Other Articles from Yvonne Kanyi
Essential Bath Time Hacks you Wish you’d Known Earlier
The first time you have to bath your baby at home can be sort of scary. It was all fun and games when the nurses would do it with you at the hospital and you’d look on cooing at how cute your baby is but now it’s all in your hands. You’re going to need all the help you can get. There are some bath time hacks that will make your life simpler and you’re going to go like, “I wish I’d have known that earlier” once you finish reading this article. Well, you’re welcome.
Take note that some of these bath time hacks should be used with babies that are a bit older. So just be cautious. The first one is not necessarily a bath hack but will help your toddler clean their hands. If your young one is at a stage where they can go to the sink and wash their own hands but can’t really reach the faucet/tap then this is for you.
Take an old bottle of that Johnson’s Wash you love so much and take off the lid. You can easily unscrew the upper part. Make sure you clean it out, get a pair of string scissors/razor blade/a knife, (whatever floats your boat) and cut it out as shown here. You can use any type of bottle similar in shape really.
Source: Happy Go Lucky Blog
Babies love to play in the bath, especially when they get to the age where they love to grab everything in their reach. You may run into some trouble with bath toys that have holes as mould can accumulate posing a danger to your child. To save you the effort of cleaning them out or simply buying new ones and tossing the old ones out, simply get a glue gun and close the holes.
No more mould!
Bath time is really a process with a lot of products and items in use. A lot of mums prefer to store all the baby stuff including bath time essentials in the baby’s room simply because there is no space in the bathroom. You can make use of limited space by doing smart storing.
Simply take containers or even better shower baskets that are easily available in supermarkets and shower hooks. Attach the shower hooks to the baskets then hang them on the towel rack that you probably already have in the bathroom. And voila! You have space for the bath toys and soaps as well as washcloths.
Make bath time a colourful adventure by simply adding glow sticks to the bath.
Glow sticks are easily available at supermarkets and are affordable as well. Do check the ingredients to ensure that they are nontoxic in the event that they break open. It is important to always use products that are safe for your baby’s skin just like Johnson’s Baby Soap so once you’re sure the glow sticks are non-toxic, bring them home.
Make sure you activate them by snapping them before putting them in the bath. You toddler will be so amused and happy and you’ll add another hack in your list of bath time hacks.
Source: Meaningful Mama
If your baby has outgrown their baby tub or the bathtub you use to wash them then you’re all too familiar with the struggles of holding them firm as they easily slide off the bottom the tub and try to reach out to a duck who is floating away.
You can put an end to your worries by putting a laundry basket in the tub first then putting your baby in. Be sure to clean and disinfect the laundry basket first. However, you’ll find that you have an easier time as the basket won’t allow them to easily slide and their toys will stay within the bounds of the basket.
Source: Red Tricycle
A rubber duckie is basically the staple bath toy but you can change things up and a low if not non-existent cost. You can make your own toys in as little as 3 steps.
To make your toddler’s Barbie a boat:
- Get old water or soda bottle preferably plastic.
- Cut a hole on the side towards the bottom of the bottle. Ensure the doll can fit into the hole.
- Put the doll into the now cute bottle.
Source: Kidsmonia
One toy you could make is a sail boat. Do the following:
- Get a sponge and cut it to the shape you desire.
- Poke a stick(preferably flat and blunt-ended to prevent injuries to your baby) into the centre of the sponge. Ensure it is firm enough.
- Make a sail by poking a piece of fabric or plastic paper through the stick.
Source: Pretty Providence
You may have noticed that your toddler loves to colour whether on books or even more on your white walls despite your protests. Give them a chance to release their inner Picasso by making your own bath paints. It is really quite simple. Don’t worry! It does wash off.
You’ll need:
- Johnson’s ® Head to Toe Wash (½ cup)
- Cornstarch (½ cup)
- Water (2 tablespoons)
- Food colouring
- Kid paint brushes
- Divided tray
Instructions:
- Mix Johnson’s ® Head to Toe Wash with cornstarch.
- Add water while checking the consistency. Make sure it’s not too runny so it actually sticks when painted.
- Pour the mixture into the divided tray.
- Add the different colours of food colouring to the mixture.
- Grab the paint brushes, your baby and head to the bath.
Make sure to wash it off as soon as you’re done. If the paint ends up in the bath don’t panic as the base ingredient (Johnson’s® Head to Toe Wash) is safe and gentle on baby’s skin.
Source: Modernly Morgan
Give your baby some extra love by warming the towels before hand. You could use a towel warmer if you have one or you can simply leave the towel in a room with a heater on. Hang the towel in front of the heater but put some safe distance between the two.
Ensure that you use the right type of towel for your baby. After using Johnson’s Baby Soap that is specially formulated to cleanse without over-drying you don’t want to have the towel over dry your baby’s skin.
See: Could your baby’s towel Be Robbing them of moisture?
Bath time should be relaxing for you and your toddler. At the end of the day just make sure you both have fun by incorporating these bath time hacks.
You might also like: Wondering how to make Bath time a Fun Affair?
