Toddler fears - is this a stage?

DD is about to turn 18 months and she's starting to be afraid of things she used to not be afraid of. Things like the swings, cars driving past us when we take a walk and more recently, the bathtub. She is sooo terrified of the bathtub, I don't know what to do. Tonight I took a bath with her to make it more fun, but she was crawling on top of me, asking me to get out.

Please tell me this is a stage. I feel like I'm torturing her. This has been going on since last week.

Re: Toddler fears - is this a stage?

DS was afraid/screaming of the bath tub.
He had a bad diaper rash so my mom decided to bathe him at her house in her sink.
She did it very calmly, explained what she was doing and he barely screamed.
I convinced her to wash him about 3-4 more times then I tried it in her house.
He's better at my house.
My mom said it was b/c we let the water out of his tub and that scares them.

We also got ds some rubber duckies for the tub - they stay in the tub - if he wants to play with then, then he has to go in the tub.

Re: Toddler fears - is this a stage?

Ryan's having a rough time with bedtime lately and I wonder if it's a fear thing, not a sleep issue. When I go to put him down, he literally scales my belly (and I used to just be able to lay him in and he'd roll over and go to bed).

There are a few things that he freaks more over but in phases (like the vacuum which he will scream at if on, but wants to play with when off).

I hope it's a phase too.

for Megan. It stinks when they bath bothers them b/c it's not something you can do away with. Have you tried new toys in there? When Ryan went through the fear of bath stage, I did like you - got in a couple of nights, and then he just got over it.