Bath time can be fun or it can be a real hassle if your child is afraid or don’t like it. So we as mothers try to make it a fun time for our little ones! Then the problem will be getting them out!

Color It

Bubble bath can be irritating to little ones causing urinary track infections, yeast infections as well as skin irritation. A few drops of food coloring are a wonderful solution adding interest and fun to your child’s bath. You can also turn each bath into a learning experience drop one color in such as red then ask your child what they think will happen if you add a drop of yellow.

Measure It

Measuring cups are fun for pouring and filling in the tub and if you have an old set they are a great free fun set of toys for the tub. They can stack and pour to their hearts content and maybe even learn to wet their hair for washing, control gives many children the power to over come fears such as getting their hair wet for washing.

Learning time can be created threw the use of the measures .Take the one cup measuring cup and ask the child how many of each cup it will take to fill your big cup.

Bath Body Paints

You must you super vision with young children, but we all know you must supervise young children in the bath any how ;-)

In a few small cups put some hypoallergenic shaving cream (test on the child a few days before on a very small spot for allergies) then add a few drops food coloring to the desired color. Mix well. Your child can then enjoy painting their toes, legs and belly. I would discourage using it in the face area. These paints are very easy to clean up.

Sing Songs Together

Kids love to sing and to be sung to. Bath time songs like rubber ducky and Splish splash I was taking a bath are great bath time songs. When my children were very young we played this little piggy as I washed each toe.

My Dolly Too

Little ones like to do as their parents do. Bringing a doll into the tub for them to wash is often great fun. Show them how to shampoo and rinse the dolls hair. My daughters all loved to wash their dolls hair as I washed theirs. They

Gone Fishing

Wash well with soap and hot water the Styrofoam plates your meats come in. Once you have about four cut some fish shapes from them. You child can use the big one cup measuring cup to capture his fish!!! See how fast your little fisherman or fisher girl is at catching their fish! If the fish are different colors you can play fish store and request you special fish and watch them chase it around the tub. This one makes for lots of giggles.

Loops

I save my margarine tub covers and cut out the centers. My shampoo bottles make great posts to play ring toss with. My only caution is making sure when you cut out the centers there are no sharp edges. My older kids love to play this in the tub together.

Sponge Animals

Cut animal shapes from new sponges, frogs alligators sharks and fish are all popular bath choices but really the choices are endless you could even make a fleet of trucks for your little boy! Fabric puff paint would be great to lightly decorate one side of the sponge. Once it is dry they are grate bath time companions. They float as well as stick to the tub walls.

Bath Time Safety Tips

Never never leave a baby or toddler in the tub alone for any reason.

Use a good quality bath mat to help prevent slips and falls.

Run the water first test it and make sure it is not to hot or cold.

Never allow your child to run the hot tap.

Though bubble bath is great fun it can cause irritation to genitals make it a very rare treat if at all.

Make sure razors are put away out of reach.

© 2003-2004

Jennifer & Gregory Gove

Jennifer if a full time stay at home mother living in Maine. She owns and operates a parenting site called Simply Moms. To read more articles...and use features such as message forums, chat, baby name finder and more....visit us at http://www.simplymoms.com

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