Bath time it still a struggle when it comes to the end. Jack loves playing in the bath but his extreme dislike for water on his face or in his ears makes washing his hair very traumatic.
We wash Jack's hair at the end Sunday bath time because usually by the time we've got all the shampoo out he's fed up, crying and never wants to have a bath again. We've tried lots of different ways to keep the water off his face from investing in special pouring cups to holding a flannel just beneath his hair line. Nothing has really worked with any lasting success. We've settled to lying him back and letting him control how far his head goes into the water while Helen hand-scoops water over the rest and I stand-by with a rag to wipe away any uncontainable drips.
Tonight Jack asked about the washing of his hair very early on. I normally hate it when he does this because it somehow brings down the whole mood of bath, but I answered his questions honestly all the same.
Yes tonight we're washing your hair.
OK but I don't want to get any water in my face.
I know, we'll do it like we normally do. That usually works well enough.
Because I don't like water in my face.
I know.
So I'm going to wash my hair today.
Are you?
Yeah... and with that he proceeded to lean back and dip his head in the water. He go about a third, starting from the back, of his hair wet.
Good work. I was a little stunned but not entirely surprised. He's tried this tactic before, he just wanted to get out of having to wash his hair. This time, by having actually got his hair we, he'd taken it a little further than he had in the past.
Is my hair washed now?
It's not quite wet enough yet and we still need to shampoo.
OK. he tried again this time getting about half way. We carried on like this for a few minutes. Jack even started pouring the water over his head, and subsequently his face, over and over again. He shampooed, then then he rinsed...
Helen and I have always said that Jack cannot be coaxed or eased into anything. He'll either do it or he won't. When it came to toilet training we tried all sorts of techniques and tactics but Jack simply wouldn't have it. Then one day he came into our room and said he needed the toilet, and that was it. Toilet trained, 100%. He's developed quite a reputation for just waking up one day educated and practiced in a skill or subject. He did the same with walking and pretty much every other skill he's acquired over the years.
Shortly after he was finished washing his hair, because he'd done it so early on, it came time to wash the rest of his body. He normally does this part himself and has done for quite a while. So I offered him the soap which he took graciously saying I'll do it. I'm an expert washer now. I wash my own hair.
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| We let him wrap his hair up 'like Mommy does' to mark the occasion. |
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