Making Bath Time A Lot Easier With Your Kids

Every child needs a bath time, but some of them seem to want to do anything else. Even if they might do just fine when they’re in the bath, getting them in there can be a real headache. Then, there are those who just hate it from start to finish and need to be coaxed through it. You can’t let your child go unwashed, so here are a few tips that can help make bath time a little more manageable all around.

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Never leave your child alone

This isn’t a tip for how you can make bath time more enjoyable, but rather a crucial element of safety that a distressing number of parents have yet to get the memo on. The risk of accidents happening during bath time increases exponentially for every second that you’re away from the bath. A child can slip under the water in seconds and, as such, need constant supervision. Of course, if they’re especially young, such as infants or toddlers, you should keep a hand on them all the way throughout. If they’re slightly older and can sit up just fine for long stretches, you still need to be in there. You want to keep them from putting their faces in the water for even a little as well, as inhaled bathwater can be a big risk, too.

Bring some bath toys with you

One of the reasons that a lot of kids don’t like bath time is that, simply put, it’s a boring time for them. They have to sit there in the water while you wash them. Splashing around can be fun but a lot of children can feel under stimulated while going through the rituals. Of course, the single best way to deal with this particular complaint is to bring some toys with you. Check out some of the best bath toys available for children and pick out those that you think are most likely to delight your child and keep them busy throughout bath time. When choosing toys, you want to make sure that they’re designed to be water-friendly. They should be made from plastic and have no holes or creases that mold, bacteria, or fungus can grow in.

Play some music for them

Aside from toys, music can be great for keeping your child placated during bath time. It’s all about keeping them sensorily occupied, leaving you free to make sure that they’re washed. There are plenty of bathtime music playlists that you can find to play music specific to the occasion. A lot of these playlists last roughly twenty minutes, which should be enough to help carry you throughout the entire bathtime as well. Of course, a little variety over different occasions can help keep it stimulating, too.

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Let there be bubbles

If you want bath time to feel a little extra special, then what better way than to add some bubbles to the mix? They’re fun, they’re playful, and they can leave the bath smelling extra nice, as well, which can make more of a pleasing sensory experience for your child. When you’re choosing any products for a bubble bath, make sure that you choose child-friendly products that aren’t likely to end in tears. You can even choose products like Gro-to, which not only whips up a foam of bubbles in the bath but better wash and cares for your child’s skin at the same time. That way, you’re getting some real benefit out of those bubbles, not just fun.

A fun alternative

If you want to make bath time a little more exciting but you want some variation from those bubble baths, then you might also want to try out a bath bomb. These can excellent for children who don’t like the sensation of water or might be a little scared every time they get into the bath. While they don’t have the fun bubble element of a bubble bath, bath bombs can make the water look mysterious and fun. The little ball-shaped fizzers dissolve into the water in a way that’s fun to watch, changing its color and bringing to light a range of new and pleasing smells. Of course, you want to make sure that you specifically choose bath bombs for kids to make sure that the ingredients within them are particularly friendly to their young and sensitive skin.

Keep the bath water out of their eyes

A very common complaint by children is that they hate getting bath water in their eyes. Even if there’s nothing in it that will make it irritable, a lot of kids just hate the experience so much that the thought of it can make bath time a lot less appealing to them. As such, there are plenty of ways to help with that. You can invest in a bath-time visor that they can wear when getting their hair washed, or you can get them a pair of bath-friendly goggles to keep their peepers covered throughout.

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Reward them for getting through it

When your child is old enough to start understanding the concept of being rewarded for doing something good, then incentives are a lot more likely to work for them. You might want to start with the idea of a star chart as seen at Raising Children, where they get a good start every time they do something good or stick it through a part of their daily routine that they don’t like as much, such as their bath time. You can have a prize at the end of it, whether it’s a specific toy, treat, or whatever else is likely to excite them, but it’s the visual motivation tool that’s surprisingly effective at incentivizing the kind of behavior you want.

There’s no guarantee that your child will start to love bath time with the tips above, but they can at least help you make it a little more inviting and fun so that they’re more likely to sit through it and let you wash them at the very least.