Baby’s Sudden Fear of the Bath — Another Hot Topic
March 17, 2009 by Dr. Heather
Filed under Annoying Toddler Behaviors, Babies, BEST OF BABYSHRINK, Developmental Grab-Bag
One of the FAQs here at BabyShrink is about your toddler’s sudden, inexplicable fear of the bath. Readers Noelle and Dana recently joined in the chorus of parents who are mystified about the radical change in their baby’s bath-time routine. I’ve had plenty of first-hand experience with baby’s bath fears, and I know it can be a hassle (“It interferes with our evening routine, and they NEED that bath!”) and also worrisome (“She never got upset like this before — is this a symptom of something much more concerning?”) But when you understand the normal developmental process driving these fears, a little flexibility — and empathy — can go a long way to restoring your toddler’s enjoyment of the bath.
So thanks for your nice comments about this article, and for making it one of BabyShrink’s most popular posts over the past year.
Aloha,
Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink
We went through this with our daughter and finally figured out that it was because she was afraid she was going to poop in the tub! We aren’t sure where that came from, as she never did anything like that.
Sometimes our children’s fears can seem so silly to us, but it really terrified her. We were finally able to reassure her, but it took about a month before she was okay with it. Now that she’s 10, I can’t get her out of the tub!