Bathtime Problems

I used to love bathtime with my girls, but now I dread it.  It’s the time of night when they are getting goofy ( and testing me) because they are tired and I’m the most tired of my day.  I am not willing to put up with their shenaningans.
What would you suggest since I also don’t want to give them baths at 7 at night.

Baths at the Gordon house are now short and functional. We use to give nightly baths to our children as part of their bedtime routine. We would fill the tub with bath toys and sit tub-side and watch them play.

Today, baths at the Gordon home are probably every 2 to 3 days (depending on how much they swim). Overtime, we have eliminated sitting and watching the kids in the tub. Now, if our kids our in the tub someone is actively being washed. We often bath our three youngest in the same bath water. We’ll ask our 5 year old to get her PJs, while I begin bathing our 2 year old and 8 month old. I will typically dress them tub-side. Even doing this there are only two kids in the tub at a time.

If bathtime is causing problems, then I would minimize the time and even consider bathing them separately. Hopefully, these changes will allow for more constructive time with your girls.

Written September, 2010 by
Dr. Gordon, Orlando Pediatrician