Bath time doesn’t have to be a drama. Here’s how to avoid tantrums, messes, how often to bathe, plus awesome bath toys!
Historically, bedtimes have been my hardest part of day. I am a morning person, see, and I wake up strong and ready to take on the day.
As the day progresses, I lose a little bit of oomph. From naptime onwards, my energy gradually depletes. Kids wake up from naps, older kids come home from school, then I gotta make dinner.
By bath time, honestly, I’m quite over it all.
Then if some kids resist baths and others are whining because they’re hungry, well, it’s a recipe for frustration. Have your kids ever played some crazy beached whale game where half the tub ended up on the floor?
No?
Mine either.
Bath Time Basics for Moms of Littles
Remember, we want all the parts of our days to be as calm and peaceful as possible. This means a little bit of thinking ahead can avoid a lot of resistance.
And, a good ole fashioned routine will mean the kids are a lot less resistant to doing, well, anything really. Here are some good daily routines to keep in mind.
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How Often to Bathe a Toddler or Preschooler
Like much ofter child bearing advice, there are several different opinions on this topic.
I am going to offer you some research based information and let you, the parent, do what works best for you little one.
- According the the American Academy of Dermatology, children should be bathed several times weekly. This number should increase if the child has been playing in mud, swimming pool, pond, lake, or have body odor.
- Most pediatricians do not recommend bathing children every day because the water dries out their skin and can cause irritations or mild eczema. So, possibly a rough scrubbing down every day is unnecessary.
- However, research does indicate that toddlers and preschoolers benefit from the relaxing wind-down properties of a warm bath before bed. We have an Epsom salt soak with melatonin and bubble bath with it as well.
Finding the balance that works in your week is going to be the ticket.
Read: Quiet time (Rest time) for Toddlers: All You Need to Know
What to do When Your Child Doesn’t Want to Bathe
The last thing a mother wants is for bath time to be a battlefield. When handled wisely and calmly, bath time can be a time of enjoyment and relaxation for your little one.
The following tips will help you avoid battles of the bath time:
- Routine | It’s much easier to do when it’s part of a weekly/daily routine. When kid’s expect it… they get used to it. It’s simple, have bath time happen at the same time of day each time.
- Don’t Use it as a Punishment| “If you’re not behaving, I’m going to turn off these cartoons and make you take a bath right now!” Obviously, this is not good way to teach kids to enjoy bath time. They will probably hate bath time because it’s associated with not being able to watch cartoons.
- Make It Interesting | There are so many awesome bath toys and I’ve linked to a bunch below. Read a book to your child, sing songs, etc. You can even sit near them and chat.
- Schedule it Wisely | Don’t plan bath time right after a super fun activity. Don’t stop something exciting to start a bath. This will cause resistance. Instead, use something else as a carrot to get through bath. After bath, we’ll read a book, play a game, etc.
If your little one starts making a huge mess, won’t listen, or splashes water uncontrollably, then simply remove them from the bath. Try again the next day.
If it persists, make a rule about splashing with a built in consequence (like removing them from the bath) if they can’t handle it. They’ll catch on, mama.
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Learn MoreBath Toys for Kids
Here are some fun ways, generally speaking, to make sure kids don’t resist bath time.
Check out this list of awesome bath toys for babies and preschoolers. They are top rated.
Bath Toys for Babies
- Float & Play Bubbles– Fun in the tub with these fun animal bubbles! The moving pieces inside the bubbles are captivating.
- Temperature Monitoring Duck- I received this as a gift with my first born and used it every time! It’s great for peace of mind.
- Waterproof Bath Books- Yes, you can even foster a love for reading while your little one is taking a bath. These books are so fun and colorful!
- Bath Toys- These bright and colorful bath toys are sure to catch the attention of your baby in the bath.
- Floating Ducks with Connecting Rings- I love the way this toy incorporates the connecting tubes with your traditional rubber ducks. Such a cute idea!
- Floating Octopus- First of all, this octopus is adorable! It’s going to be great to practice those fine motor skills too!
Bath Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Sprinkler Light Up Whale– For a toddler, it doesn’t get any better than this!
- Swimming Bath Turtles- These little swimming turtles are sure to add some fun to your preschoolers bath time.
- Fishing’ Bath Toy- Perfect your your active bath time kiddo! Who doesn’t love fishin’?
- Bath Letters & Numbers- I remember when my kiddo’s started recognizing letters for the first time. It was with these large and colorful, stick-to-the-wall letters for bath time.
- Unicorn Mommy & Babies Floating Toy- Perfect fun a girl who loves their unicorns! These are really cute… they sparkle and shine!
- Floating Barge with Cars and Boats- It has 11 pieces, y’all! This would be perfect to make bath time fun!
- Wind Up Water Toys- It’s so fun to watch these bath toys wiggle and swim around. They are sure to entertain!
Don’t forget to grab a Tub Cubby Bath Organizer to hold all of those amazing bath toys your kids will be enjoying!
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