Hassle Free Parenting Tip On Bathing Your Kid

Having 4 kids is no joke.. and bathing time is not an exemption. Although I try to make it as fun as possible, giving bath to 4 kids (plus my nephew) can be really tiring not to mention stressful. Good thing that my kids love taking a bath, so that’s one less hassle for me. And while soaping Sati earlier, I though of making a parenting tip on how you can make bathing fun and hassle free!

Let’s start with bathing an infant. First time parents, listen carefully. To make it hassle free for you and the baby, make sure the the water is lukewarm. Use your elbow in testing the temperature of the water, do not use your hand, the water feels colder with your hand and when you use it with your baby, it might hurt the baby’s skin.  If it is the first time that you will bathe your baby, follow these simple steps, it’s a process of introducing water to your newborn.

• Start by shampooing the baby’s head. Wet your hand and pour a small amount of baby soap then gently massage it to your baby’s head. Do not wet the baby’s body all at once, gently introduce water and bathing to them. Also speak as you wash your baby, tell them what you’re about to do and explain to them while you’re doing it.
• After washing the baby’s head, soap the baby’s body using the same routine. Wet your hand instead of the baby’s body.
• Rinse the baby starting with the head, don’t put your baby on the bath tub, instead hold your baby in a way that their head is on your other hand, their body on your lap and your other hand rinsing off the soap from their head.
• After rinsing the head, gently put your baby on the tub with your other hand supporting the back and the head of course, then gently rinse the body. Don’t stop talking, talk gently as you bathe your baby.
• Place the towel as close to you as possible so when you’re done, it would be easy to dry them up.

When it comes to bathing older kids, I also apply the same. I wet the head first (without wetting the body), shampoo them then soap their body, and after that, it’s the only time that I pour water to them or let them shower. In that way, their body will adjust to the slow introduction of water and they will not be surprised by it. There was a time when I became so busy with my work that I had to ask my helper to bathe my boys. As expected she starts it by pouring water on my boys and they were startled and every time my helper bathes them, they complain and cry. I had to teach her how to properly bathe the kids.

For my toddlers, I still talk while bathing them, telling about their body parts or sing to them as they take a bath. Sometimes I ask them which body part I am soaping. It makes bathing more fun and I also got their attention by asking them, which makes them behave better during bath time.

I also made our bathroom child proof so that I don’t have to worry if I have to leave them for a while (like getting a towel or getting a soap or shampoo refill). I also let them play for a while, making bubbles and dressing their hair like that of a shark. And from time to time I let them “swim” on a big basin.

I believe that bathing is one of the best way to bond with the kids so I always try to make it as hassle free and as fun as possible.

Do you have a bathing time tip? share it with us!