How To Safely and Enjoyably Bathe Babies and Toddlers in Water

Whether you like it or not, giving your baby and toddler a bath is an essential aspect of parenthood.

While some parents adore bath time because of the delight of cute, bubbly faces and joyful splashes, others dread it because of the damp bathroom flooring and shouts of "shampoo in the eye."

Similar to adults, some children relish their daily baths while others battle tooth and nail to avoid them.

In any case, you're likely to give a lot of bathing to your kids during your time as a parent, so you may as well think about how to make the most out of this special moment - or at least, how to encourage your children to appreciate it.

Tips For A Safe and Fun Bath Time

Your baby and toddler can genuinely look forward to their daily soak in the tub by carefully laying it out and adding a few simple extras.

1. Never leave them unattended

You might have a long list of things to do for the day but it is essential to prioritize our child - especially when giving them a bath.

Drowning happens silently and rapidly. The greatest approach to ensure your child's safety in the bathtub is to keep an eye on them all the time.

This means that throughout the entire bath, you should keep an eye on babies and young toddlers.

It entails staying in the restroom with older kids who can safely stay upright on their own and keeping an eye on them at all times.

Children and even adults frequently slip and tumble in the bath, even when using a bathmat or rough tub floor. Because of the harsh surfaces, an accident in the bath is particularly deadly.

Even worse, it increases the chance of drowning. A youngster who falls and bangs her head, losing consciousness momentarily, will probably lose consciousness again and tumble back into the water.

Although it's a severe matter, not everyone who drowns does so in water. Children who accidentally fall into the water and then surface may still be at risk of subsequent drowning if they breathed in the bathwater. Recognizing the symptoms of subsequent drowning is crucial.

Most importantly, prevent children from immersing their face in water, even for a brief period of time, particularly if they are too young to understand how to maintain their breathing.

When it concerns keeping youngsters safe around water, continuous supervision is unavoidable.

However, being vigilant goes beyond mere safety. The most crucial component of bonding is that it forces you to concentrate on your child.

The safer your child will be, and the more you concentrate on them, the more enjoyable bath time will be for both of you.

2. Secure the tub

Make sure it is babyproofed before letting your child use the big tub after she can sit up unassisted without falling over. You can reduce the danger of tub injury by carrying out a few crucial actions, just as you would when creating a secure environment for your inquisitive child:

Place a non-slip mat on the tub's bottom to prevent her from falling and harming herself by slipping on the hard surface. This is crucial for young children learning to enter and exit the tub independently.

Wrap the tap with a padded cover to protect your child's head from the inevitable knock against the spout.

Keep electrical devices like dryers and hair straighteners away from the tub since they may cause electrical injuries if they fell into the water. When not in use, it's better to keep these devices unplugged and stored.

3. Put aside the phone

We frequently carry our phones around with us at all times. And when things are calm or we are bored, we frequently turn to them.

While phones greatly improve our lives, they also keep us preoccupied and divert our focus from our kids. This may result in several chances to interact with our children being lost.

Make bath time a focused time with lots of eye contact and interaction for you and your child to make it unique. You and your youngster will lose that chance thanks to your phone. So that you won't be tempted to pick it up, leave the phone in a different room.

Naturally, it's ideal to keep the phones out of the equation as well. When you're not distracted, your attention will be lot more focused to your child.

4. Maintain things within reach

Make sure you have everything you'll need for the duration of the bath before you put your child in the water just like soaps, shampoos, bath towels, and any items your child wishes to play with that day.

This will make it so that you won't have to leave your infant unattended when they're taking a bath.

5. Check the water temperature

Babies, in particular, may be at risk from exposure to too-hot water. Of again, cold water isn't really nice either. For a temperature that is both secure and cozy, aim for water that is between 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

You only need common sense; no thermometer is required. It should feel cozy when you dip your hand thru the water.

But be aware that you're probably used to letting your body acclimate after entering water that seems a touch warm. Children and infants are unlikely to find baths enjoyable in that sense. They want to feel cozy when you first touch it.

Make stepping into the bath delightful as soon as possible. To sense the warmth, you can even cautiously hold your baby over the bathwater and hang his feet in it. Drop him in slowly to see if he enjoys it.

Additionally, if at all feasible, ensure that the space is kept at a cozy temperature. This should include the moments just after and during the bath if your goal is to make bath time a happy experience overall.

6. Bring the toys inside

Bring your baby or toddler’s favorite toys into the bath to turn bath time into playtime. They don't even have to be bathing toys—any hard, plastic object that isn't battery-operated and doesn't pose a choking risk is acceptable.

You can also repurpose common home things like plastic bowls, mugs, food storage containers, and empty water bottles in inventive ways. To keep your toddler interested, switch out the bath toys once a week or so.

7. Tidy up the toys

Some bath toys have the drawback that, if not properly maintained, they might foster the growth of mold, which is not precisely what you picture when you think of a "squeaky clean" atmosphere. This is particularly true of water-spraying toys.

Ensure your toys are dried in mesh bags and give them a quick cleaning every two weeks. It works great to mix vinegar with water.

8. Blow some bubbles

Your baby can pop with a simple blow, and after she becomes a little older, you can trade jobs. Your infant may learn about big and little with a selection of wands.  She will rapidly understand the terms "float" and "pop" if you narrate as you go.

9. Foam it up

The ingredients for some amazing beards, mustaches, and more are in the water if you add some tear-free foamy soap or bubble bath!

9. Introduce new textures

Bath time is a wonderful time to introduce new textures to your child, such as shaving cream, a wet washcloth, and a dry towel.

10. Splash a great deal

Face it, kicking your legs, smashing your hands, and yelling in the tub are the most enjoyable activities. Let your child go wild (safely, of course!).

11. Include a mirror

Are wild shampoo hairstyles popular with your older child? What about the enduringly fashionable "bubble beards"? Let them appreciate their ridiculous, bubbly outfits with a bathtub mirror. Just keep in mind that glass can break, so avoid using a glass mirror.

Get a baby bathtub mirror so they can bathe safely. Look for bathroom screens that are glass-free or something that won't shatter if you want something a little more multipurpose for grownups as well.

12. Get artistic

These days, bath time offers a variety of colorful options: bath watercolors and bath markers transform your child into a bath time Artist; bath bombs and scented soaps can alter the hue of the water and produce loads of entertaining suds.

Place some tea lights in the bathtub and turn out the lights for a great treat! Any child will smile if bath time is made a little more fun and colorful.

13. Read

While your child is taking a bath, try reading to them. A beloved story can transform bath time into a pleasant pastime rather than a duty.

Always Make Bath Time Safe and Fun Experience

It's simple to make bath time enjoyable, but it's equally crucial to make it secure. No matter how you keep bath time enjoyable for your child, safety should always come first. Never, ever, ever leave a young child alone, not even for a second.

Making every bath time enjoyable for you and your baby is possible when safety and bonding are your top priorities.