baths

When you are the only parent doing the baths, when did you start putting them in the tub together? I think they would be ok, I am just worried about the one in the tub while I am caring for the one getting in or out of the tub. I would have to at least take the diaper off or on and dry them off while the other is in the tub. That scares me. It is just getting really hard to keep the other one occupied. The non-bather stays in the exersaucer. It is the only time they are in it, but still, I can tell they don't want to be confined anymore. I just need to keep that one safe and out of trouble while I bathe the other.

 

I can't remember, are your kids walking yet?

I usually took everything but the diaper off before we went into the bathroom. I would then take off the diaper and put the kids in the tub. We still do the twins in the tub together and chances are Liam will be joining them soon (we still do him in the sink). When taking them out, drain the tub while they are still in it. They have fun watching the water go down and then you can take them out and wrap them in their towels.

 

We always do them together at this point. But on the few occassions one of us has done it by ourself, we just get one out and the other one out right after (not drying the other off first) and take them both to the room wet and then dry them off. Does that make sense?

 

Hi Ilyse...I think I remember you from Fertility Friend...hate to say this at least 3-4 years ago!!!! Its nice to see we've come this far!! Yeah for us!!
Both my girls still love the exersaucer..THANK GOD!!! I don't know how else to do baths!!! I know days of this are numbered, but hopefully by then they can bathe together.
Good Luck!!
jena

 

I remember now!! Ok, I put them in the tub at the same time after the water was in. Then just bathed them both. Pour water over one, then the other - wash a face and then the other. They stood up a lot at first when they were over 1, but I just told them to sit down and put them back down. I didn't get worked up about it....just calmly said "sit down" and sat them down so they knew what I was talking about.

Then, while they are STILL in the tub, I pulled the plug and waited till the water was out and took one quickly to their crib wrapped in a towel and then the other. (Bathroom is right across the little hall.) Then I would get one diapered and the other then PJ's.

I know a lot of people just did all of it right in the bathroom. Maybe have your hubby there just in case when you do it the first time and then you'll see how it can work.

I had them in bath seats till about 11 mos. and had been bathing them at the same time since about 7 mos. so maybe it came more naturally or something.

Just walk through the process in your head and you'll be fine!

 

all 3 of my kids have been bathing together for a while....maybe the twins were 9-10 months when we started. I have a small apt, so generally when one is done in the bath, I take him out, dry him off and send his naked butt a running. I really don't care if someone pees on the floor (really does not happen often). Usually they spend their time running down the hall and back to the bath room playing "boo!" Before they could walk, they would sit on the bathroom floor while I tended to his brother, or they would crawl down the hall (rather than run).

I was intimidated when we first started doing this. But when you are home in the PM alone, you just go for it. You will find a system that works.

 

I did a bath on my own for the first time when my girls were 15 months old and DH went out of town. It was a lot easier than I expected. It helps that our bathroom is small and there's not much for them to get into. Also, it turned out that the one who was not in the tub was more interested in staying near me and watching the proceedings than in running around getting into trouble.

I got them both in the bathroom, shut the door, and ran the water. (I also made sure I had towels & soap within reach.) Then I stripped them both (leaving the diaper on one), put the naked one in the tub and washed her, while the other just had fun exploring the bathroom.

Took the first one out and laid her (wet and naked) on a towel, took the second one's diaper off and put her in, and just let her play while I dried the first one and put a clean diaper on. (The one in the tub did stand up a few times, but I just kept sitting her back down.) Then the first one explored the bathroom while I washed the second one, then got her out (pulling the plug at the same time) and dried her, and put her diaper on.

When they were both dried and diapered, I let them out of the bathroom, then put their clothes on in the living room.

When they were about 18 months, I felt comfortable letting them be in the tub together even if I was on my own.

 

Mine are 15 months and I just started bathing them together on my own, they are going to bed earlier since the time change so I have had to move our routine up and bathe them before my husband gets home. It really isn't to bad, I also have a small bathroom and get everything together before hand and shut the door. When one is ready to get out, I dry them off and diaper them and they stay in the bathroom with me until the second one is dried and diapered.

It's amazing what we can do when we have to, a few months ago I would have never beleived it!

 

I bathe the girls together. When it's time to get out, I leave one in the tub while I diaper the other on the floor right next to the tub. Then she hangs out while I diaper the second on the floor. Takes a bit of planning to make sure I have all the diaper supplies in the bathroom, but otherwise it's really easy and safe IMO.

 

I've always done bath time on my own and have done the girls together since they have been old enough to go in the tub. I strip them down to their diaper before we head to the bathroom, I make sure to take a couple of clean diapers with me. Once we get in the bathroom I start the water and dump the toys in, then I take their diapers off and put them both in the tub (while it's filling). When they are ready to get out I take one, lay them on the floor, dry them off and put on a diaper and send her to the living room. I make sure the whole time I can see the other one in the tub, she usually kneels there watching and waiting for her turn. Then I take the second out and do the same with her, and we both head for the living room where we put on lotion and PJs. It really isn't that hard just make a game plan and be organized. HTH

 

9 times out of 10 i'm on my own for bath nights...they get them together (always have). I strip everyone in the high chair and then we all climb the stairs and I close the gate so that the only rooms available upstairs are their room and the bathroom that i'm running water in the tub in. Once the water is good to go everyone comes in and gets their diapers off and go right into the tub. They know the routine (when to stand and when to sit) and when we are done I'll let the water run out and just grab one and diaper her, release her and then grab the other and diaper/release her. Once that is done I'll round them up for jammies.

It's not bad once you get into the routine of it. Good luck!

alexis

 

Mine are 18 months old and I have never bathed them in our regular bathtub!

