10 tips to take away your baby’s fear of water
Many babies like to bathe because the warm water reminds them of the time in your tummy. For some children, however, bathing can also mean pure stress because they feel unsafe in the tub. In this article, you will learn what the reasons for fear of water can be and how you can help your baby to get to know bathing as a relaxing experience.
Possible reasons for fear of water
If your baby is afraid of water, there can be many reasons. Very few babies have this fear from birth. Usually, hydrophobia only develops after a while, for example because your child has accidentally submerged their head, got soap in their eyes or associates other stressful or unpleasant situations with the tub. And even if it was only a small incident in your eyes, even small insecurities in the foreign element can represent a traumatic experience for your baby.
Give the baby security
Once the fear of water sets in, it takes a lot of patience and empathy to help your child regain confidence and enjoy bathing. It is particularly important that you give yourself and especially your baby time to get used to the situation step by step. It needs to feel that you can give it security because it is completely dependent on you. Here you will find valuable tips with which you can make bathing as pleasant as possible for your baby:
- Check the water temperature: One reason why your baby might feel uncomfortable in the tub is if the water temperature is too high. Therefore, before each bath, check very carefully that the water is not too hot. The ideal temperature is between 35°C and 37°C. Bath water that is too cold can also be uncomfortable for your baby, as it starts to freeze faster in this case.
- Water level : When you bathe your newborn, their whole body doesn’t have to be covered with water. A few centimeters are enough to wash your baby thoroughly . This also has the advantage that your baby does not float in the water, but can rest on the bottom of the tub with its bottom, which gives most children a feeling of security. If the water level is too high, there is also a greater risk that your child will slip away and swallow water.
- Different tub: A spacious tub may be comfortable for you, but babies tend to like it narrow. After all, they got along with very little space before birth and were always safe there. You can therefore think about using a so-called bath bucket instead of a conventional baby bath. Your baby automatically assumes a posture similar to that in the womb and can also support itself with its own body against the tub wall, which gives it security. In addition, it cannot slip away and submerge its head.
- Putting yourself in the water differently: Many babies become restless if they are put into the bath too quickly and backwards. They then cannot understand what is happening to them and start to cry. You can make it easier for your baby to get into the water by putting his feet in the water first and letting your baby carefully explore the wet element. Then use slow, rocking motions to introduce your little one further into the water, little by little.
- Check the grip: You should hold onto your baby tightly so that your baby does not slip out of your hand when bathing. However, your child’s body is very delicate and sensitive and a too tight grip can quickly become uncomfortable. Therefore, make sure not to touch your baby too roughly and loosen your grip if necessary. If you put your left arm under your baby’s back and grab his left shoulder with your hand, you can hold him securely without using too much force.
- Toys: It is quite possible that your baby is simply bored while washing and therefore starts to cry. Try offering him a toy to play with while you wash his body. This could be a rubber duck, for example. For many children, however, their own washcloth to suck on or the bath thermometer is enough.
- Fixed procedures: Try to ensure that the bathing procedure always follows the same pattern. Repetitive structures can help even very young children to orient themselves and to correctly classify what is happening around them. For example, you can introduce a kind of ritual with which you bring your child into the bathing situation or always put your baby in the tub the same way. In this way you can prevent your baby from being overwhelmed in the already exciting situation.
- Right atmosphere: If your baby does not feel very comfortable when bathing, it is particularly important that he can find peace while doing so. Therefore, choose a time for the bath when you are calm and relaxed and can take plenty of time for your little one. Try to avoid noise and disturbances while bathing, and help your child feel that bathing is an autonomous experience and not a routine task that just gets done.
- Good preparation: Good preparation is very important so that you can concentrate exclusively on your child during the bath. You can find out what you should consider before the bath in the article “5 important preparations for the baby bath” .
- Bathing together: Show your child that bathing is a beautiful experience. It is a good idea to get into the tub together with your child. Being close in the water can give your child extra security and strengthen the bond between you and your baby.
Important: You should never force your baby to do anything. If, despite your best efforts, it still resists and is very stressed by the situation, you should better stop the bath. But with patience and a lot of affection, you too can certainly manage to take away your baby’s fear of water and make bathing one of his favorite pastimes.