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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
scared to where underwear! And scared of a bath!!!
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
scared to where underwear! And scared of a bath!!!
by shiloh, May 14, 2002 12:00AM
my 3 yr. old is scared to put underwear on , she would rather live in her diapers forever I think. she keeps saying she a baby thats why she needs her diapers! cannot get her to use her potty chair she'll take her diaper off and sit on the potty chair forawile get up and say all done but she didn't do anything and then want her diaper on again. whats with this??? and I have another problem with her now she will not get in the bath tub for anything,,,and I mean anything! It's been 3 weeks now since her last bath in the tub. she use to love baths now all of a sudden she is scared to death of what I don't know and she won't say. I do wash her up by the sink but I cannot get her hair washed that way and she wiil stand in the shower for me to wash her niether or even come in the shower with me > what do I do withher?????? Drives me crazy..
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., May 14, 2002 12:00AM
, May 14, 2002 12:00AM
Your daughter is displaying a number of symptoms tht indicate the need for professional help (I'm responding to your two notes taken as a whole). Relative to her reluctance to use the bath, I wonder if she might have some vaginal irritation that is making it uncomfortable for her. Have you checked this out with her pediatrician? Relative to toilet training, children accomplish this, all else being equal, at their own pace. If she hasn't been trained, remain patient and keep suggesting the potty. If she was trained, and has now regressed in this area, it may be a sign of stress. All in all, it would be prudent to have her evaluated by a pediatric mental health professional (clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, clinical nurse specialist).
Member Comments (2)
by bethymay, Jul 25, 2002 12:00AM
Sounds to me like she just isn't ready to be a big girl yet! My 3 yr. old son will pee in the potty at church, and sometimes at home, but he will wet himself or insist on his pullups at home. I have put the pullups in another room and told him they are all gone and he has to wear underware now. He decided he hated baths a while back too. But his is because he hates water on his face. I have FINALLY gotten him to look up at the ceiling so I can pour the water on his head without it going in his face. As soon as the cleaning is done, he jumps out of the tub and is ready to get dressed. I don't think there is necessarily anyting abnormal about this behavior. It is not uncommon for children to want to stay babies a bit longer. My 3 yr. old is the last of 6 children. They all potty trained at different ages. Some are ready earlier than others. I wouldn't panic yet. Be consistant and things will get there eventually. For a while I had to let my son stand in the tub with a bit of water in it and just wash him with a cloth. Then I got him to sit on a stool in the tub. Eventually he would sit in the water once again. Kids have their own perceptions of stuff and sometimes we parents just have to work through it.
