Getting toddlers to wash their hair is about as easy as getting older children out of a swimming pool. What’s worse is, you might just find yourself in a losing battle, what with all their struggling and at times, even hitting. Of course, what you’re looking for is getting this most important task accomplished, without any drama.
Why Toddlers don’t like their hair being washed Ever wonder why that reaction to hair washing is so intense? Here’s a look!
· They associate soap washing with pain, having gotten soapy water in their eyes before.
· They’ve inhaled water in previous hair baths, and are thus scared of water running down their faces.
· They are sensitive to the point where they don’t want their hair washed or brushed.
· They simply have a mind of their own and if they don’t want their hair washed, that is exactly the way it should be. <
Simple Tips to Wash Your Toddler’s Hair
Here’s some tips that will make bath-time for baby, fun for both you and them!
Wash their hair first
Baby loves to play in the bath, right? Washing toddler hair at the beginning of that bath, might just be what the doctor ordered. After all, they don’t want to spoil the splashy fun to come, by prematurely getting out of the bath.
Have a bath together!
The joy is doubled when you get into the bath with the baby! Let them wash your hair first, and have them make shapes with the foam that comes from shampooing your hair. Then, when it’s their turn, they won’t be quite as averse to your washing their hair.
Use those accessories
Accessories might just come to the rescue, in case there’s a Code Red issued by your toddler at hair-wash time. You can use a special shampoo foam visor or even swimming goggles, whilst in the process of washing their hair. Earplugs that will protect your toddler’s ears are not a bad idea, as are bath toys and spray bottles, that will help your toddler associate that bath-time with ‘fun’! Washing toddler hair was never easier.
Get to the core of the problem
Washing newborn hair gets a lot easier when one understands where exactly the root of the problem might lie. For instance, babies might not like you rubbing that shampoo in their hair, preferring to do it themselves instead. They might wish that this process be done in the shower, and not the bath. If they are older, try and talk to them, or simply try all options, with a view to making bath-time a joyous, stress-free experience.
Use the right shampoo
You’re certainly brand conscious, right? Well, there’s no reason your toddler shouldn’t be! Washing toddler hair might get easier if you change the brand of shampoo you’re currently using. For instance, if your shampoo is too thick or has an unpleasant odor, you might want to consider replacing it. Further, you want to ensure that the shampoo you use has a no-tears formula.
The Art of Distraction
Distraction is an art that works wonderfully even with adults. In the case of washing a baby’s hair, it works like a dream! All you have to do is distract them if you find them getting edgy when you’re washing their hair. You might wish to, say, sing a nursery rhyme to them, or perhaps even stick a funny picture on the ceiling above the bath, so their mind is diverted and they allow you to wash their hair with absolutely no resistance at all.
Preventing Excessive Stimulation
Sometimes, children don’t like that shampoo trickling down their scalp, after you have given their heads a rather generous dose of the same, directly from the bottle. What you might consider doing instead, is putting that same amount of shampoo in the palm of your hand, rubbing it in both palms, and then smearing it onto their hair. This might just be the solution to washing toddler hair without a glitch.
Don’t wash their hair too often
Washing toddler hair need not be done every day. The last thing you want is daily tantrums in the bath, right? Well, you can get those tantrums to stop, too, when you wash their hair not so often. When you keep a gap of a few days before their next hair bath, you will see that they aren’t as fidgety as they were before, when their hair is being washed. You might wish to tell them, too, that it’s a No Hair Bath day, so they look forward to their bath. Needless to say, so will you!
Additional tips towards ensuring washing toddler hair goes off smoothly
Looking for more tips to make sure there’s no meltdown at bath time? Read on!
Tactile sensation. Some toddlers don’t like their heads being scrubbed too hard. Keep this factored in when washing baby’s hair. At the same time, the problem might just lie in the fact that you’re going ‘too soft’.
Doll or Toy Hair wash. Try and get the baby to wash the hair of their favourite toy or doll. If they feel that hair wash is okay for their favourite play friend, it becomes all right for them, too!
Have them lean forwards, instead of backwards. Washing toddler hair can be difficult simply because toddlers might feel a lack of control, while leaning backwards. Instead, have them lean forwards and see how that might work out.
Face Cloth to the rescue. Your toddler might hate that shampoo-laden water coursing down their face when you are washing their hair. Try giving them a dry face cloth to cover their eyes – that might just do the trick succinctly well.
While there are some children that take to the process of washing hair naturally, the parents of most children find themselves struggling when it comes to giving their toddlers a hair bath. If you pay heed to the tips outlined herein, you might just get a baby to look forward to that hair wash, every single day.
With these blogs we aim to help parents in understanding their child’s needs a little better. For more such informative blogs visit the EuroKids website.
