Together time
You’re going to be there anyway, so why not join in? Bath time is one of those instances when “the more the merrier” truly applies.
• “I have two girls, so I let them bathe together…I let them rub shampoo on their own heads or each other’s.” – Patti, mom to Penny and Olivia
• “I just ran a bath for myself and took the babies / toddlers in with me. Fun all around.” – Peggy, mom to Mark, Torben, and Sam; stepmom to Lisa and Kristina
• “Finish the bath with big towels on your lap. The child gets out of tub, sits on your lap enveloped in towels and gets a big drying hug.” – Bridget, mom to Mark and Luke
Bring the outside in
Kids and puddles have a magnetic attraction – the deeper, the better – so try these great tips to make bath time as much fun as puddle time.
• “Let them wear a bathing suit – like a trip to the cottage.” – Dave, dad to Alex, Mitch and Brad; stepdad to Alexa and Leah
• “We started to bring in the outdoor bubbles; this kept him amused while I washed his hair.” – Catherine, mom to Jake
• “Snow in a plastic tub beside the bath that we could add slowly or drop in as snow balls was always a hit with my kids.” – Monica, mom to Emma, Aidan and Paige
And, if you want to go even further, try this:
“I fill a small kiddie pool with warm water and bubbles and let the kids get in the ‘bath’ outside. It’s like a kid’s version of a hot tub.” – Erin, mom to Graeme, Kendra, James and Duncan
A little novelty goes a long way
Bubbles are great but there are lots of other weird and wacky ways to make bath time fun. Don’t ask me how it got started but, in our house, wearing socks in the bath was always a huge treat. Here are some other ways to mix it up for bath time:
• “Sometimes the trick to getting clean is actually getting dirtier beforehand – lots of finger paint, etc.” – Erin, mom to Graeme, Kendra, James and Duncan
• “I brought Jake to the craft store and got him to pick out several different shaped cookie cutters and used the cookie cutters to make sponge play toys for the bath.” – Catherine, mom to Jake
• “Have dessert in the bathtub. Use plastic bowls that float. This works best with wet or frozen treats. When they’re done eating, just rinse them off.” – Susan, mom to Benjamin and Julia
Appeal to reason
Fun and games aside, when it gets down to scrubbing time sometimes it’s best to be straight with your kids.
• “I give them a five-minute warning shampoo time is coming. They know when the alarm goes off it’s time to ‘face the music.’” – Patti, mom to Penny and Olivia
• “I used to explain to the children that we need to wash the germs away by washing every part of our body. A friend used to have her girls take their water dolls in and have the girls wash them as she washed the girls.” – Lydia, mom to Danny, Josie and Fiona
• “When I tell the girls it’s bath time and they don’t want to take a bath, I give them a choice between taking a shower and a bath. That way the decision is made by them.” – Karen, mom to Annabelle and Tia
Little luxuries
One parent said it best when she pointed out that “even little kids deserve a few luxuries.” Here are a few used by our parent experts:
• “We have a family tradition of ‘hot towels’ after the bath. When bath time was done I would run downstairs to take freshly dried towels from the dryer.” – Monica, mom to Emma, Aidan and Paige
• “A portable heater in the bathroom.” – Yasmin, mom to Alex and Sophie
• “I remember wrapping my kids in a towel and then putting them in the bath. They thought it was hilarious and more comfortable.” – Genevieve, grandmother to Alex and Sophie
Read more:
• Helping your toddler enjoy bath time
• Coping with a toddler's behaviour
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