2.5 Y/o Won't Nap, Eat or Bathe! HELP!!

Have you recently left him somewhere, even if it was for a short amount of time? You can trust anyone so retrace his schedule...did it start overnight? It may be nothing, but better to be safe then not know.

E.,
Currently in the middle of this one - bath anyway. I know he isn't dirty, so I don't make it a point anymore. DH would get upset because he hadn't been in for a bath 'a long time' and expected me to 'take care of the issue'. I tried that. Now I don't push it unless he's sick or another reason for having to take a bath - dirty mostly. I also call to mind a book we found over a year ago - andrew's bath or something like that - where Andrew draws his own bath, and takes it by himself. I de-emphasized the part where his parents were upset about what he was doing (the hippo displaced water, etc), but made it rather important that HE decided how hot, how cold, how little, how much water he got into. I also made sure I turned it around, too, getting in the tub myself so he felt less ALONE in there.

We are still there - fearing showers and the bath - but there are some instances where he has overcome it (temporarily to be sure!) to actually show me he was getting in by himself and take a dip.

good luck,
M.

No cold, no fever, nothing traumatic. You'll get through this.
The food thing....don't even fight about it. Offer him things and if he won't eat, don't worry. He won't let himself starve. My kids both barely ate just before a growth spurt and in a few days ate twice as much and made up for it.
You can't force a kid to actually sleep, but he understands he has to lay down. Lay him down.
He's afraid of the bath all the sudden? Fine....put him in the shower. My kids preferred showers.
You can't force him to eat or sleep, but his little hiney has to get clean so don't buy into the water fear thing or he'll be 9 and still telling you he can't get washed.
It's funny how kids who are "afraid" of the bath will jump in any puddle, pool, or lake within a 5 mile radius.
My silly son loved wearing goggles in the bath and shower. Whatever works.
Just stay calm and consistant.
It will pass.

Best wishes.

haha, gotta love 2.5 year olds, huh! Trust me, I'm not laughing AT you or your situation just at the fact that the title had me laughing as I go through these phases with my son too (also 2.5).

One day I can't get him out of the bath, next day he is petrified of it. No rhyme or reason, it just happens every now and then. The rule is, you don't have to sit in the water, but you must stand there and let me wash you...those are NOT fun baths.

I have found that his nap schedule changes every now and then too. For weeks on end he will go to sleep at 1:30 on the dot, then there are weeks where he flat out won't nap at all. I kind of just make him stay in his room for "quiet time" if he is still up after 45 mins, then I let him come out.

Eating - well, that is a constant battle with us. Again, I don't push it. I don't believe in the "clear your plate" method. My rule is if you don't eat your meal, that is fine, but don't think you will get a snack in between!

I really think it is a phase and everything is connected. He is probably really tired which is making him just be a nightmare in every other aspect.

Sorry I don't really have much advise, but I do know where you are!!

Some of it may be the "magical" age of them asserting their independence. Might try giving him choices. For example, ask him if he wants to eat bananas or yougurt. You are happy w/ both and he "feels in control a bit". As far as the nap, just keep putting him back - unless he's done napping??? This one is tough if he's out of his crib. You can close the door, but I never could do that to my kids... Finally, the bath thing may be a real fear . My son went through this too... then it ended about 2 mos later. Just put him in as he needs a bath, but give him some "new" toys if he's good. Sometimes bribery is ok : ). Hang in there... it will get better.

My daughter went through a fear of bath for no reason around the age 2. Could not figure it out! I ended up doing a bubble bath with tinting the bath color with food coloring. It worked great!

For food, just keep offering it. My girls pediatrician always said kids will not starve themselves to death. They will cave and eat what you are offering when they get hungry enough. (Just try not to fill the void with snacks)

Sleep...well can't really help ya, both my girls gave up daily naps around 2 1/2.

Hopefully its all just a phase for you and passes quickly.

My kids love these color bath things (change the color of the bath water) that our German au pair brought from Germany....maybe you can check to see if they sell them in the US. My kids are 24 mos and 3.5 years old. If he is your only kiddo and you are not opposed to CIO, I would let him go for a while with both the nap and the night waking if he is not sick (are you sure it isn't his ears even without any precursor illness)....eventually his sleepiness may win and he will get the rest he needs. About the food -- does he have a favorite meal you can make that is a "can't miss"? I might cater to him for a few days....but not long. He is 2.5 - can he tell you what is wrong?

What an agonizing problem! I'm concerned that these changes are so sudden, so extreme, and so extensive. It sounds like some outside influence could be at work. There are viruses that affect the nervous system and brain – if that's the problem, he'll probably start to show other symptoms and then everything will gradually improve.

A real possibility is that he has become sensitized to some common chemical in his environment, perhaps a food additive, an ingredient in household cleaners, a perfumed/scented air freshener or toiletry. Sensitivities like these can start at any time, and are becoming unfortunately common in young children. We are living in an "experiment" surrounded by hundreds of chemicals, many of which didn't even exist a few decades ago. These can effect bodily organs like skin and stomach and liver, but also brain and nervous system, resulting in sometimes abrupt changes in behavior, ability to sleep, appetite – virtually any area of life.

I become sensitized to nearly every modern chemical about 25 years ago, and my life has been severely restricted since then. At the time I "crashed," I went into months of panic attacks. I had no specific "thing" that was frightening me, but it got so bad I was pretty much living in a constant state of terror for a few months before a really terrific doctor helped me identify the chemicals that were triggering it all.

I hope your son isn't one of the sensitive ones, but it might be worth checking out. Even if that's not the problem, modern homes are generally not chemically safe – so many products that we take for granted are actually quite toxic, and nobody knows what the long-term effects on health will be. If you want to experiment to see if you can ease your little guy's life, google terms like "non-toxic home" for many tips and recipes for safe, effective, and inexpensive alternatives to household cleaning supplies.

In addition to what other moms suggested, you could try talking to him. At 2 1/2, he should be able to say something that may help you understand what is going on.

Also, try giving him choices so he feels more in control. Such as do you want to eat a bite of this or a bite of that? If he says none, that's OK too.

Try to make it fun, offer different types of food or food arranged in a fun way on the plate. Allow a different favorite toy in the bathroom (let him choose which toy car or truck for example wants to bathe with him). Encourage and let him play with water and make it fun so you can transition to bathing gradually.

As for sleeping, it is essential that he at least gets some quiet time even if he doesn't nap. Most kids have a period where they resist sleeping around this age (mine included!) Read some books, wind down and encourage him to spend some "quiet time" in his bed, even if he doesn't fall asleep. You can also ask him how you can help him rest/sleep. Sometimes it doesn't work, but sometimes my son wants me to rub his back or one more book and then agrees to try to fall asleep.

Try to remain calm and do not show a lot of emotion. He may be doing these to test you and see how you respond. Try to be gentle and talk to him, offer him options.

And good luck! I hope the issues will resolve soon...