Parenting can be incredibly rewarding. However, it can also be challenging and those challenges can come in some of the most surprising ways.

For instance, you could have a child who hates bathing – just getting them into the bathtub can be an hours-long ordeal, and heaven forbid you get busy and forget about it. It could be days before you get them back into the bathroom.

If you’re struggling with a child who hates to bathe, there are a few important tips that can help.

Determine Why They Hate the Bath

One of the most important things to do is to determine why your child hates bathing. Was the water in a recent bath too hot?

Did soap get in your child’s eyes? A traumatic experience can quickly turn a little one off of baths, leaving you feeling lost and frustrated.

Consider Upgraded Bathtubs

You might consider upgrading your bathtub if you’re thinking about renovating the bathroom. Spas and in-floor bathtubs from a local bathroom warehouse can be enticements in their own right for children who are leery of the old tub in your home.

Take your child with you to the shop and let them examine spas and bathtubs without water to help ease their minds and to get them more familiar with the experience.

Make Bath Time Playtime

Your child might simply need a bit of encouragement to start enjoying their bath. Make bath time playtime. Add floating toys to the bath that your little one wants to play with. Depending on the age of your little one, you’ll find a wide range of bath toys out there, from boats and submarines to sea animals and everything in between.

Try Bathing at Different Times of Day

Try changing out the time of your little one’s bath. If you usually try to bathe them at the end of the day, change to a morning bath or try for one right after lunch.

This change in routine could be enough to encourage your child to start to tolerate the experience.

Try a Shower

If a bath does not work, consider letting your child experience a shower. It might not work, but it will at least allow you to explore other options.

Use Paint Soaps

Finally, consider adding something fun to the bath. We’ve talked about toys already, but there are other options out there. For instance, you’ll discover a number of bath soap “paints”.

These are actual soaps that create coloured bubbles, and can even be used to draw on the inside of the tub. The soap will rinse clean away, but the ability to colour in the tub might entice your child to spend more time getting themselves clean.

There are plenty of ways that you can help get your child to appreciate bath time, rather than hating it. If all else fails, you might reduce the number of baths. Children between six and 11 years of age only need to bathe once or twice per week, unless they have gotten dirty.