By Kerry Hale

How To Keep On Top Of Bathtime With Kids

  • Thursday 22 June 2017
  • 5 minute read

Bathtimes can be challenging for parents for many reasons. Your child might be going through a phase of being totally averse to water (wait until they’re a teenager), they may cause total aquatic chaos with excited splashing or it might just be that it’s become impossible to keep the bathroom clean and tidy. We spoke to some bloggers who happen to also be parents and found out their handy tips to keep bathtimes exciting and their bathrooms in order.

HARRIET – TOBY AND ROO

“The bath time/bed time routine is often the time of day that kids are just totally uncooperative because they know that the land of nod is calling. So how to make it more fun?”

  • Bath paints - Buy them or make them, bath paints are one way to get your kids into the bath super quick and to keep them there. I love to make bath paints using food colouring and shaving foam – super easy and doesn’t stain.
  • Slime - You can buy bath slime (don’t make it – the home recipes that I’ve found contain ingredients that can cause burns) and it is amazing for bath time play. It literally just washes away, comes in a variety of colours and never stains.
  • Themed baths - This is super fun and really easy to do – all you need are a few model animals, some food colouring and a fun attitude. I pick out the sea animals, jungle animals and farm animals with different food colouring for each “theme” (blue for the sea animals, green for the jungle, red for the farm yard).
  • Glow Sticks - Easiest one yet. Grab some glow sticks from the local supermarket and have a bath in the dark with them. Don’t make it too deep or too dark, but just dark enough to enjoy the glow!

JADE – RAISING THE RINGS

“Bathrooms are so much harder to keep tidy and clean when kids come along: more toothbrushes, toothpaste getting everywhere, twice as many towels… And don’t get me started on the toys! Here are a few every day ‘hacks’ to keep everything running smoothly when you’ve got kids.”

  • Don’t go overboard on the toys - Not only will you end up having to come up with clever storage solutions, you’ll only use half of them. Less is more!
  • Invest in a good shower curtain - Not for taking showers but to keep the splashes contained. My kids go crazy and have a big splashing session in the bath so I pull the shower curtain across. Bath shower screens would work too. They have all the fun they want and my bathroom surfaces stay dry. Oh, and so do my socks!
  • They bathe, you clean - It sounds kind of gross that they’re having a bath and you’re there scrubbing the loo but it’s one of the best ideas ever. Your kids are getting clean and you’ll be supervising, so what’s the harm in getting the toilet brush and bleach out? Once the kids are out of the bath, just spend a couple more minutes rinsing round the bath and that’s your bathroom clean.
  • Buy a decent step stool - Not only will these come in handy when potty training but they’re also great to make sure kids wash their hands at the sink. Go for something that doesn’t take up huge amounts of space, but you also want it to be durable.

KATE – CRAFTS ON THE SEA

“A couple of months ago, my daughter – the waterbaby who used to spend all day splashing around – suddenly decided she wouldn’t go in the shower any more. We tried and tested a few ways to make shower time more fun.”

  • Give the toys a shower too - Soft toys and anything with batteries line up outside the shower to watch, but all others might get in the shower. My daughter loves to wash her dolls hair and it’s a great way to remind her that if Dora needs her hair washing she should wash hers too.
  • Let your child choose their own shower gel - Just like choosing toothpaste to get kids to brush their teeth, letting kids choose their own shower gel or shampoo is a fun way to get them to want to be in the shower. And it’s not too bad if they end up smelling of pink bubble-gum.
  • Singing - Since I’ve had kids, I’ve turned into one of those people that has a song for pretty much any occasion - normally with a stupid dance to match. My kids love joining in and it turns shower time into more of a fun occasion.
  • Send in the aeroplanes Or helicopters or fairies. To get your kid to tip their head up when you’re doing shampoo hold a toy that flies over their head and get them to look up. It makes them giggle and stops them getting shampoo in their eyes.

Hopefully, you’ve picked up some handy hints here to keep your brood entertained at bathtime. If you need even more advice, read Mira's tips on how to create the perfect family bathroom. We’d love to hear about how any of the tips listed here have helped or if you’ve got some helpful suggestions of your own. Let us know by getting in touch on Facebook or Twitter.

You may also be interested in:

HOW TO

How To Choose The Best Shower For Your Bathroom

Find out how to choose the best shower for your home.

12 / 04 / 22

Read article
Help us make our site better Provide feedback

Stay inspired

Sign up for Mira emails to hear our latest news, inspiration and offers.

© Kohler Mira Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Registered Office: Cromwell Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. GL52 5EP Registered in England No. 252115