Julie hated baths. When I say that she hated baths, I mean that she cried like I was ripping her appendages off while I tried to wash her. When she wasn't screaming in agony, she was just sobbing because she could not understand why I hated her so much as to force her to get naked and wet a few times a week. It was heartbreaking and awful - and I responded by bathing her as rarely as I could get away with it. She got a lot of sponge baths. When I did have to scrub her up in a tub, it was standing up in the sink and miserable and awful for both of us.
But then, wonder of all wonders, the pool down the street opened up. And with it, came the realization that water play was fun. It wasn't torment, it was actually kind of...dare I say it? NICE to get all wet and play with water. And today, for the first time, I put her in the big girl tub and she played. Tipped her head back to get her hair washed, so I didn't feel like I was waterboarding her while I washed the soap out. Actually, voluntarily put soap on her body and is now silky smooth and sweet smelling.
She actually cried when it was time to get out.
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