Some kids literally love all aspects of bath time., However, for some parents bath time, especially hair washing time is a nightmare. We’re sharing hair washing tips for kids who hate their hair washed.
*Disclosure: This post is sponsored on behalf of Baby Magic.
If you have a child that hates their hair being washed then this post is for you. We are going to share hair washing tips for kids that just don’t like it.
Let’s rewind just a bit. I have a child that skewed my perception of bath time early on because she’s literally in love with anything water. You can put her in the shower, spray water in her face, dump a cup of water on her head, it doesn’t matter. Anything water equals love for her. And it was like that way from the beginning. Still to this day she loves water.
Then, there’s the little one. If you are reading this, your little is probably similarly aligned with my little one. She came out of the womb and hasn’t liked bathing since day 1. She does like swimming and will happily take a bath, but tell her you are going to wash her hair and there are instant meltdowns.
I’m talking full blown, tears and screams. If you were standing outside our house you would think I was hurting her and at that point I haven’t even touched her.
Luckily, we are almost completely on the other side of this. There are definitely still times (usually when she’s really tired) that we still have meltdowns, but with a few hacks and tips, we are doing so much better.
I know I’m not the only who has struggled with this so today I want to share our hair washing tips for kids who hate their hair washed.
15 Hair Washing Tips for Kids Who Hate Their Hair Washed
1-Always tell them to look to the sky
One of the easiest ways for most kids is to tell them to look up to the sky. This tips their head backwards and helps them focus to not get it in their eyes. You can even put glow in the dark stars or something similar on the ceiling so they know exactly where to look. Bonus points for having a built in nightlight in their bathroom if you take that option.
*As a note, some children have sensory issues with tipping backwards as it causes them to feel like they could fall backwards. If this is your child, keep reading below for a different idea than this one that will work for your family.
2-Change the time of day you wash hair
As I mentioned above, our little one would and still does break down if she’s over tired. If I know she needs her hair washed, sometimes I will switch her bath/shower time to right after she wakes up so she’s not as grumpy and more willing to go along.
3-Make it play time with washcloth puppets
If you are up to it, buy a pack of washcloth puppets and make a game out of hair washing time. Be silly, make up stories or songs, and just have fun. Sometimes a slight distraction is all kids need to get through a few minutes of hair washing.
4-Have a water doll with hair
Speaking of playing in the tub, have your little one wash their dolls hair while you wash their hair. It’s a great distraction. You can explain to them how to wash hair while you do theirs. It’s a learning experience and can show kids exactly what’s happening to give them a sense of calmness. Make sure the doll is a water safe doll like a baby alive.
5-Use a bath visor
A bath visor fits around the little one’s head and keeps them dry. Definitely a convenient way to solve the problem of water in their face.
6-Wash hair in bubble bath
There’s tons of bubbles already in the bath that sometimes it’s easier to wash their hair in their too. You can tell them to put some bubbles in their hair and wash around with a little more shampoo.
7-Let them wear goggles
Swimming goggles have been a huge hit for days either girl just isn’t up for it. It makes them laugh and keeps water and soap out of their eyes! Win win!
8-Try doing it in the shower instead of bath
Both of our girl actually prefer showers instead of the bath. If you haven’t tried a shower with your little one yet, try switching it up and see if that helps your.
9- Let them wash your own first
Sometimes, kids need to know that it’s okay. A lot of times they want to know that for a variety of situations. Letting them wash your hair first can let them see it’s okay to do it.
10-Give them a cup to do it themselves
We all know that kids love doing things themselves. Washing their hair is no different. This may or may not work, but it’s worth a try depending on your child. Have a small cup and tell them to learn their head back and try to get it out themselves.
11-Install a shower sprayer
Having kids put their head under the spout or even with a cup like above can be too much water at once. Installing a shower head that comes with a detachable sprayer can help with less water at one time. Also, let them try it for themselves like tip #10.
12- Have a dry cloth or towel nearby
Knowing that you are prepared to dry their face helps a lot of children. They know that you are prepared and will feel calmer knowing so. It’s a tip that has worked for us well.
13- Try doing it in the sink with just a washcloth
Sometimes you need to build up their trust. If you are having a really hard time. Try just using a washcloth in the sink and working your way up to more in the future.
14 – Don’t wash their hair often
Children don’t have all the oil glands that adults do, so we don’t need to wash their hair often. We have been conditioned to thinking that we do, but we really don’t. You can easily get away with going 5-7 days, up to 2 weeks in between washes given that they aren’t super dirty or anything.
15- Always use a tear free shampoo
Getting soap in your eyes is enough to turn anyone off from ever wanting to wash their hair again, but especially little ones who are learning about this process. One of the best ways to is use a year free shampoo or wash, like Baby Magic.
Baby Magic has more than 65 years of creating baby products and just recently they relaunched all their new products, including the Baby Magic bunny, their new mascot.
These brand new products are free from sulfates, dyes, parabens, lanolin, talc, and phthaltes. Baby Magic new that parents wanted change, including wholesome ingredients and they worked hard to create a product that was gentle and safe on our little ones. There are lotions, 2-in-1 wash, calming bath, cleansing gel, and creamy baby oil, depending on your scent preference.
The scents available are Original Baby Scent, Lavender Lullaby, and Sweet Buttercup Scent.
You can find Baby Magic products that we discussed and more of their offering BabyMagic.com.
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