Washing kids’ hair is a hard act to pull off. I wash my kids’ hair once a week. Here are my tips to make your life easier.
Dear Mom attempting wash-day for your baby,
All we want them to do is sit still so we can wash their hair. We know it’s a necessary task even though it’s the hardest thing to do. Water is their friend when splashing in the tub but no longer their buddy when it comes to washing their hair.
I’ve never cut my now 3-year-old, Potato’s hair. He’s only had trims that I’ve managed to do by myself. Thank you youtube for the help! Yet, this means I have been washing his hair for a very long time. It has definitely not been an easy task. We’ve finally got into a groove.
Here are my tips to make your life easier.
Washing Hair Tip 1: Toys in the tub is a must
Toys, toys, and lots of toys. We get all the monster trucks, construction trucks, and any other toy that will make the bath fun. First, we play a game where I act as if I am making an announcement for all the cars to make their way to the tub. He grabs all the cars as fast as he can. Then dumps them in the tub. Then he goes in.
Sometimes we incorporate creative new toys to make the bath fun and keep him distracted. We’ve used a toy fire extinguisher to shoot water around the tub. This would keep him busy long enough for me to soap his hair up. We’ve also use bath paint. He smears the paint all over the tub and finds it fun to create bubbles when the paint mix with water. The bath paint washes off easily so there isn’t a mess.
Toys make kids’ lives easier. Incorporating toys in the tub while you wash their hair, tells them that this is going to be a fun experience.
Washing Hair Tip 2: Get a great distraction
I use a great distraction to keep his mind off of the possibility of water rolling down into his eyes. I don’t care what you think! We bring that good iPad into the tub. I put his iPad on the sink counter facing the tub and we pick a show or youtube video.
Usually, it’s something to do with monster trucks or trains. Either way, it keeps his head up in the direction I need to wash the soap out or to detangle. It also keeps him happy. This is a win-win situation for both of us. The Ipad is a great distraction so I can wash his hair quickly.
Find a great distraction that works for you and your kid. It can be anything.
Washing Hair Tip 3: Make it a game
You have to make it fun for them. I know it’s hard and takes a lot of patience. When they’re having fun, it makes it easier for you to get your job done. I’ve had to be creative since I need his head to lean back far so I can use a cup to rinse the soap out.
I encourage him to roll his car as far up the shower walls as he can. While his head tilts back, I rinse out the soap. My next trick is to tell him to look up like were looking for a plane in the sky. I then repeat my rinse method.
Sometimes I have to come up with a few different ways to convince him to look up. Does he fight me a few times yes of course? We eventually do it enough to rinse out his hair. Sometimes he gets so into it, he creates his own ideas of things for us to look up and find in the sky.
For the Win (conclusion)
Washing a kid’s hair is hard. There isn’t a perfect way to do it. You’ve got to keep trying. Do what you can to make it fun for them and productive for yourself. I hope these tips help improve your wash day with your little one. Good luck Mom!
Check back in for a post on the products we use during wash day.
-From Kiki With Love
What other creative tricks do you use to wash your kid’s hair?
