How can I get my toddler in the bath to wash his hair he's terrified!?

I have a 2 yr old boy and a 4 yr old boy and something different works for each of them :) The 4 yr old likes me to fold a DRY washcloth into a small rectangle (just large enough to fit over his eyes) that way when I am pouring the water on his hair he can hold the washcloth over his eyes so that it is protecting his eyes and his face (HATES having running/dripping water on his face) The 2 yr old on the other hand is MUCH less cooperative (but then so was the 4 yr old when he was 2 LOL) he has a "bath visor" its a foam visor that looks like a hat without its top... when you wash the childs hair it keeps water away from their face. As for the bath alone (no hair washing involved) try some of those "bath dyes" the ones that change the water color but dont stain your kid. Or the "bath crayons" theyre crayons made JUST for the bathtub so that the child can draw on the walls and such in the tub. Foam letters and shapes also work wonders as they can "magically" stick them to the wall and all of these are easy cleanup because none retain water that can get nasty. I also recommend (and yes this will be a pain but its worth the effort) letting him have a bath where you arent "bathing" him.... he just sits in the tub and plays, mommy close by but not touching him, washing him, washing hair, none of that... it will allow him to realize that the tub itself isnt scary :) P.S. also very important (for the childs own security as he is adjusting) do not fill the tub above the childs belly button while he is sitting flat on his bottom (usually at that age youre talking about maybe 2 inches of water)

Get into your bathing suit, and hop in there with him! Make it seem more like a swimming pool. Buy some of those soap bath paints (that way it doesn't seem like he isn't getting into the tub to take a bath)and instead of telling him he's going to take a bath, tell him that he and you are going to make 'tub art'. Have some fun with him making 'tub art' and when you think he's relaxed, ask him if you can wash his hair if he washes yours, and have fun giving each other funny hair do's. It's worth a shot- it worked with me and my sister when she was little and refused to take baths.

I was reading your discussion where your 3 year old son didn't like hair washing. I'm a grand mother, so I've seen quite a few kids that didn't like water, period. So I'd lay the kid on its back on the cabinet, head over sink wash their hair and they were very pleased with this process. Maybe this would work for you.

I was reading your discussion concerning your 3 year old son and the hair wash. I am a grand mother, so I've seen some kids that didn't like water, period. One way I kinda conquered the situation when they 2 or 3 years old, if they were small I'd lay the on the cabinet in the bath room backwards, wash their hair with them on their back, no water got in their face and they didn't mind at all.

I love the bath visor idea. I will have to try and find one for my 3 year old daughter who hates to get water in her face.