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My 11 year old son, when I tell him to he will go in the tub. He only sits in the water for about 5 minutes, He is expected to wash his hair, wash his body, and use lotion (he has very chronic dry skin). But he never does any of this.

I am getting pretty frusterated, why won't he actually bathe and what can I do ?

2007-09-16 18:09:59 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting Parenting

17 answers

He's a little old for this but you can bribe him or take away activities, fun, desserts, etc. Did he bathe before? Why the sudden change? Maybe he's not ready to do it all himself. Maybe he needs toys and bubbles. Get him the soap finger paints and let him color all over the walls, at least he will be in the water a little longer. Good luck!

2007-09-16 18:14:48 · answer #1 · answered by Precious 7 · 0 1

I'm no psychologist, so firstly, I think having a talk with a guidance counselor or psychiatrist may be better. What follows below are my personal inputs and may be wrong.

I think the problem goes beyond not liking taking baths... maybe he's got something against being told to do it/having to do it. As a kid, I sometimes intentionally do the opposite of what my folks expect me to do... just because they nagged me.

Also, I remember that at that age, I sometimes put more weight to what my friends/peers think than what my family says. If a friend/person he looks up to/wants to impress actually finds not bathing disgusting, then maybe that would make him take a real bath.

The act is clearly a form of rebellion, yet it may also be a cry for help (they have a problem and they subjectively want to get your attention to help them deal with it). Maybe you should attempt to really talk and see if he has "issues" ... in school/with friends or family.

2007-09-16 18:31:33 · answer #2 · answered by spectre700 2 · 0 0

Be careful what you wish for.....it's just a phase they go through as preteens.....Gosh! I don't know what that aversion to bathing is, You just have to keep sending him back til he is YOUR kind of clean. Very soon....as puberty hits, and things on his body begin to smell and change size, he will become obsessed with showering...to the tune of emptying the hot water heater of 45 gallons of water!!! He will be the cleanest kid in middle school and your water bill with jump $40 a month. You'll be yelling or him to get out of there, NOW!
Once they start liking girls....you will have to keep a lock on you lotions and creams from the expensive stores....I'm telling you.....I've been through it.
You just have to pick your battles with teens.

2007-09-16 18:18:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

You treat him like a baby until he does it himself. Walk him to the tub, get him in. Give him a rubber duckie. Talk to him like he's two. Wash his hair. "Aww..did mummy get soap in your eyes?"
He's lazy. A lot of kids are these days and I find it sickening.
Or if you want to go even more drastic, let him go to school without bathing and let his friends tell him he smells.
I am not joking with either suggestion. He has to start acting his age. I'm sure he isn't lazy when it comes to playing video games and watching tv, lol

2007-09-16 18:17:00 · answer #4 · answered by paperpenandtea 5 · 3 0

Kids are stubborn. He may just not like a bath. Let him know that if he stinks, people will talk about him behind his back. I like to remember a story of a boy I went to school with who never washed his hair. We all talked about how bad it was behind his back until one day, we were writing descriptive poetry. One person's was about a river. One of the descriptions was "smells like fish". At the end, when the writer asked "what am I?", someone said "Dave's hair". He turned bright red and came to school with clean hair the next day.

2007-09-16 18:16:40 · answer #5 · answered by AnnaBanana 2 · 1 0

I have an 11 yo son too. I make sure to have "manly" products for him ... men's body wash, shampoo that doesn't smell too flowery, etc and that makes him a little more willing. Also, your son may prefer a shower to a bath. When I point out to my son that girls like boys that smell good, that gets his attention; maybe you need to find out what motivates him.

2007-09-16 18:18:07 · answer #6 · answered by Dawn C 2 · 1 0

Because kids that age, usually boys, have an aversion to any water that is not in a pool or the ocean. I think they actually enjoy stinking. Insist he washes for school and church or whatever, but don't make a big deal of it otherwise, in a year or so, you won't be able to keep him OUT of the shower.

2007-09-16 18:14:56 · answer #7 · answered by WENDY S 4 · 0 1

properly, that's stated as you do it for him... style of. rather jerk him around, scrub, and dunk his head, and... you get the factor. he won't like it lots he will start up doing it himself. yet, when you consider that he's have been given a epidermis situation, ask him if it hurts whilst he washes with a washcloth or some thing. Dry epidermis can injury. yet, quickly, whilst women come into the image, he will bathe.

2016-12-17 03:13:00 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

Who is the adult here? Why does he have a choice. If he wants to act like a baby and not do what he is told, then treat him like a baby. Take him to the bath room, undress him, run his water and bathe him then dry him. Maybe if he is embarrassed enough, he will do it himself.

2007-09-16 20:18:12 · answer #9 · answered by eharrah1 5 · 0 0

Why isn't he showering? He's old enough to. Go out and buy men's shower soap and men's stuff (make him think he's grown up ) such as Old Spice or Axe. :) Maybe it'll give him confidence to take more pride in his appearance.

2007-09-16 19:30:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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