My son loves the water. Give him a water table, he will splash in it for hours. Take him to the beach or the pool and he loves to get in and play. But once I take him to the bathtub each night, it’s an entirely different story. Suddenly all of the fun he has with water outside of the bathroom, turns into fear once he sees the water running in the tub. Despite doing it over and over each night, he still cries as soon as I put him in. So it’s up to me to get him clean in the fastest time possible. Our struggle each night has me determined to get him to love bath time just as much as he does other water activities.
It’s not uncommon for babies and toddlers to dislike bath time. I’ve been through it with all of my kids and eventually they got over the fear (now I struggle to get them out of the bath each night.) While some of the fear takes time for them to get over, there are certainly things that I’ve done to help ease their bath time anxiety and make bath time a fun activity for all.
Toys
This is probably one of the simplest ways to make bath time fun. There are so many bath products on the market that will keep them entertained and their minds off of the fear. Some of our favorite bath toys are:
Yookidoo Stack n’ Spray Tub Fountain: Add a fountain to the bathtub with this jet powered toy. Stack the boats and watch as the water flows through each all the way to the top. You can stack them different ways to watch the water have a differnt water effects. The boats spin, twirl, spray, and squirt.
Boon Cast Fishing Pole: Let them go fishing in the bath with this fun game! They’ll be hooked when they snag whatever is floating by.
Munchkin Bath Numbers and Letters: Bathtime can be fun and educational with these non-toxic letters that float and stick to the wall.
ALEX Toys Water Xylophone: Make music in the bath. The xylophone floats and your little one can use the yellow mallets to play different sounds. We also love that you can stick each piece of the xylophone to the wall for added fun!
Green Toys Submarine: The submarine is both fun and eco-friendly. Make of recycled milk jugs, your little one will have so much fun submerging it under water for many adventures!
Boon Frog Pod: With all of the fun in the tub, you need somewhere to store all of those toys. The frog easily mounts onto the wall and stores all of your child’s bath toys. The body of the brog becomes a scoop so you can easily scoop up all of the toys in the tub.
Bubbles
What baby or toddler doesn’t like bubbles? Let them splash around, put them on top of their head, or blow them around. Bubbles bring a smile to everyone’s face!
Songs
Songs are a great way to keep your little one relaxed, especially when it’s time to rinse their head. Sing some of your child’s favorite songs and if they’re old enough, encourage them to sing along too!
Do Some Art
Arts and crafts doesn’t just have to be for the table. Get some shaving cream and food coloring and let them sculpt away. They also have fun markers that are made exclusively for the bath tub for them to draw on the wall while in the bath and it easily washes off.
Crayola Bath Time Markers: These non-toxic markers allow your little one to write on the wall and easily wipe off without leaving any residue or marks.
Crayola Bath Time Crayons: Crayons aren’t just for paper. These bathtub crayons allow your child to let their imagination soar while easily cleaning it off once the bath is over.
ALEX Toys Bathtub Finger Painting Kit: What better place to play with paint than in the bath! These soapy finger paints allow them to paint anywhere and then easily rinse off when they are finished.
Start Slow
You never want to rush into anything, especially if your little one is scared. A great way to ease into the bathtub is to start by adding just a little bit of water into the bath to get them used to it. I’ve also gotten in the bathtub with them to give them that comfort and let them know I have fun taking a bath.
Choose the Right Time
Some parents make bath time a part of their evening routine, while some do it first thing in the morning. It’s important to choose a time for bath that not only works for you, but also for your child. You never want to choose a time of day when you little one might be tired or cranky.
Make them Comfortable
A lot of times the tears come when it’s time to actually doing all of the scrubbing. Make them more comfortable with products that help keep the soap more fun to apply and away from their eyes when you have to rinse them out. This way they aren’t screaming as you try to get them clean.
One Step Ahead Shampoo Rinse Cup: Eliminate those tears when you are rinsing the shampoo out of their hair with this rinse cup. The cup has a soft panel that rests against your child’s head and let’s the water rinse without getting in their face.
SoapSox: You will say goodbye to washcloths after you use SoapSox. These soft and cuddly animal friends make bath time fun while getting your little one clean. There is an opening for liquid or bar soap and two finger opening to help you clean them up.
Keep it Safe
If you create a safe environment for your little ones in the bath tub, it allows them to feel more secure while in the bathtub. Add a bath mat on the bottom of the tub, a spout cover, and even a drain cover so that you can help prevent injuries. Here are some great products to help keep your bathtub safe:
4moms Spout Cover: Protect your spout and know the water temperature at the same time. The spout cover digitally displays water temperature with an easy to read color coded display that indicates safe, comfortable water temperatures.
Boon Ray Drain Cover: This cute and soft drain cover helps keep the water from draining while also protecting your little one from the hard exterior of the bathtub drain.
Munchkin Dots Bath Mat: A colorful non-slip bath mat that has a textured surface to keep your little one from slipping or sliding. The bottom has sucktions to keep the mat securely in place.