Son afraid of water - says it hurts.

[pandakid11]

He won't do them. Says water hurts, even with gentle shower. Anyone experiencing this and what do you do?

[airial95]

With my 4 yo we haven't gone through this so severe with baths and showers (although it's happened) But ANY other type of water (or anything wet) touching any part of his body (other than his hands) we get that reaction. So washing his face, cleaning up aafter art projects - even the dog licking him - becomes a major deal.

 

What we've done is used almost a "sponge bath" type technique when we have to wash up. I'll take a warm wet washcloth with soap and water, wipe a small area and then IMMEDIATELY dry it off with a dry washcloth.

 

It's a pain, and takes forever (we have had to do full body versions on occasion). But it has worked. We have to talk him through every step of the way, but at least I can get him somewhat washed up.

[Dedee]

It sounds like an OCD thing to me. Like he has the "idea" that it's going to hurt or something along those lines. At one time my daughter had an aversion to baths. She could never get the temperature "just right". It was always too hot or too cold. It was awful. We would give as much as we could but several times a week I had to hold her down in the bath tub and give her a bath. She would scream the entire time that I was killing her or trying to drown her. This was during her most sick days. That was actually one of the first things that cleared up and now she enjoys both a bath and showers. My advice is not to give in to it. The more you give in to OCD the more power it will have. The reality is that he has to shower or bath. If it is possible, CBT / ERP can be very helpful for issues like this.

 

Dedee

[pandakid11]

Dedee - do you think they are actually experiencing pain? He screams like it is fire. I don't understand this.

I really don't. I don't want to put him thru pain. Ugh!

thanks

 

 

It sounds like an OCD thing to me. Like he has the "idea" that it's going to hurt or something along those lines. At one time my daughter had an aversion to baths. She could never get the temperature "just right". It was always too hot or too cold. It was awful. We would give as much as we could but several times a week I had to hold her down in the bath tub and give her a bath. She would scream the entire time that I was killing her or trying to drown her. This was during her most sick days. That was actually one of the first things that cleared up and now she enjoys both a bath and showers. My advice is not to give in to it. The more you give in to OCD the more power it will have. The reality is that he has to shower or bath. If it is possible, CBT / ERP can be very helpful for issues like this.

 

Dedee

[PowPow]

my child felt pain in the shower. true pain. I am not sure what exactly helped but I know pex and steroids independent of one another did. also, lyrica helped with terrible nerve pain. I think their brains are on fire, if you will, and the sensory system is totally out of whack.

[EAMom]

Dedee - do you think they are actually experiencing pain? He screams like it is fire. I don't understand this.

I really don't. I don't want to put him thru pain. Ugh!

thanks

 

 

It sounds like an OCD thing to me. Like he has the "idea" that it's going to hurt or something along those lines. At one time my daughter had an aversion to baths. She could never get the temperature "just right". It was always too hot or too cold. It was awful. We would give as much as we could but several times a week I had to hold her down in the bath tub and give her a bath. She would scream the entire time that I was killing her or trying to drown her. This was during her most sick days. That was actually one of the first things that cleared up and now she enjoys both a bath and showers. My advice is not to give in to it. The more you give in to OCD the more power it will have. The reality is that he has to shower or bath. If it is possible, CBT / ERP can be very helpful for issues like this.

 

Dedee

 

is this with a bath as well? swimming in a pool?

[pandakid11]

Yes. Not only that, he gets so weak that he cannot lift himself out of the bath-tub. Says water is too cold or too hot, no matter what you do. This is so bizarre. I feel like his body has been kidnapped by aliens.

 

 

 

Dedee - do you think they are actually experiencing pain? He screams like it is fire. I don't understand this.

I really don't. I don't want to put him thru pain. Ugh!

thanks

 

 

It sounds like an OCD thing to me. Like he has the "idea" that it's going to hurt or something along those lines. At one time my daughter had an aversion to baths. She could never get the temperature "just right". It was always too hot or too cold. It was awful. We would give as much as we could but several times a week I had to hold her down in the bath tub and give her a bath. She would scream the entire time that I was killing her or trying to drown her. This was during her most sick days. That was actually one of the first things that cleared up and now she enjoys both a bath and showers. My advice is not to give in to it. The more you give in to OCD the more power it will have. The reality is that he has to shower or bath. If it is possible, CBT / ERP can be very helpful for issues like this.

 

Dedee

 

is this with a bath as well? swimming in a pool?

[dut]

Hi - this sounds like it could be sensory issues to me. Just like kids can become extremely sensitive to noise or lights, perhaps this is a severe form of tactile defensiveness. Dunno, just a thought....

[tpotter]

There is such a thing as being allergic to water. I just saw a news article on it. Maybe it's an allergy, and/or a sensory thing. Either way, my guess is that it does truly hurt. You may want to try doing sponge baths for awhile, and at the least, take away the stress associated with the whole thing.

[nicklemama]

This may sound terrible but we just made DS take a bath. Twice a week. On a schedule. Every Tues and Sunday night. It was like trying to bath a cat and many times took the two of us. However, we would not give in. We could not let him be dirty and stinky. That said, he was 5-7yo. Now, it might not be as easy. As he got better from treatment for PANDAS, the bathing got easier. Once we could get him in and get water on him and soap him up, he'd take it but he'd cry and couldn't wait to get out. At the same time, he had no qualms about swimming at the pool. Go figure.

[EAMom]

This may sound terrible but we just made DS take a bath. Twice a week. On a schedule. Every Tues and Sunday night. It was like trying to bath a cat and many times took the two of us. However, we would not give in. We could not let him be dirty and stinky. That said, he was 5-7yo. Now, it might not be as easy. As he got better from treatment for PANDAS, the bathing got easier. Once we could get him in and get water on him and soap him up, he'd take it but he'd cry and couldn't wait to get out. At the same time, he had no qualms about swimming at the pool. Go figure.

 

It would be interesting to ask him now what was going on back then to make him so upset re the baths.

[EAMom]

Yes. Not only that, he gets so weak that he cannot lift himself out of the bath-tub. Says water is too cold or too hot, no matter what you do. This is so bizarre. I feel like his body has been kidnapped by aliens.

 

 

 

Dedee - do you think they are actually experiencing pain? He screams like it is fire. I don't understand this.

I really don't. I don't want to put him thru pain. Ugh!

thanks

 

 

It sounds like an OCD thing to me. Like he has the "idea" that it's going to hurt or something along those lines. At one time my daughter had an aversion to baths. She could never get the temperature "just right". It was always too hot or too cold. It was awful. We would give as much as we could but several times a week I had to hold her down in the bath tub and give her a bath. She would scream the entire time that I was killing her or trying to drown her. This was during her most sick days. That was actually one of the first things that cleared up and now she enjoys both a bath and showers. My advice is not to give in to it. The more you give in to OCD the more power it will have. The reality is that he has to shower or bath. If it is possible, CBT / ERP can be very helpful for issues like this.

 

Dedee

 

is this with a bath as well? swimming in a pool?

 

It sounds like sensory defensiveness. Sensory defensiveness really skyrocketted for us when my PANDAS dd's pandas was full-blown at age 7.5years. Here's a link, and bathing is mentioned. http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-defensiveness.html

Edited August 14, 2012 by EAMom

[EAMom]

He won't do them. Says water hurts, even with gentle shower. Anyone experiencing this and what do you do?

 

Okay...saw an ad for this on TV, and my kids thought it looked neat.

 

Maybe your son would want to bathe in "magic goo"??

 

http://www.gellibaff.com.au/