Hair Washing = Nightmare

[amberj]

DS used to love leaning back in the bath and sticking his head/ears under the water. Washing his hair was a breeze and I thought "oh, I'm so lucky to have a child who doesn't mind having his hair washed". One should never think such smug thoughts, I now see.

Washing hair is now a two person job, accompanied by horrific screams of death (DS and sometimes me ). My poor child now has grotty hair because its such a drama to wash it.

What works??? I've seen those "hat" things that allow them to sit up while washing and keep the water out of their eyes, and I've seen special jugs. Do either of these work? Or anything else? Its getting worse every time!

[ACJ]

I bought one of those jug with the rubber front to them but DS bit it and now is useless but he is fine with the whole water on the face issue so no need to replace it....he thinks it is funny that the rubber just sags now and looks funny with water in it.

[skybie]

DD is nearly 3 and hair washing is a 2 person job, some days we just cant do it because we're scared she's gonna hurt herself the way she carries on! and to make it worse she has really tight ringlets and if its not washed atleast every second day it starts getting dredlocky...not a good look at all, looks like we dont bath her at all!!
So anyway no tips on how to help, but i'll be keeping and eye on this thread for myself!!

[Arimeh]

We have had a problem for about a year now with DS and washing his hair. Finally discovered he just doesn't like water running down his face because he hates it going into his eyes - even if it just touches the top of his forehead he starts screaming

So I get a facewasher, fold it into thirds, hold it up against his eyes and quickly rinse the shampoo from his hair (to wet his hair in the first place before shampooing I just get the wet facewasher and sorta dab it into his hair, so the hair gets wet but no extra falls into his face.

Then whilst frantically tipping water on his head, holding the facewasher against his eyes whilst he's flailing around like some fish who is trying to escape being eaten by a pelican, I praise him LOTS and have a nice dry facewasher to wipe down his face afterwards.

Continue with bath as normal

[Liz]

DS only gets his hair washed in the shower. He won't lean back in a bath to wash it.

[Turkish Delight]

We had that same problem only 2 months ago. DD used to be a dream in the bath and i thought i was so lucky too, then all of a sudden bath and washing her hair was a nightmare.

A friend came over (who knew about the situation) and told DD that she smelled all yucky and needed to have a shower to smell all pretty etc... she quickly took off her clothes and we had a bath, no crying, yelling or screaming. We had to turn it into a game, where she would wash my arms in the bath and i would wash her hair. I'd give her some soap to wash her belly and i would wash her hair in return. I had to talk her through it all and turned it all into a big fuss etc... I praise her each time i wash her hair when she doesn't cry and now she wants to have a bath again.

HTH.

[tk1999]

...whilst he's flailing around like some fish who is trying to escape being eaten by a pelican, I praise him LOTS and have a nice dry facewasher to wipe down his face afterwards.

Continue with bath as normal

I am sorry Arimeh but I absolutely almost PMSL reading this... it just conjours up the best mental picture - I am sure it is no fun to experience but if you could video tape it I am sure you would take out funniest home videos

[sneakysparkle]

I am sorry Arimeh but I absolutely almost PMSL reading this... it just conjours up the best mental picture - I am sure it is no fun to experience but if you could video tape it I am sure you would take out funniest home videos

:yeahthat:

[Arimeh]

I am sorry Arimeh but I absolutely almost PMSL reading this... it just conjours up the best mental picture - I am sure it is no fun to experience but if you could video tape it I am sure you would take out funniest home videos

hehe - sorry - I watched Nemo today

I think the intense high pitched screaming would take the joy out of anyone else watching it

[diva det]

My friend invented a thing to use for kids that hate having their hair washed. Its called drieyes and is AWESOME
aussie made, aussie invented and aussie manufactured
it was on the 'new inventors' show back in feb and was in Melbourne's child this month as well
you can order them or their drieyes website where it also shows how it is used
essential the child holds the visor up to their head and the soap and water stays out of their eyes
DEFINATELY WORTH having a look at-
good luck
HTH

[tk1999]

I think the intense high pitched screaming would take the joy out of anyone else watching it

I'd probably laugh - well more than probably - I am the type of weirdo that loves laughing at people's falling down and kids in hysterics over small things like one I saw where there was a puppy (like the smallest puppy in the whole world) running towards them - I was in absolute stitches!

[amberj]

LOL....a flapping fish trying to avoid a pelican is a great description. Very apt indeed.

Sadly, I don't think praise or reasoning will work with DS yet, he is absolutely beyond any form of communication when we wash his hair. I might try the facewasher thing.

[Junglemum]

We started having the same probs. I got one of those buckets with rubber from target for about $4 and it means she doesn't have to lie down. That combined with me singing "this is the way we wash our hair" seems to have solved our issues!

[CrystalBoo]

We use one of those rubber hose shower attachments in the bath. Makes it so much easier to control where the water goes, especially if you push the water back over their head as you go. And because you get good water pressure, it's all over really quickly.

[kirsty_lee]

Ava use to be the same. Would lay back in the bath and loved it. Now the minute you put her on her back it's bloody murder! She did use to scream when I tried washing her hair while sitting up also. Now not so bad. I just hold my hand over her forehead when I rinse it and she's fine. But it's still got to be a bloody quick job otherwise she's screaming again.

[amberj]

drieyes does look cool, although unfortunately Peter is too young to hold it up himself yet. I think there are similar things that go right around the head that you don't need to hold- but I wish they were aussie made too!!!

[Inertia]

Ah yes... memories. I used to worry what the neighbours thought of us when it came to washing Lytas hair. Blood curdling screams, the begging for you to stop. All through paper thin townie walls. I used to worry that the cops would be on my door with DoCS and run off with my kids all because I had to wash her hair!

DH found a solution at long last... Swimming Goggles. It can take a bit of work to get them into a position that you can keep them on and their hair free, but even in those first few weeks, washing around them is well worth the effort.