Family
Helping your toddler enjoy bath time
Family
Helping your toddler enjoy bath time
Not every toddler takes to bath time like the proverbial duck to water. In fact, sometimes a bath-happy baby will, seemingly overnight, become a tot that balks at the sound of bath water running. Sound familiar? Here are some easy, practical tips for helping your toddler love bath time:
• Make it fun. Even adults like pretty packaging for their bath products, so fun products geared toward tots can make shampooing and soaping during bath time that little bit easier.
• Ensure the water is warm, not hot, and conversely, that the bathtub itself isn’t cold enough to give them a bad shock if they brush against it going into the tub, particularly in the winter.
• Go for no-tear shampoos that won’t sting their sensitive eyes. There are a few accessories you can purchase to keep water out of their eyes when rinsing, like a bathing visor. You can also try a low-tech approach of holding a towel just over their brow line, or, if they’re old enough, they can cover their own eyes with a thick towel until you’re done.
• Some toddlers fear the sound of water gurgling down an emptying drain. Take them out of the bath first, or make it fun by singing them a song or making a game out of pulling the plug.
• Have bath-only toys. Toys that your little one doesn’t have access to during the rest of the day can provide novelty when it’s wash-up time. You don’t necessarily have to spend a small fortune on gadgety toys, either. Sometimes simple toys are best; a little watering can or plastic measuring cups from the kitchen can make them as happy as any boatload of store-bought toys.
• Think outside the rubber duckie. Freeze a bath toy in water, and watch the ice melt. Or, buy an inexpensive toy fishing net and let your toddler catch his floating toys with it.
• Switch toys up, rotating them each week so they’ll feel “new.”
Page 1 of 2 -- Find more easy ways to make bath time fun for your little ones on page 2
• Make a “bath soup” together, using a mixing cup or a bowl, add a little water and soap or shampoo, and stir until bubbles appear. Let them dump out the bowl.
• For the anxious or crying tot, reading her a waterproof book meant for use in the bath might be just the thing to help her settle down.
• The bathroom is a good place for blowing and catching bubbles using a bubble wand and solution. Make this an activity you save for the bathtub.
• For the reluctant tiny bather, special bathtub crayons are the way to go, say many parents. And not to worry, they wash off the side of the tub with a cloth.
• Let them splash around. Sure, you might get a little wet, so change out of your “outside” clothes, put on something comfy, tie up your hair, and let them splish-splash and let loose. Keep extra towels on hand to sop up water that gets on the floor.
• And remember, an enjoyable bath time for your toddler is a safe bath time.
Never leave your toddler alone in the bathtub unattended, not even for a moment.
Read more:
• Understanding toddler speak
• 10 ways to encourage your child's imagination
• How to treat a terrible tantrum
Page 2 of 2
• Make it fun. Even adults like pretty packaging for their bath products, so fun products geared toward tots can make shampooing and soaping during bath time that little bit easier.
• Ensure the water is warm, not hot, and conversely, that the bathtub itself isn’t cold enough to give them a bad shock if they brush against it going into the tub, particularly in the winter.
• Go for no-tear shampoos that won’t sting their sensitive eyes. There are a few accessories you can purchase to keep water out of their eyes when rinsing, like a bathing visor. You can also try a low-tech approach of holding a towel just over their brow line, or, if they’re old enough, they can cover their own eyes with a thick towel until you’re done.
• Some toddlers fear the sound of water gurgling down an emptying drain. Take them out of the bath first, or make it fun by singing them a song or making a game out of pulling the plug.
• Have bath-only toys. Toys that your little one doesn’t have access to during the rest of the day can provide novelty when it’s wash-up time. You don’t necessarily have to spend a small fortune on gadgety toys, either. Sometimes simple toys are best; a little watering can or plastic measuring cups from the kitchen can make them as happy as any boatload of store-bought toys.
• Think outside the rubber duckie. Freeze a bath toy in water, and watch the ice melt. Or, buy an inexpensive toy fishing net and let your toddler catch his floating toys with it.
• Switch toys up, rotating them each week so they’ll feel “new.”
Page 1 of 2 -- Find more easy ways to make bath time fun for your little ones on page 2
• Make a “bath soup” together, using a mixing cup or a bowl, add a little water and soap or shampoo, and stir until bubbles appear. Let them dump out the bowl.
• For the anxious or crying tot, reading her a waterproof book meant for use in the bath might be just the thing to help her settle down.
• The bathroom is a good place for blowing and catching bubbles using a bubble wand and solution. Make this an activity you save for the bathtub.
• For the reluctant tiny bather, special bathtub crayons are the way to go, say many parents. And not to worry, they wash off the side of the tub with a cloth.
• Let them splash around. Sure, you might get a little wet, so change out of your “outside” clothes, put on something comfy, tie up your hair, and let them splish-splash and let loose. Keep extra towels on hand to sop up water that gets on the floor.
• And remember, an enjoyable bath time for your toddler is a safe bath time.
Never leave your toddler alone in the bathtub unattended, not even for a moment.
Read more:
• Understanding toddler speak
• 10 ways to encourage your child's imagination
• How to treat a terrible tantrum
Page 2 of 2
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