As we all know, every child is different, and all are unpredictable. Some kids absolutely love bath time, whereas for others it may seem like a torture session. We also know that kids go through phases. The good news is that if bath time is an issue for your child right now, it’s not long before that problem will be in the past (and some other issue will take center stage).
To help conquer the problem of hair washing, it first helps to understand what it is that your child doesn’t like about it. After 30 years in the children’s salon business, we know we can help.
Generally speaking, the problem comes from one of these 3 main issues:
- Water or shampoo dripping in their eyes.
- Sensitivity to tipping head backwards.
- “Sensory Sensitivity”. This may come from a host of different ways ranging from simple sensory issues to Autism.
Once you have figured out where your child’s issue stems from, here are 6 ways to turn things around:
- Talk about it! Of course, this depends on your child’s age, but even little ones will benefit from hearing you address what their issue is and telling them how you are going to make it better (see next few points)
- To prevent water from dripping in their eyes, have them hold a washcloth over their eyes while you shampoo. That way they are taking an active role in helping themselves, while at the same time preventing the drip. If they are too little to hold it themselves, you can hold it with one hand and shampoo with the other.
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- Another way to prevent the drip is by getting a shampoo visor. You can easily purchase on-line inexpensively and reuse it over and over again.
- Use TEAR FREE shampoo. It really does make a big difference and it really prevents stinging.
- Tipping the head backwards is a great way to prevent the dripping in the eyes but may present as a problem for some kids. To get around this, put a fun sticker on the top of the wall, or even the ceiling, and make a game out of looking up for the sticker. I’m a big proponent of distractions as a parenting tool and this one really can help.
- Social stories. Whether it’s reading a book or watching a video about other kids that don’t like having their hair washed, it’s important (and comforting) for your child to know that others too have difficulties with shampooing and that they have found a way to work it out.
Bath time can be a really nice bonding time for you and your little one, so I hope this helps. It’s important to think creatively and try different things. We even sell a lot of kids’ watering cans that parents (and kids) use to rinse the shampoo out of their hair in the tub.
Good luck and happy shampooing!
The post 3 Reasons Kids Hate Washing Their Hair & 6 Things You Can Do To Make It Better appeared first on Cozy's Cuts for Kids.
