Hair washing
Hair washing can become a problem at this age. Some children are frightened by having their heads in, or even near, water. You don't want to force the issue and risk starting a lifelong fear of water, but you do have to wash the week's muck out of your child's hair. You'll have to experiment to find a satisfactory solution. Try some of the following suggestions:
• Once she's had her first haircut, you could try playing hairdresser or barber in the bath, pretending to cut and style each other's hair.
• Let her wash your hair first. Let her apply and lather the shampoo in your hair before she does her own hair.
• Don't lay her back in the tub. No matter how firmly you hold her, she doesn't feel safe for whatever reason. Keep her sitting up.
• Consider alternatives to the bathtub: standing her on a stool to wash her hair under the kitchen sink, or standing in the shower.
• Don't try to get her used to the feeling of water on her face by splashing at her. You'll just make things worse.
• Always use a no-tear shampoo. Keep the lather and the water out of her eyes and face.
• Offer, but don't force, a facecloth to protect her nose and eyes while you're washing and rinsing. After you've lathered her hair, she can hold the folded facecloth over her eyes while you slowly pour warm water over the top and back of her head to rinse.
• Let her rinse herself using a hand shower.
• Even children who don't mind having their hair washed object to the after-wash comb-out. A spray-on detangler will reduce anxiety.
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