I still bathe them one at a time in our kitchen sink. The sink is a large deep one so they fit very comfortably. There is no way I could handle both of them in the tub together - they'd be standing the whole time or trying to.

Also, I am not looking forward to big kid bathtub baths, because my legs and back will be shot!! Standing at the sink is sooo much easier. So as long as they fit, that's what I'll keep doing!

 

Since the kids were 8 mos old, I've bathed them together and I get in the bath with them. Started at first b/c my back couldn't take leaning over for that long chasing two slippery kids. It was easier to be in the tub and minimize their play space and add stability with my legs. I'd start by getting everything ready, washcloths, towels, creams, PJs, my clothes, etc. I'd lay two folded towels down on the floor for padding and lay their hooded towels over them ready to receive. We'd all bathe, then I'd get them both out at the same time, fold them up in their towels and let them hang out on the floor while I dried and dressed (t-shirt and yoga pants) then I'd dry them both (mostly dry at this point from wriggling in their towels) and diaper and PJ. Worked like a charm. Now that they are older, 2.5 yrs, I still get in with them b/c my back and knees can't take the leaning over, but they are much more stable and I can leave them in the tub while I dry and dress and then get them out using the same routine, but one at at time.

The standing up in the tub thing is a phase, and a scary one at that, but they will learn with repetition and consistency. Once you get into a routine you'll find the method that works best for you and it will be less intimidating. Not easy, bathing kids is never easy, but it can be fun and stress free too.

 

We've always done baths together. It's more challenging by myself, true! Usually I take off clothes & diapers before we go into the bathroom. If I don't, they get too excited & try to climb in the tub fully dressed.

DS is walking now, so I usually take him out of the tub 1st. Which, soon as he's out he takes off & runs around the house naked. Hopefully not peeing on anything. Then I get dd out, and ds will usually follow us into the bedroom to get dressed. We have had 1 or 2 accidents (peeing on the floor), but nothing really major. Besides, being naked is good for diaper rash prevention.

I try to always make sure that I have the towels close by the tub & then I just dry them off right there.

 

DH does their baths, both at the same time. He undresses them in the bathroom and puts them in. Prior to taking them up he's run the water and set out their towels, diapers, and PJ's. When they are done he takes one out and dries them off right outside the bathroom door, then the other comes out. Then they both follow him into their bedroom and play with books while he tries to dress them.

 

I had two of those little bath rings that they sit in. They worked great. It kept them confined so there was no chance of slipping while they were in the tub and I could easily handle both of them at the same time. When they were done I would just get one out and dry them off and let them run while I got the other one out and drained the tub. Then it was off to their room for pj's and bedtime stories. It still goes that way to this day in fact. I can't remember exactly when I ditched the bath rings, probably around 15 months or so (?)

 

QUOTE(mommy23monkeys @ Nov 27 2007, 09:09 AM) [snapback]510570[/snapback]
all 3 of my kids have been bathing together for a while....maybe the twins were 9-10 months when we started. I have a small apt, so generally when one is done in the bath, I take him out, dry him off and send his naked butt a running. I really don't care if someone pees on the floor (really does not happen often). Usually they spend their time running down the hall and back to the bath room playing "boo!" Before they could walk, they would sit on the bathroom floor while I tended to his brother, or they would crawl down the hall (rather than run).

I was intimidated when we first started doing this. But when you are home in the PM alone, you just go for it. You will find a system that works.



This is what I have done also. It's always worked out well.

 

We've been bathing them together since they were about a year old. Or I should say I was doing it. I didn't drain the water with them in it, I'd take one out and then face the tub while drying off, putting lotion on & dressing that one. Then I'd go get the other one. If something happened, I was right there. (Nothing ever happened.)

 

I started to bath them together by myself at about 10.5 months, before that I still bathed them in the sink so one would stay in their highchair while I bathed the other. My bathroom is very small and we only have an accordian type door (hallway is narrow) with no lock so I would bath them let the water drain put towels on them and bring them both downstairs with me to dry, lotion and dress so the other that was not being dressed could run around safely in our living room...I still do this.

 

QUOTE(jena4 @ Nov 27 2007, 09:55 AM) [snapback]510430[/snapback]
Hi Ilyse...I think I remember you from Fertility Friend...hate to say this at least 3-4 years ago!!!! Its nice to see we've come this far!! Yeah for us!!
Both my girls still love the exersaucer..THANK GOD!!! I don't know how else to do baths!!! I know days of this are numbered, but hopefully by then they can bathe together.
Good Luck!!
jena


Hey, funny we should "meet" here! Yes, it is wonderful to see how far we both have come!

As for all the bathing together tips, I am going to try to hold off a little longer. I am just too nervous. Hopefully they will deal with the exersaucer just a little longer.

 

QUOTE(Trish_e @ Nov 27 2007, 11:49 AM) [snapback]510732[/snapback]
I've always done bath time on my own and have done the girls together since they have been old enough to go in the tub. I strip them down to their diaper before we head to the bathroom, I make sure to take a couple of clean diapers with me. Once we get in the bathroom I start the water and dump the toys in, then I take their diapers off and put them both in the tub (while it's filling). When they are ready to get out I take one, lay them on the floor, dry them off and put on a diaper and send her to the living room. I make sure the whole time I can see the other one in the tub, she usually kneels there watching and waiting for her turn. Then I take the second out and do the same with her, and we both head for the living room where we put on lotion and PJs. It really isn't that hard just make a game plan and be organized. HTH


Ditto. Once Brandon was old enough he joined his older brothers in the bathtub and now i wash all 3 at once.

 

We started at about 13 months. Well, actually I should say that my mom started at about 13 months as I was still too scared to at that time. In fact, it never would have occurred to me because I didn't think they were anywhere near ready. The girls did just fine though and we did double baths from that day on.