There is no way to convince him, he cries, screams, hides under the bed, and when I finally put him in the shower, it’s like I’m torturing him. I try to make it fun with bubble toys and even music, but nothing works. The worst part? He starts to smell bad, and he doesn’t even care. I try to explain that it’s for his own good, that we all need to be clean, but it’s like I’m his worst enemy. Every day is a battle, and it’s driving me crazy
Omg I feel this so much! My daughter went through this exact phase when she was 3, and I swear I thought I was losing my mind. She would scream like she was being attacked, and I was sure my neighbors thought something terrible was happening. I tried everything, bubbles, toys, a bathrobe she loved, even letting her wear a swimsuit in the tub to make it feel less scary. Nothing worked. Eventually, what helped was switching to showers instead of baths and letting her use a handheld showerhead so she had some control. Also, letting her wash a toy first before it was her turn seemed to help a little. But honestly? It was mostly just waiting it out. She grew out of it after a few months, and now she’s obsessed with bath bombs and wants to take two baths a day. Hang in there, it does get better, I promise
Phew, I totally get it. My son acts like bath time is torture. It doesn’t matter if it’s hot, if I have his favorite toys, or if I let him choose a special soap; he just hates it. I dread it every night. The crying, the screaming, the stiffness of his entire body when I try to put him in the tub. I don’t know why he makes such a big deal out of it, but wow, the struggle is real. And the worst part? He also smells bad! I love him more than anything, but little boys get gross, and he just doesn’t care. I’ve tried to explain to him that being clean feels good, that everyone takes baths, that it will itch if he gets dirty, but no. Not a care. He’d literally be happy rolling in the dirt forever
I promise this stage doesn’t last forever! My son went through this same thing at 3. Now, at 7, I have to beg him to get out of the shower. What worked for us was letting bath time be completely up to him, but in a way that also kept him in the tub. Instead of saying, It’s bath time, we gave him options: Do you want to take a bath before or after dinner? or Do you want to bathe with toys or shower with music? That way, he felt he had some control. Another trick: Let them help with bath time. My son loved washing a stuffed animal first or pouring soap in the tub. Plus, we sometimes did silly things like put a bath toy on his head or pretend the soap bottle was talking to him. Anything to make it not feel like a battle. It’s frustrating now, I know. But a year or two from now, you’ll remember how dramatic they were. Hang in there!
This is so common at this age, and it’s usually about sensory discomfort or control. Some kids don’t like the temperature, the feeling of water on their skin, or even the noise of running water. Others just don’t like being told what to do.
A few things that actually worked for us:
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Change the environment – Try dimming the lights, playing a calming song, or even letting him wear sunglasses if he’s sensitive to bright bathroom lights.
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Water play before bath – Sometimes letting them play with a water table, sink, or even a damp washcloth before bath time helps ease them into it.
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Give them control – Let him choose the soap, pick out a bath toy, or even pour the water himself.
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Make it a game – One night, we pretended my son was a race car and needed a “pit stop” to get cleaned up. Another time, we did “paint the bathtub” where he got to smear colored soap all over before rinsing off.
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Try a new schedule – If nighttime baths are a disaster, try morning or even a quick wipe-down instead of a full bath some days.
It won’t last forever, but these little adjustments made a huge difference for us!