This is Why Your Toddler Hates Hair Washing

We know your pain. We’ve been there too! The crying, pleading and negotiation surrounding your toddler’s hair wash is enough to make you want to pull your OWN hair out.

“Look up and close your eyes.” The concept seems simple enough, and if only they could follow these instructions, they could avoid getting soap and water in their eyes, and you could avoid a whole lot of drama.

The problem with “look up and close your eyes” is that the position of tilting your head back with your eyes closed is a very vulnerable one. As soon as a perceived threat appears, such as feeling water being poured on their head, their natural instinct is to tuck and cover, which of course directs the water and soap into their eyes. Now their fears have been validated, and the next shampoo experience will be met with even more resistance.

There are a couple strategies to concur the next hair wash. If your little one has short hair, you can simply use a washcloth instead of pouring water on their head. Some kids might find that leaning their head forward so that they are already in a protective position is a bit easier than tilting their head back. In this situation, they would need to protect their eyes by holding a washcloth or sponge over their eyes while the rinsing is taking place. This approach works best for quick shampoo sessions.

If you are reading this article, chances are you’ve tried these strategies and still haven’t found a good solution. So what can you do?

The Shampoo Buddy uses a different approach to solve this problem. By providing support for the neck and shoulders, the child doesn’t feel like they are going to fall, which makes the position less threatening and helps them to relax. Additionally, since the hair washing takes place outside of the bathtub while it’s filling up, they can use a weighted blanket or their favorite stuffy during the shampoo session if they are feeling apprehensive about it. Check out the Shampoo Buddy in action here, or purchase it here.

Whatever strategy you use, we hope that you find a solution that works for you!