Your toddler probably either really enjoys or dreads bathing. The good news is that this is normal. The bad news is their preference will probably change several times during their toddler years. For those who have toddlers that are not excited about taking a bath, distraction seems to work the best to make bath time more bearable and sometimes even fun. Here are some tricks we have used to entertain and distract our toddler when he doesn’t want to be in the bath.
Bubbles
Our son loves bubbles. Bubble was even one of the first words he said. When in the bath, we sometimes pour a little extra liquid soap (baby body wash) into the tub and swish it around until it makes a little patch of bubbles for him to play with. He also likes trying to swish the water to make more bubbles.
Squeaky Toys
There are two good things about squeaky toys. First and most obvious, they squeak. Secondly, when you squeeze them, put them under water, and release the squeeze, they fill up with water. Once you pull them out of the water, they make a great squirt gun when you squeeze them again.
Toddler’s Own Washcloth
Sometimes our toddler likes to help wash himself. For this we give him his own washcloth so he can participate. However, we don’t put soap on it to keep him from rubbing soap in his eyes. He likes to try and wash all his little body parts and it keeps him occupied.
Interactive Games
Sometimes playing little interactive games with your child helps. These can be singing songs such “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, or finding other ways to keep their mind on something else. We play a game where we name a body part, our toddler points it out on him, and then we wash that spot. Eventually we get the entire child clean.
Bath Toys
Bath toys such as little boats, rubber duckeys, and tub chalk have been a staple of parents bathing children for many years. If your toddler is playing with toys, he is not screaming or throwing a fit. We have a small bucket filled with toys next to the bath he can choose from.
Fill up and Dump Cups
One of our son’s favorite bath toys is a cup. He really likes filling it with water and subsequently dumping it out. There are nights he does this over and over long enough to get him totally clean.
Spray bottle
As mentioned in
Quick Tip #2, giving your child a misting spray bottle in the bath is great fun. Be warned that they will probably get the most entertainment out of spraying you! Make sure the spray bottle is clean and was bought empty so there is no chemical residue from previous contents.
Other Suggested Articles:
Quick Tip #2
Make bath time more fun
How to Bath a Toddler
How to Bath a Toddler
Toddler Milestones Calculator
Monthly milestones for you child
