Help - kid refuses to get dirty at the beach

Jan 131 min read

This is such a weird problem but my 7yo daughter is weirdly germaphobic suddenly. We went to the beach last weekend and she wouldn't touch the sand because it was "dirty." Wouldn't go in the water because she was worried about getting water up her nose. Wouldn't build sandcastles. Just sat on a towel looking miserable the whole time. My wife thinks she's being dramatic, I think something actually shifted in her head. Anyone dealt with something like this? Should I be pushing her to get dirty or just... accepting this is where we're at?

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Comments(5)

PPete L.RegularJan 13

Don't force it but also don't let the phobia win. Maybe bring extra clothes and let her rinse off right away? Sometimes kids just need to know there's an immediate solution to feeling icky and they relax.

AArchie M.RegularJan 14

That's actually pretty common around that age, some kids go through a phase where they're worried about germs or getting messy. Has anything changed recently or did she just decide sand is gross one day? Sometimes it passes on its own.

SSteveNew DadJan 14

We had this with our son and it turned out he was just being a seven-year-old contrarian. Took him to a beach with tide pools and suddenly it was about discovering stuff instead of playing in sand. Different framing might help.

WWesNew DadJan 16

This isn't that weird honestly. One of my twins went through a germaphobe phase around 7 and the other one couldn't care less. Kids are weird about control sometimes and the beach feels chaotic to them. Might just be a phase.

TTravis N.RegularJan 14

Have you tried letting her wear a rash guard or swim shirt? Sometimes when kids feel less exposed to the 'gross' stuff they get more comfortable. Gave my daughter more confidence to actually play instead of just standing there.