Reasons Why Children Don’t Want To Bathe

Reason #1: Not wanting to go to bed! Many bedtime routines include taking a bath so it’s not unusual for a child to think that if they can prolong the bath that they will prolong having to go to bed.  Some kids suffer from night terrors or nightmares and have an actual fear of going to bed.  

Tip: Make being in the dark fun. Play flashlight tag. Have a treasure hunt and search for things that glow in the dark (My sister does this and it works!).

Reason #2: Scared of water! Some kids could have a fear of water.  It does happen and when kids get older their ability to voice their fears get better.  Maybe they choked on some water in a baby pool once or someone held them in the pool while playing. This could have caused them to fear water.

Tip:  Try buying bath toys, crayons that are soap, shaving cream, colored water tablets (my son's favorite!) anything that is bath-time fun. When my brother used to give my mom (when we babysat, it was even harder) such a fit, I never thought of making the bath fun.  There are so many things to keep them entertained! 

Reason #3: Laziness! My sister in law was shocked when her son hit puberty. He still applied deodorant, but only in lieu of showering. He seemed to be too tired to bother with basic hygiene.

Tip: Give a forewarning. Let your child know ahead of time that bath time is nearing. Give a few warnings; “Bath time in 15 minutes.” Then “Bath time in 10 minutes.” Your child will respond better than if you just drop the bomb in the middle of his fun activity.

Reason #4: Control!  As children get older, they gain more and more control over their lives. Getting older means controlling their own dressing and showers. The more they are nagged, the more they resist. 

Tip: Be very consistent. Have a bath every day, or every-other-day, at exactly the same time, and in the same way.  Specific routines can overcome resistance after they’ve become regular occurrences. You might end up surprised at the outcome and everyone ends up winning in the end 🙂

Reason #5: Gets too cold afterwards: It’s not fun to get out of a nice warm bath and get really cold.  It’s possible that your child is really sensitive to temperature changes and just dreads getting into hot water only to get out and be really cold.  

Tip: Have the two towels ready for your child, one for their hair the other for their body. You can also purchase a bathrobe which is very comfy after a nice bath or shower!

Reason #6: It is a chore! Children think they don't have to bathe because it's a chore to them. They don't like to do chores.

Tip:  Get something interesting to put in the water like bubble bath toys ,try to think up a way to spice up the event this way they will be attracted to the task of getting clean. Purchase shampoo's or soaps that are part of a bath-time game pack (I stocked up and it worked!).

Reason #7: Hate cleaning the bathroom up: Both my kids hate that they have to wipe up any water on the floor when they get done with a shower.  They also have to pick up their towels and clothes and take them back to their room.  For some reason they hate doing this and this will cause them to fight taking a bath.

Tip: Make it a race to clean up. Tell them whoever wins gets extra t.v. time, or the choice of something fun on the weekend. I always give them a 3 minute countdown after they have dried and dressed, works every time!

Reason #8: Getting sprayed in the eyes: Once a child reaches a certain age they are better off taking a shower versus a bath.  Girls with long hair have a hard time washing their hair by themselves in a bath so a shower works out better.  However, they are still pretty short and may hate having the spray get in their eyes. 

Tip:  Purchase a shower head that can be attached over the faucet and can be suction cupped to the wall at whatever is an appropriate height for your child. 

Reason #9: Doesn't want to miss out: If you are doing something really fun as a family it can be hard for a child to leave the fun to go take a shower or bath.  Try to let your child know that you will pause the movie or the game until they get back.  

Tip: Explain to your child that you will pause the game,the movie or hold off on having that ice-cream until they get back. You can also avoid this you by changing bath time when  isn’t so much family fun going on.

Reason #10: Falling in the shower: Children can get a little careless in the bathtub and maybe they have slipped or fallen in the past.  Having a fear of falling or getting hurt is actually pretty common.  

Tip: Purchase a rubber mat, you can get a decorative one that your child may like or better yet let your child help pick it out. You can also purchase the rubber grips that have characters on them! There are many options available at the stores why not give it a try!

What do you think the reason is for your child?

Written by: Brydie Clark