I have read about those babies and children; you know, the ones who sit in the bath and it helps calm them down. The ones whose bath signals a time to be calm and relax, and the end of the day is near.
My child is not one of them. At 2.5 years old, bath has always been a fun activity. Or, more than fun, it has not been calming. Some nights there is a struggle to get in, then he has fun and it is a struggle to get out. Then he is revved up for whatever is next.
Yet we persevered. Everyone said to bathe as the first step of the bedtime routine, so we did.
Here I am to say that YOU DON'T HAVE TO BATHE YOUR CHILD AT NIGHT!!
Switching bath time to other times of day, even to before dinner if that is the only available time, has been great for us. He can play and play, and take advantage of the energy burst that the bath gives him. We also don't have to skip it if we are running late or he is exhausted (it has always seemed counterproductive on those nights anyway).
Yesterday afternoon, it was HOT (86 degrees), so we took a bath in a bucket outside. He spent the time shrieking and running in and out of the "tub," hiding a toy under the bubbles then finding it again.
If you try it, let me know how it goes!
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Thank you for writing this. I often feel bad when I don't give my kids baths at night but vary them for when it's convenient for our schedule. I feel much better (as crazy as it sounds) knowing that I am not the only one who doesn't find baths prior to bed always beneficial.
ReplyDeleteWe don't do baths before bed either. Sometimes MOlly takes a shower with one of us. Otherwise, she gets a bath with Penny, which is about two or three times a week, usually in the morning before breakfast.
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