DD Hates the Pool! **UPDATE**

[Pembo]

My 11 mo dd HATES the pool. We've been twice now. The second you put her little toes in the water she shrieks as if you are sticking her in hot acid or something!!!!! She even shrieked when a little water got splashed on her back. I'm talking a few little drops!

This is the same girl that 2 weeks ago was sticking her facee in the bathtub water and laughing!?!

I hope she just doesn't like the water because it was a little cold. This could be a really long summer. Her big brothers are part-fish.


***UPDATE***
Dh took her (and ds) to the pool the other day. It was 88 outside and he said the water was warm. She loved it! They were there 2 hours+. He carried her all over. I bought her a little baby boat/float thing. Will try it out this weekend. Gotta love 11 mo olds!

 

[4greatboys]

Ds #1, #2 and #4 liked the water. Ds #3 will not go in unless Im holding him and I go in.
Was it a little poll? Maybe she would do okay in a kiddie pool she can stand in then move up to a bigger one.

 

[Pop Daddy]

of course she hates the pool shes 11 mo , maybe when shes 1 things will turn around

 

[Serena]

My girls hated water too. They had death grips on me whenever we got near water. Now, well, my oldest went white water rafting last year and they just spent the weekend swimming. lol

 

[browneyes]

My ds is still kinda scared of the pool, he'll be 7 yo next month. My dd and I would live in the pool if we could. She was the one that was kinda scared of the bathtub (1 drop of water in her eye at bathtime and she thought we were drowning her ), he'd make me a nervous wreck sticking his face under water. Their pool fixations should be reversed!

I bet your dd will get used to the pool soon.

 

[AZKathy]

Maybe it is just too cold right now. Or....she may think this is such a big bath tub it scares her? Give her time. May not be this summer, but next summer for sure.

 

[wdwnutze]

My dd had huge trouble with the pool. The grip she had on us in the pool was unbelievable. She had a true fear and pushing her only made it worse. She did like to be in the lkiddie pool though with just a few inches of water. I think she had a fear until she was about 7(not as intense but she was very cautious). She is almost 11 now and has decided that a pool party could be in store for her birthday. She loves to swim now. I would stick to a little pool for a while.

 

[believe]

Cassie Lee could not stand the pool, loved the bath tub. Finally towards the end of last summer she decided to enjoy the pool. She was always fine with pools she could stand it, it was more the fact that her feet weren't planted that she didn't like. We just kept taking her into the pool, usually she would fall asleep on our shoulders. She still doesn't like to be let go in the pool with her swimmies on, but is getting better and she no longer cries when we take her in. Just be patient. How you handle the situation totally depends on you and your child.

 

[cgcw]

Here's a trick I've found that works with a wading pool. Instead of filling the pool up and having the child get in, I put the kids in first and then start filling the pool. Somehow this gives them a sense of security. I have one little daycare child who is terrorised by water unless I do this. Course, it wouldn't work with a big pool but perfect for a wading pool.

And, I hook the hose up to the kitchen sink so that we fill the wading pool with warm water. The idea of a sitting in ice cold water is just not very appealing.

 

[Pembo]

Jason-thanks for that bit of encouragement!

I'm glad to hear I'm not alone! Both times we've gone I just put her little toes in the water and she screamed. Kiddie pool, big pool, didn't matter.

It's 85 today, sunny and beautiful and I guess I'll be staying home. Not worth the $$ to go to the pool just to sit on the grass. argh Oh well, the sun isn't good for their skin anyway! We'll be pale but we'll be healthy.

 

[gshoemate]

At first my DS didn't like the water either. Oh he loved the bath but not the pool. Now he is 14 months and swims around the pool with the arm floaties, with me close by of course. Just keep trying, slowly. When my DD was 2 we took her to swimming lessons and the instructer made her jump off the side and had us dunk her underwater, she was tramatized. She is 5 now and is just getting comfortable in the water. So make sure to take it slow.