I hate bathtime!

Does anyone else hate bathtime? It's not the baths, per se, it's afterward. My DD's SCREAM AND CRY while I'm busy trying to put on their lotion, diapers, and pjs. It's the worst part of the day for me. DH and I tag team baths. I'll bathe one while he entertains the other and then we'll switch off. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Does this hatred of baths ever end for them? :headbang:

 

You're not doing it wrong - we go through the same thing. Our boys love to play in the bath, but getting them dressed afterwards is a nightmare most nights. Same thing with getting them dressed in the morning. They absolutely hate it. It helps me to have toys around they can grab, plus they love the rubber end of the hairbrush and the small plastic box of q-tips to chew on. I don't know how old your LO's are,but it helps us a bit to have them sit up as much as possible. I lotion their legs and put on their diaper and pants, and then let them sit up while I do the rest of their body and put their shirt on (they are in two piece PJ's). Also, I can let them stand in the crib while I brush their hair.

 

After their baths I do the lotion and diapers and let them play for a half hour or so before I put their clothes on and start the bedtime routine. They like the naked play time. I also do it when they are fussy and it is too early for bed. I can usually get another half hour out of them if they are in just their diapers.

 

Have you tried singing to them after their baths? When putting on lotion, sing a song along the lines of the Hokey Pokey-"We lotion up your left arm first, your left arm first, then we shake it all about!" etc.. I found that singing songs to different tunes based on what we were doing has always worked. Annabella has been my fighter at changing times, but if I sing Itsy Bitsy Spider, or ABC song, etc-it usually calms her right down.

Good luck!

Oh-and if all else fails, I will let her hold my cell phone or something on the dresser that she's never seen before.

 

I do what amymarie does, however, I let them go nude for a bit after I dry them off before I put on their diaper and then I put the diaper on and then let them play for a bit more and then I tackle them to get their pj's on. But its a crazy getting especially Olivia dressed. Its like wrestling an alligator!

 

I have tried EVERYTHING! I sing and dance. I give them things to play with. I would let them stay naked or in their diapers for a while if they wouldn't cry, but they do. Sometimes giving them something to hold on to helps, but only momentarily. It's a struggle every night. As soon as I pick them up they're fine. We go downstairs, have a bottle, snuggle for a few minutes, and go to bed without any problems.

 

I used to hate bathtime too for the same reason! It also used to take longer but now that I am an "old pro" it makes bathtimes much faster and easier. I also don't bathe them every night - when they were younger they only got a bath once a week and now they get one every 2-3 days so that helps - lol. I have also just accepted that there is probably going to be a certain amount of struggling. Viv especially loves the bath and starts kicking and screaming the second I take her out of the water. I do my best to distract her and often I just let her take a bath toy with her to the nursery while I change her which helps calm her down but does make for some difficulties because the toy leaks water everywhere. Oh well. I am hoping they will grow out of this stage eventually. Don't really have any advice for you per se just commiseration!