I have a 2 1/2yr. old son who is terrified of the water. Bath time at my house is a nightmare. I have tried using toys, and bubbles as a distraction. I have even got in there with him and nothing is working. I would just like his bath time to be a fun experience rather than the distressing esperience it has been.
We did showers with our son for the same reason. He finally started liking baths when he had a playmate to join him. I have a friend whose son never did baths either. I think some kids just don't like them. You may never be able to change that. You might be prepared for the same opinion of swimming.
We do showers in my house and my girls are 2 and 5. You can also try giving him a shower with the hand held shower head so your child has control over it. That might help.
I wonder if he would do better with a shower, that worked for my son. Also he might be getting soap in his eyes and that is making him not want to take a bath. I picked up a pair of swim goggles for my son to wear when we wash his hair and now he doesn't get soap in his eyes and freak out. Good luck.
We do showers for my son that doesn't like the water. He doesn't like the water on his face, so I use goggles or craddle his head back to wash his hair. If I craddle him, he feels more secure. If you have a hand held shower head, it is much easier. He also won't go swimming or play in the water in the summer. I do have one son that isn't is only good in the tub for a few minutes, he will play with the water paints and crayons he can draw with them on the bathtub wall. He doesn't like bubbles, but likes to watch the water change colors with the tablets. You can find all of these items with the regular kids bubblebath.
