler’s eyes do not sting if you are unfortunate enough to get some shampoo in them!

Couple this up with the shampoo shield, and you have one happy toddler! Well, kind of happy anyway…


Goggles

When your toddler hates getting water or shampoo in their eyes, and all else fails, why not introduce some goggles at bath time?

Not only will goggles keep water and soap out of their eyes, but they can also use them to explore their underwater world!


Frequently Asked Questions

frequently asked questions

Why is my toddler afraid of the bath?

It could be for a number of different reasons, from annoyance, to fear, or maybe even hatred. You need to sit your toddler down and find out the reason. Then you can address it! Good luck…

Why does my toddler hate getting their hair washed?

Your toddler might suffer with the dreaded ‘stingy eyes’ when getting their hair washed. Consider using a ‘no tears’ shampoo to wash their hair with.


Conclusion

If your toddler hates baths, doesn’t like getting water in their eyes, or wants to cause you a little grief, then you can follow the advice on this page to make life easier for yourself!

Ultimately, if your toddler has a fear of bathing, then you need to find out why.

It is only when you know why then you can address the issues. Hint: bath toys will do it!

After all, you need to have yourself a clean toddler, right?

Good luck!

DadGold

About ME

Let’s start with the obvious, I’m a dad.

I have 2 kids. One was dragged out from the comfort of his Mother’s womb kicking and screaming, and the other was a little easier.

Dad Gold was created to give tips that I wish someone had given me!

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