Wiping the last of the dinner crumbs off the counter, I heaved a sigh. It was bath time. Again. The time between dinner and bedtime is already stressful as we try to have family time before bed and do all the little tasks that pop up in those couple of hours. Add in wrestling the kids into the tub, sopping up the splashes, and the general chaos of bath time for toddlers, and any mom’s stress could bubble over.
A lot of moms dread bath time because it usually happens when we’d rather unwind. But we don’t want to dread any time spent with our kids, so let’s work to make baths better. Here are 5 tips to make bath time for toddlers less stressful.
1. Put bath time on the calendar.
I almost jumped for joy when my daughter’s pediatrician told me she didn’t need a bath every day. Two or three days a week was all that was necessary unless she was dirty or uncomfortable.
Knowing that gave me peace of mind to schedule baths when it worked best for me. I wanted my daughter fresh and clean for church, so on Sunday mornings, she bathed. Another reason Sundays worked well is because my husband was home, and we could take turns with bath time responsibilities. No baths on Wednesday evenings because I worked late. Tuesday and Friday nights were also designated as bath nights.
Having a set bath time schedule allows moms to mentally prepare for the chaos, making us better able to give our best to our kids.
2. Set a timer.
“More time, pleeease.” We’ve all heard our toddlers plead for more time doing something fun. During bath time, though, tired moms like me are usually out of energy once the kids are clean. By setting a timer, we can ensure bath time doesn’t go too long, and we don’t have to be the bad guy.
I started setting a 10-minute timer as soon as my kids got in the water. We developed a routine where they would wash first and have the rest of the time to play. My kids watched the timer and listened for the two-minute warning. They knew how much time was left and usually got out of the bath without argument once we’d established the timer routine. If bath time for toddlers is stressful for you too, put your phone’s timer on and set it on the counter away from the splashes. Set a fun ring tone, like the duck quack, and announce, “Oop! Mr. Duck says time’s up!”
3. Use bath toys you both love.
Toddlers are usually happy with simple toys. My kids loved to play with a couple of plastic cups and a wind-up plastic boat in the bath. Then someone gifted them with bath crayons. Drawing all over the tub was fun—until I learned how much extra cleaning the crayons created for me. After that experience, my kids only used toys in the bath that worked for kids and Mom. The bath crayons were out, along with a cute but very messy octopus that sprayed water everywhere. Limiting bath toys can still mean fun for the kids but less clean up time for you.
4. Prepare for the after-bath mess.
When my son was a toddler, he treated bath time like a trip to a waterpark. The splashing was cute until I was left with a pool on the floor. I didn’t want to squash his fun, and toddler splashing is inevitable, so I implemented a few tricks to make cleanup quicker and more manageable after a bath.
I pulled the shower curtain closed most of the way to help keep the water in the tub. To catch any splashes that might escape, I lay a few beach towels on the floor. They worked much better than a tiny bath mat. When bath time was over, I’d just hang the towels to dry. My son was clean and had fun, and I only spent a couple of minutes cleaning up afterward. If the after-bath cleanup distracts you from more important things (or is just a chore you dread), do whatever you can before the bath to minimize the potential mess. A few minutes of prep could save you cleanup time in the bathroom and wet foot print tracks around the house.
5. Encourage independence.
I used to attack bath time as a chore to complete as quickly as possible. As soon as my kids were in the water, I would immediately start scrubbing them, whether they were ready or not. This led to whining, squirming, and generally made bathing my kids more stressful.
One Sunday morning, when my husband was in charge of bath time, I realized there were no sounds of toddler angst coming from the bathroom. I investigated and discovered my husband leaning against the counter supervising while my son happily scrubbed himself in the tub. I found I had been doing bath time all wrong. Some older toddlers are capable of washing themselves, especially if it’s just a nightly bath and not a scrubdown after playing in the dirt. All I needed to do was squirt soap on the washcloth and supervise. Once you allow toddlers some bath time independence, the process is much less stressful.
Bath time for toddlers can be fun; what is your toddler’s favorite bath toy?
