- A laundry basket ‘bathtub’
When your baby can sit by herself but is still too wobbly to go in an ordinary bath, a plastic laundry basket — the kind with perforations in the sides — is a great solution. Set the laundry basket in the bath, add a few centimetres of water and put your baby in this ‘bathtub playpen’. Be sure that the holes in the laundry basket are large enough not to catch your baby’s fingers or toes and that all plastic edges are smooth and safe. And follow the number one safety rule: never leave a baby or small child unattended when she is in or near water.
- Infant seat in the bath
If you need an extra pair of hands when bathing a baby, a plastic infant seat will make bath time safer and less stressful for everyone concerned. Remove the seat pad, buckle and straps, and then line the seat with a soft towel folded to fit. To prevent slipping and sliding, lay another towel on the bottom of the bath and set the seat on the towel. Then put your baby in his place and run just enough water into the tub for the bath. The infant seat supports your baby and lets you use both hands to bathe him with ease.
- Petroleum jelly = no tears
Many babies can’t stand getting anything in their eyes at bath time, be it shampoo or water. Whether you have no-tears shampoo on hand or have to make do with a bar of mild soap, dab a tiny drop of petroleum jelly across your child’s eyebrows, gently wiping off any residue with a soft cloth or tissue. The jelly will help to deflect water and shampoo from the eyes and keep your baby happy and comfortable.
- Cotton gloves and slippery babies
A wriggling infant in a soapy bath can feel as slippery as a wet banana skin, but you can get a better grip by wearing a pair of cotton gloves.
- Padded knees
Anyone who has bathed a child knows how tough kneeling on the cold hard floor can be. Athletic knee pads are a great remedy.
- Soap in a sock
This is an excellent use for the many mismatched socks that your washing machine hasn’t swallowed. Fill a sock with soap fragments or a small bar and tightly tie the sock closed. Children like to wash with sock-soap because it doesn’t fly out of their hands.
- Reusing novelty bottles
Tear-free shampoos and liquid bubble bath in Colourful moulded plastic bottles can be expensive everyday products. If your child enjoys shampoo or bubble bath from a bottle shaped like a duck or a frog, save the bottle and refill it with less expensive bath products. Your child will have his bath toy, you’ll save money and you’ll help the environment by reusing plastic.
- Bath-time help from the kitchen
Set a kitchen timer to go off when it’s time for a bath — and also time for a bath to end. For youngsters who are inclined to delay, setting the timer to buzz 5 minutes before bath time is an early-warning system. If your child likes to stay in the bath until he gets wrinkled, the buzzer will remind him to get a move on. Using a timer can help children acquire a better sense of the time required for a specific task. Timers may also be useful when older siblings are competing for time in the bathroom.
- Stop itching with bicarbonate of soda
Adding a cup of bicarbonate of soda to your child’s bath may help to relieve the itching caused by insect bites, heat rashes, sunburn and even chicken pox. Allow the child to have a good soak and then gently pat him or her dry with a clean, soft towel.
Credit: Reader’s Digest
Picture credit: Google