Bath time can mean fun time, I mean- what was more exciting as a child than splashing water around everywhere? My little one not only liked to soak our floors whenever possible, but he also would find it funny to pour half of the washing soaps and shampoo out into the bath, onto the walls and give the floor an extra slippery surface. Here are my top five tips to prevent mess at bath time while still ensuring that your child will have a fun experience to prevent the bath time tantrum battle.
More Entertainment
Bring more entertainment into bath time. More bath toys can sound like more mess but actually, it is a lot easier to pick a toy up that has been thrown out of the bath than half a bathtub of water.
Toys will keep your child distracted through play and less likely to resort to emptying half of the bathwater out.
Obviously, it goes without saying that if you are keen to keep the water within the bath then don’t include squirty toys; squirty guns in particular lead to water fights and a big mess at bath time, especially if you have more than one child in there.
Use a Bath Seat
A bath seat can help your baby splash around less and in turn, keep your bathroom drier and tidier.
You can pick up a bath seat from Amazon for a great price and we have even put together a list of the best baby bath seats so you can compare the top brands.
We love a bath seat and I’m sure your little one will too.
Bath Tidy Caddy
A “bath tidy caddy” is an ideal way to keep bath time organised. Children do enjoy being helpful, especially when you give them verbal praise along with it.
Ask them to help you get the soap or shampoo out of the caddy and then to put it back after, don’t forget to thank them for being super helpful! Do the same with their toys. Amazon and eBay have lots of toy organisers for bath time.
Your children will become aware that their toys have to be put away at the end of bath time and they will be less likely to launch them across the room and create a mess.
Use a baby dam
Build a dam. A Babydam bathwater barrier is a fantastic little product that ensures you are only using the water you need depending on the size of your baby or toddler. This enables you to fill half of your bathtub. This is not only good for your water bill and the environment, but it means you can sit in the empty side of the tub without getting wet. Less water means less mess and a happy parent.
Keep Soap Out of Their Eyes
Keep soap out of their eyes. This is a big one because as soon as soap touches your child’s eyes, all chaos breaks out.
A tiny spec of soap in his eye and my little one thrashes himself around and attempts to drag all towels into the bath with him in order to wipe soap from his eyes. A great idea is to stick stars to the ceiling.
Ask your child to lean their head right back and count the stars while you pour the water down the back of their heads to rinse out the shampoo.
Another trick is asking them to look up and check for spiders. This keeps your child calm and prevents the mess.
Give them Frequent Warnings
Give them frequent, timely warnings before you get your toddler or child out of the bath. This prevents the shock of them abruptly being lifted from the tub and in turn, prevents a water-fuelled tantrum from puddling your floor.
If all of the above fails, then place towels on the floor and accept that no matter what you do to prevent the mess at bath time there will be times when your baby or toddler just wants to make a splash! Maybe get your waterproofs ready, just in case!
