Problems washing hair

[muppetmummy]

James has always been ok having his hair washed ever since he was a baby. I've always let him fill the jug with water before I pour it on his head and give him the towel to wipe his eyes when he asks to avoid him getting scared.

Recently though he's becoming more and more nervous about having his hair washed, it started with him taking ages to get his hands over his eyes before I pour the water over, and now the last couple weeks he's refused to have his hair washed at all.

I bathed him just now and tried to compromise by asking if he wanted to wash his own hair? or what if I just washed it with water and not shampoo, or what if I only used one jug of water. But he wouldn't have it, he started crying and got really upset so I let him go without washing his hair.

Am I being too soft? Should I just force him to have his hair washed, or should I just leave it and hopefully it will be a phase he grows out of? I don't want to give him a fear of water.

When I try and talk to him about it he gets even more upset and says he doesn't know why he's acting like that.

Has anyone else experienced this with 6 year olds? His best friends mum has told me that her son has been more weepy than normal recently so maybe it's just a phase?

 

[bonny]

Kate started not wanting her hair washed at 5 ish and it never changed she is nearly 10 now and still tries to get out of it, so i cant really help you with that. I do still make her have her hair washed anyway, but im hard like that.

 

[Becky&Willow]

im not anywhere near that stage yet but i would wash it still.

Has he got a fear of the water running over his eyes or face maybe try getting him to lay back in the bath once you have washed it and rinse it off that was so no water goes near his eyes and he could do it himself, other then that im not sure good luck though hopefully he will grow out of it

 

[muppetmummy]

Thanks for the replies He's started getting a thing about standing on the carpet in his socks now, he's afraid of getting fluff on them! I hope he's not gonna be ocd like me!

 

[chickadee1976]

Its a phase, although Cameron still doesnt like getting soap etc on his face.
I do remember he liked having a Facecloth folded into a rectangle so he could hold it over his eyes when i was pouring water over his head

 

[Sephs]

When I was little I hated having my hair washed and would kick a tantrum until my mum was exhausted and didn't have the willpower to make me!

I had a little foam cap which mum would put on my head and I wouldn't get a bit of shampoo in my eyes, I just googled it and got this up:

http://www.strawberry-tiger.co.uk/acata ... e-cup.html

I can't see the thing my mum used to use with me, but I will keep having a look and see if I can find out where it's from (will ask mum in a bit)

It was a traumatic experience having hair washed when I was little, but I've always had thick long hair, born with a thick black mohawk! mum persisted and always got my hair washed no matter how much I screamed or yelled, it hasn't been a persisting trauma!

 

[muppetmummy]

I used to be terrible at having my hair washed too as a kid. I used to have a foam ring thing on my head and still held a flannel over my eyes
I have suggested a flannel before to James but he is not convinced.
I like the look of that jug seph