The ABC's, um no, the DEF's of Toddler Bathing!Sep 29 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Personal Care
The Bottom Line Use bathing accessories to provide the DEF's of toddler bathing... Distraction, Education, and Fun! Yes, it really works!
Everyone knows that toddlers are lots of fun and lots of challenge too. Bath time can be an especially difficult time for toddlers. While some young ones do love the water, others do nothing but scream throughout bath time. My son fell into the latter category for a very long time. Bath time used to be very stressful for us both. Through lots of practice (who doesn't get lots of practice with bath time for kids?) we have developed a system and have been able to minimize the trauma associated with bath time. My experience has led me to employ the DEF's of toddler bathing. The ABC's are easy: Always Be Careful. The DEF's are not so well known. They include: Distraction, Education, and Fun. Through the use of a variety of bath time toys and accessories, I have become able to distract my son from the task at hand as well as to offer him an educational and fun bathing experience. I have found the following eight products/ideas to be indispensable in this endeavor. Bubbles While I don't generally advocate the normal usage of bubbles in the bath due to the potential harshness on a baby's delicate skin (and my son's eczema in particular), bubbles are often incorporated into our bath time routine. It all started with a trip to Walmart where my son happened to see Arthur sitting on the shelf. He wasn't just a toy though, this was Arthur Bath Bubbles made by Johnson & Johnson. Sometimes my son just insists on using "Arthur bubbles" in the bath, and I do oblige him when he requests. Bubbles just make bath time more fun for kids. Please note the label of this product that reads: Caution: Use as directed. Excessive or prolonged exposure may cause irritation to skin and urinary tract. Discontinue use if rash, redness or itching occurs. Consult physician if irritation persists. Avoid eye contact. If contact occurs, rinse with water. Keep out of reach of children. Cup A cup helps with all of the DEF's. That hair must be rinsed out somehow! Sometimes a cup can serve this useful purpose. Other times though, a cup is more useful when being used to distract by providing both education and fun. Sometimes it seems like there is nothing more fun for a toddler than manipulating water. Measuring cups or the cups from Discovery Toys can provide educational opportunities through experimentation too. While you are washing that toddler, he can be filling one cup from another. He's having a blast and learning too. And you're getting bath time finished. Hose or spray shower While my son absolutely detests the shower, I was amazed when I saw how much he enjoyed playing in his splash pool and being sprayed by the hose outside this summer. I decided to try to incorporate this into our bath time and it has worked out well. With a small hose hooked to our faucet, I can spray him down and rinse his hair and body. He screams with delight now and we shout "It's raining!" He's getting clean and he's not crying. Sponge or pouf Another fun and educational accessory for toddler bath time is a sponge or pouf. My son discovered my pouf and decided that it made a great bath toy. He likes to submerge it in water and then raise it up and let the water fall down. A sponge works in a similar way, with the added benefit of being squeezable too! It's a scientific experiment for toddlers to see how much water can be absorbed by these materials. And while they are playing, you are getting them clean too! Puppet wash mitt Our puppet wash mitt is a new addition to our bath time routine. We found Piggy at the dollar store of all places. My son wanted to play with the pig, so Piggy has joined us in our bath time routine. Piggy searches out all of the dirt and tickles the dirt off of my son. The fact that Piggy talks makes it fun for my son, and yes, he's getting clean too. The bath mitts are available in a variety of animal shapes and they do their job well. Educational games While this isn't a product, it's important to mention as a follow up to Piggy. During bath time, we play the body parts game. Piggy searches out the dirt and tells my son which body parts need cleaning. Sometimes Piggy will ask which parts my son wants washed and my son will joyfully name specific body areas. While washing, we can also incorporate other games. We can play counting games with fingers and toes and hands and feet. We can play letter games too. I just ask my son as I'm washing his belly, "what letter does belly start with?" Education and fun once again! Foam letters Bath time can be truly educational when incorporating a set of foam letters into the bath ritual. My son has a full set of the alphabet and a set of numbers as well. While he is being washed, he can stick the foam letters onto the side of the tub. Through the use of this product, my son has learned to identify all of the letters of the alphabet and all of his numerals too. He has even learned to spell simple words already, at the age of three! Bring a friend Perhaps the simplest of all ideas and sure to provide distraction, let your toddler bring a friend into his bath! It doesn't have to be a human friend, of course. A small plastic toy will do just fine. My daughter used to bring a doll that she could wash while I washed her. My son prefers to just bring some easy to clean plastic toys like the ones you can get from fast food restaurants. Whoever or whatever it is, it makes bath time more fun. Finally While the possibilities are really endless with regard to the specific bath accessories one employs to do the job, the goal remains the same. Making bath time both fun and educational is a sure fire way to provide the distraction necessary to get that little one clean with a minimum of stress and tears. This Epinion is part of a write off for Kids Bathing Accessories hosted by Ellie41799. If this editorial was of interest to you, please be sure to check out the writing of these other fine Epinionators for more information on this topic: Ellie41799, marytara, neenkeena, kimzstuffz, fallyn96, shanny21, debbietipton, melissasrn, mellkinwa, ariel10575,debbie26,bearysweet  |
| Read all comments (12)|Write your own comment |
|
Ads by Google
|
