There is a reason why my kids aren't always quite as clean as they should be.
Bathtime can be very stressful in my house. Especially if Ron isn't around totake over help. And lately he's usually at work until after the girls are all in bed. So bathtime falls to me.
I love my girls, but to be honest, bathing them has never been my favorite activity. At least, not since we moved into this house and its one bathtub about the size of a breadbox (or so it seems!). And lately, it's gotten much more difficult to manage.
I can give you one reason. And she just turned 19 months old this week.
When Ron is home, one of us usually bathes the big girls while the other keeps Becca occupied, then we switch. This works pretty well. It's when Ron's not home and I have to try and bathe all 3 of them at the same time that things get interesting.
Like last night. I've tried several different scenarios for bathtime, trying to find something that will allow me to get through it without wanting to scream and tear my hair out. The one I tried last night wasn't it.
The plan was to get Becca into the tub and get her washed first. Then let her continue to play in the tub while I turned on the shower and washed Abby's and Hannah's hair (much easier to do with the shower running rather than emptying thousands of cupfuls of water over their heads). Then I'd take Becca out of the tub and fill it up with bath water for the big girls to splash around in and wash the rest of themselves. In theory, this was a grand idea. And it actually did work fairly well.
Up until the 'take Becca out of the tub' part. Becca LOVES baths. Any time she hears the water running in the bathtub or shower, she goes nuts trying to get in there. I usually have to take my showers on the weekends to the sound of a little girl sobbing her heart out on the other side of the bathroom door unless I bring her in there with me.
So my taking her out of the tub while leaving big sisters in there to play... Did not go over well.
My little Becca-boo has quite a temper. Oh boy does she. And I got the full effect of it last night.
We had drama. We had tears. We had throwing herself down on the floor (dramatically, of course - boy do they pick that up early, or what?!). We had going limp and boneless when I tried to pick her up. We had 'the lip', the look - like I had completely betrayed her, and the whining, 'yelling' at me by a toddler who can't quite get the right words out yet.
Oh my, the drama. I bet anything this little girl ends up on the stage someday. I think this was an Oscar-worthy performance!
I think my kids are just going to have to stay dirty until Daddy's home to help Mommy keep her sanity next time. Well ok, maybe not, but I may sell tickets to her next performance... :)
Bathtime can be very stressful in my house. Especially if Ron isn't around to
I love my girls, but to be honest, bathing them has never been my favorite activity. At least, not since we moved into this house and its one bathtub about the size of a breadbox (or so it seems!). And lately, it's gotten much more difficult to manage.
I can give you one reason. And she just turned 19 months old this week.
When Ron is home, one of us usually bathes the big girls while the other keeps Becca occupied, then we switch. This works pretty well. It's when Ron's not home and I have to try and bathe all 3 of them at the same time that things get interesting.
Like last night. I've tried several different scenarios for bathtime, trying to find something that will allow me to get through it without wanting to scream and tear my hair out. The one I tried last night wasn't it.
The plan was to get Becca into the tub and get her washed first. Then let her continue to play in the tub while I turned on the shower and washed Abby's and Hannah's hair (much easier to do with the shower running rather than emptying thousands of cupfuls of water over their heads). Then I'd take Becca out of the tub and fill it up with bath water for the big girls to splash around in and wash the rest of themselves. In theory, this was a grand idea. And it actually did work fairly well.
Up until the 'take Becca out of the tub' part. Becca LOVES baths. Any time she hears the water running in the bathtub or shower, she goes nuts trying to get in there. I usually have to take my showers on the weekends to the sound of a little girl sobbing her heart out on the other side of the bathroom door unless I bring her in there with me.
So my taking her out of the tub while leaving big sisters in there to play... Did not go over well.
My little Becca-boo has quite a temper. Oh boy does she. And I got the full effect of it last night.
We had drama. We had tears. We had throwing herself down on the floor (dramatically, of course - boy do they pick that up early, or what?!). We had going limp and boneless when I tried to pick her up. We had 'the lip', the look - like I had completely betrayed her, and the whining, 'yelling' at me by a toddler who can't quite get the right words out yet.
Oh my, the drama. I bet anything this little girl ends up on the stage someday. I think this was an Oscar-worthy performance!
I think my kids are just going to have to stay dirty until Daddy's home to help Mommy keep her sanity next time. Well ok, maybe not, but I may sell tickets to her next performance... :)
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2 wonderful people said...:
I have an idea - what about using a shower that's expendable, um a shower on a hose - KWIM? I have one, and both Zachary and I love it!
It would help with getting the older girl's hair washed and would also help with making sure everyone is rinsed properly - after baths, since girls and baths = UTI's pretty quickly.
I also did this with Aubrey, and she never got one, so it works in that way too.
As a way to get Becca out of the tub - why? Is it just to cramped? I think maybe she likes the idea of playing with her older sisters - it's kinda boring alone.
What if after bath time - you made it Becca, TV time why you finish with the other girls. She can pick whatever she wants to watch, and watch it ALL - maybe something the older girls dont much like? That might be something cool - that you can be sure she's staying "out of trouble."
Or maybe have bath time for the older girls first, and let her sit next to them and "poor water" on them - playing outside the tub...maybe give her a dolly to wash - then they can get out, and play with her - while she's in the tub?
Good luck with it all! I know what it's like with dirty kids, Zachary's dirty 10 minutes AFTER I get him OUT of the tub, but I have the opposite problem with him - he's NOT a big bath fan - but LOVES the shower head that he can play with - so thats what we do with him!
Hi Jennifer!
Wow, thanks for all of the great ideas! We've tried some of them already - some things tend to work better on some days and worse on others, which doesn't help either. Our shower head is on a hose and that's what we've been using to rinse their hair - lately I've just been turning the shower on and having them stand since it's easier on my back not to have to bend over the tub.
Yep, the tub is way too cramped with all 3 in it especially since they all like to sit at the same end of it. It's even getting crowded with just the two big girls in there... Plus the last time I had all 3 of them in there, Becca pooped in the tub and it freaked the older girls out, not to mention re-washing them all (and cleaning everything) afterward.
I've tried distraction but Becca is one stubborn little girl and ALL she wants is to get back into that tub. It went better tonight though - I had just Hannah and Becca and I was able to keep Becca more distracted after I pulled her out of the tub. No huge tantrum anyway, which was nice! I think I'll try your TV time idea next time though - she might really like that.
Thank you so much! :)
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