ADD/ADHD Online Information

Tips To Make Bath Time Easier For A Child With ADHD

By Jane Sandwood

At present, it is believed that approximately 400,000 British children are affected by ADHD. Being a parent to a child with ADHD is a beautiful yet often challenging experience. As much as you as a parent love and cherish your child with ADHD, it is still perfectly normal to become frustrated at times, especially in areas such as health and hygiene. Bath time can be especially testing as many children with ADHD inherently experience a range of hygiene-related issues including having an aversion to water, not enjoying having wet hair, and simply not being motivated enough to want to bath. Thankfully there are a number of things you can do to make bath time as painless as possible for both you and your child.

Embrace your child’s individuality

Each child’s bath time experience is bound to be as unique as they are. While some children absolutely adore being bathed, others see it as torture. Children with ADHD may also not always feel exactly the same about bathing. While having a bath may sound like a good idea one day, it can cause a complete meltdown the very next. For many children, hearing the water spurt out of the faucet may be very overwhelming. It may, therefore, be a good idea to fill the tub with water first before bringing your child into the bathroom. You can also invest in a shower attachment for your bath which will reduce the noise emitted by the shower significantly. Also, keep the bathroom as clean and tidy as possible as a lot of children with ADHD are triggered by even the smallest speck of dirt. Strands of hair often cling to the side of a bath or basin after a wash and although this may seem like no big deal to an adult, it can cause a tantrum of epidemic proportions in a child.

Let your child have some say in the bath time ritual

Children, especially those with ADHD, are a lot more confident and relaxed when they are part of the decision-making process of something. When it comes to bath time, allow your child to choose products that smell nice to them. Only offer quality, suitable shampoos, soap, lotions, and powders that won't trigger an adverse reaction and also keep the choices to a minimum. Also, allow your child to pick out a few toys to bring into the bath that will make it make it a more enjoyable experience. Although there are many great bath toys available in stores, a couple of plastic cups, bottles, and a funnel or two all make for great bath time toys.

Make a big deal of the after-bath routine

A warm bath just before bedtime can be of great benefit to a child with ADHD, especially if it is followed by a relaxing massage. A massage before bedtime can, in fact, improve sleep significantly for a child with ADHD according to research conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association. You can use a hypoallergenic body lotion or gentle massage oil to give your child a gentle massage just after their bath. It is important to keep an eye (and ear) open for any cues that may indicate that your child is not enjoying the massage. As beneficial as what a massage may be, it is also not the only way to conclude the bath time ritual. Depending on your child, you may choose to blow-dry their hair, help them brush their teeth, or simply sit down with them and share a few moments of closeness before bedtime.

Good hygiene is of the utmost importance for adults and children alike. Even if bath time seems to be somewhat challenging, it can be made a lot let stressful by following a number of basic guidelines.

Home

---

Home  About Us  ADD/ADHD News  ADDerwards  Advertising  Books  Contact Us  Creative ADDers  Donate

 Events  Forums  Information  Links  Natural Remedies  ADDers.org News  Research  Resources  Search adders.org

 Site Map  Social Stories  Sponsor Events  Student/Researchers  Support Groups  Supporters



Join us on.... Twitter Facebook

Home