Hair Washing Trauma

For Boogie his sensory integration problems, mean soooo many different things ... Loud music is now a no go ... even though he used to love it when he was little ... Food is a Big problem ... but we are hopefully starting to combat that in 5 sleeps with our first SOS feeding session - I seriously can't wait!!!! I can only imagine what the sensation is to him, like some sort of thrill ride at a carnival.... The fear in his eyes ... No matter what you say or do ... it doesn't calm him... Anyway these are some of the little things I try every time to make the whole process easier .... Make sure you are organised and have everything handy ... the quicker the trauma is over the quicker you can get back to being calm again!! 

1. Pouring the water on..... Instead of getting him to submerge his head under the water... I try to bring the water to his head... You can fill a cup or get your child to fill a bucket with water and pour it over his own head, or invest in a hand held shower head or one of those buckets with the flexi rubber sides to mould to his head ... When he's in control of the situation it seems much more calmer!! 

2. Some kids like to go face-first. Leaning forward may not be as threatening to your child as leaning backward, since he can see where he's going. Make sure you're in the bathroom or shower, and try not to stress him out by making sure he knows not to breath in the water.

3. Games make life easier!!!  Water pistols, spray bottles, squirt toys or a safe flannel/wash cloth can do the trick of wetting and rinsing, and can be fun and much less stressful... And another tip I have found (but not used - yet) is if you live where the weather's warm and your child loves running in sprinklers, lather up and let the water play do the rest.

4. Skimp on shampoo - I use the baby wash ... it is thinner and tear free ... those thicker shampoos take forever to rinse out - The quicker you can get it out the less traumatising the experience will be...  Plus some kids with Sensory Processing Disorder don't like the strong scents of some things and will add more stress to the situation... 

5. If you can keep their hair short do it... But then if they are anything like my Boogie then a trip to the hairdressers is a whole other circus of stress!!!! As lovely as long hair is on gorgeous girls ... I bet their sensory processing would have one less challenge with a Bob or something similar...

6. A wash cloth over the forehead or a hair visor can sometimes help ... If you can find a good one in a chemist/drug store grasp it with 2 hands and don't let go ... I am trying to find a good rubber one but have only been able to buy the cheap foamy types online ... Can't wait to find a good old school one like I had growing up!! 

Well that is it ... my little thought for the day ... I seriously can't wait to do a post on our upcoming SOS appointment ... You can probably hear me squealing like a giddy little school girl waiting outside the airport for One Direction from there!!! *rolls eyes* lol

Have a great week everyone  xx