Ok so as parents we all know that the perfect bedtime-bathtime routine is a must for making sure they』re suitably sleepy come 7 o』clock. But if your baby’s bathtime is more like a white-water-rafting experience than the chilled out quiet-time you long for, don』t fret. Our top 10 tips, including some handy hints from real mums, should help create the perfect bathtime for babies – and for you too! …
1. Get your ducks in a row
There’s nothing more annoying – and disruptive – than luring a wriggly baby into the bathroom only to discover the bubble bath’s missing, there’s no towel and you』ve run out of clean pyjamas.
「This used to happen to me all the time,」 says Frances, mum to Teddy, 3, and Blake, 6 months. 「I』d take the boys up for their bath, realise everything I needed was missing!
One weekend, I re-organised the bathroom so I could stack everything I needed on low shelves, such as nappies, creams, towels and pyjamas. Now I know, no matter how busy I am, I』ll never be short of anything, which makes bathtime a lot less stressful all round.」
Remember! Never leave your baby unattended in the bath.
Fancy taking a leaf out of Frances』 book and getting organised? The Munchkin corner bath organiser, £5.99, is roomy enough for all their essentials.
2. Timing is everything
While it’s common to bathe your baby or toddler after dinner and before bedtime, this isn』t a foolproof system for everyone.
「All my friends were bathing their babies after their evening meal – it’s what many experts advise – but my daughter Jo takes ages to eat and having a bath seemed to reinvigorate her, rather than make her sleepy so I decided to go against the grain and make it work for her,」 says Annabelle.
「I』d prepare dinner, stick it in the oven and then take her upstairs for a soak. While she was still raring to go after her bath, I think being in her pyjamas for longer during the evening helped signal that bedtime was approaching and, while we eat dinner a little later than most families we know, it’s been easier putting her to bed ever since we made the change.」
3. Bring on the bubbles
With so many cute baby bath products available, it’s easy to overload your bathroom – not to mention your baby’s delicate skin - but you really only need a few to hand. After the first few months, add a small amount of bubble bath to the water.
If your little one is prone to dry skin, opt for a specially formulated product such as Oilatum Junior Bath Additive, £3.99 for 150ml. Contains light liquid parrafin BP. Always read the label. Add some cute sponges (like Boots Fun Animal Sponges, £1.49 per sponge) to wash them with and you』re good to go!
4. Not too hot
Baby bath water should be warm, not hot. If it feels like the kind of temperature that would be right for you, chances are it’s too hot – babies feel the heat more than we do.
If you don』t trust yourself to get it right, grab a bath thermometer (Boots Baby Bath Thermometer – Yellow, £1.49) and aim to hit 36 degrees Celsius on the thermometer. If you』ve added extra hot or cold water make sure to mix it well so it’s all one temperature.
5. Make sure they』re sitting comfortably
For many young babies, the bathtub is a wide-open space that may leave them feeling far from safe and cosy. Babies like to be held so when they』re tiny get in with them, or grab a special baby seat that will help support or cocoon them in the water. These can help as they get older too as mum, Rebecca, explains.
「My daughter Molly was couldn』t sit still in the bath and was always standing up and literally doing lengths of the tub, which was exhausting for both of us.
After a few months of bathtime being a battle, I found a cute inflatable seat like a boat she could sit in. It was halfway between a little paddling pool and a traditional baby bath seat and she loves it. She still climbs out occasionally, but having her be still for a five or ten minutes gives me time to wash her and puts a pause on her antics.」
Try the Munchkin White Hot Safety Bath Duck Bath, £13.99 – a padded, interactive inflatable bath with a textured base that helps prevent slipping and a contoured headrest. Suitable for ages 6 to 24 months.
6. Have fun - but not too much!
「I used to chuck any toy I could find into the tub with my son Danny in the hope of keeping him amused for longer than 10 seconds. After a fair few screaming sessions, however, I decided to try and dial it down a notch,」 says Jane. 「I got rid of all the 『daytime』 toys that used to double up as bathtime accessories and treated Danny to some bathtime-specific kit, including some fizzy water 『bombs』.
I think this provided a change of pace and held his interest for longer as he learnt that he only gets to play with these special toys for a small amount of time each day.」
Cussons Mum & Me Little Explorers Funky Fizz Bath Crackles, £1 for 30g, change the colour of the bath water as they dissolve. The Munchkin Scoop & Hoop, £5.99, will help them busy for ages. Suitable for ages 2+.
7. Conquer their fears
If your little one has started screaming the house down at bathtime, it can throw a bit of a spanner in the works. Tears at bathtime can simply be a passing phase that goes as quickly as it appears. Or, your little one could have developed a fear of something specific such as getting soap in his eyes (time to switch to a tear-free formula) or suddenly being afraid of water -swimming lessons can help with this, explains this mum:
「When my son Zachariah started hating his bath, for no apparent reason, I simply started sponge bathing him for a couple of weeks hoping the phase would pass and, sure enough, when I reintroduced him to a newly-stocked bathing area some time later, he was fine again,」 said Joyce.
8. Cuddle them dry
Grappling with a slippery baby can turn a calm bath into a wrestling match. If your tot is a difficult customer when it comes to exiting the tub, make it easier by using a specially designed towel such as the Cuddledry Bathing Apron, £29.99. As the name suggests, you wear it like an apron so, when it’s time to take him out of the tub, all you have to do is lift the baby onto your chest, wrap him up and pat dry. Genius!
9. Give them a massage
A soothing, post-bath massage is a fantastic way to help baby feel safe and secure and (almost) ready for bed. If you do it regularly your baby will learn that it is something to look forward to and will build in another calming step towards the land of nod.
Baby massage classes can help with technique and tips. In the meantime, splash out onSophie the Giraffe Baby Oil, £14.99 for 200ml to nourish and soothe them before bedtime.
10. Don』t undo the good work
If you』ve calmed them down with a soothing massage and tired them out with some splashing and kicking, don』t undo all your hard work once you leave the bathroom. Before bathtime, dim the bedroom lights, pop the mobile on, close the curtains and have their favourite stories out, so that you can keep them calm and wound-down right through to bedtime. Good luck!