Is kids bathtime a total nightmare in your home? Do your children make you feel like taking a bath is some form of punishment for them? Could some sort of trauma be triggered at bathtime?
10 Tips for Kids Bathtime:
- TRY A SPONGE BATH for while. Start with just a bucket of water in an empty bathtub and let her play in the bucket of water. Then try adding 1/2 inch of water in the bathtub and over time continue to add more water as they get more and more comfortable in the bathtub.
- USE BATH CRAYONS! They work WONDERS! Coloring and painting will take your kids’ mind off of the bath and might turn crying time into laughing and play time.
- USE A BUBBLE MACHINE. A bubble machine will keep kids busy and while they are busy making and popping bubbles, you can be busy bathing their bodies.
- ADD BATH TOYS into the bathtub, then make a game of having your child get into the bathtub to retrieve them. These bath ABCs and numbers stick on the wall and help kids learn the alphabet.
- HAVE YOUR CHILD SIT IN THE TUB WITH NO WATER for a while, and then slowly fill the bathtub and bathe them while the water is running. By the time the bathtub is filled, bathtime will be over.
- USE A BABY BATHTUB with your frightened toddler. Sometimes a confined space helps. My kids absolutely LOVED this quacking duck inflatable tub.
- PLAY MUSIC or just sing to your child during bathtime. Sesame Street’s Rubber Duckie is a classic!
- COOL THE BATH WATER. You can use this turtle bath thermometer that registers the water temp.
- Put on your bathing suit and hop in. Wash your arms and then wash wash their arms, continue alternating until you have washed their entire body. Slowly spend less and less time in the tub with them until you are not having to get into the tub at all.
- Consider that your child may have sensory processing disorder.
So whether your child is experiencing real trauma or is just stubborn, the key is to make “bathtime” “fun time” — so the next problem you will have is how to get your child out of the bathtub!
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