6 Ways to Get the Most out of Bathtime

Bathtime is funtime in our house! As soon as you mention the word bath, both girls race upstairs and stand at the side of the tub! They are both water babies, loving to splash in water at every opportunity! Bathtime is extra special though, it is a chance to switch off from technology and focus on our girls.

When the girls were newborns I was always a bit nervous about giving them a bath, the midwife scared me into thinking that washing them too often would strip their natural oils, mix that in with the worries we all have ‘is the water too hot?’ ‘will I drop them?’As they grew and I became more confident as a mother, bathtime became a time of enjoyment. The average uk family spends 26.2 minutes bathing their children. I would say we are above the  average as we often end up topping up the hot water just so they can enjoy it that little bit extra!

In the first three years of life, every interaction with mum and dad can help shape baby’s developing brain. Pleasant smells, when paired with the loving interactions of a parent, can create lasting memories children will remember for a lifetime.

Every bath is different, sometimes we sing, sometimes we make words using foam letter and sometimes we try to make giant bubbles! But no matter what we do, we have fun! Having a bath is so much more than washing, it is about spending quality time with your little one, encouraging learning through play and developing the senses which is critical to having a happy healthy child.

So with that in mind, here are 6 ways to get the most out of bathtime:

1. Family time: Make bathtime a family event, with no technology, no distractions, just all of you together having fun with water.

Fact: Only 64% of parents said they rarely/never use their mobile devices during bathtime. 

2. Music: Music can set the mood, depending on when bathtime is for your family you could have happy dance music to make bathtime fun, or slow it down to chilled out music to get them ready for bedtime.

Fact: Listening to music and songs can stimulate parts of the brain responsible for memory. 

3. Toys: Without doubt this is the best thing about bathtime for my girls. You don’t need to spend a fortune, mine happy play with old bottles and plastic containers. They really love bath crayons at the moment and draw all over my tiles! The best part is when they get to wash it all off again!

Fact: Splashing helps teach babies cause and effect.

4. Books: Both my girls love to read and we have a few bath books which they love to play with. You could also read them a story while they are in the bath, reading is the foundation to all learning to any moment you can squeeze a story in is great!

Fact: The number of words children hear by age 3 is linked to their future academic success. 

5. Bubble bath: Smell is so important in a baby’s development. I don’t know about you but I love the smell of bubble bath- I use baby bath for my own bubble bath too! We love making lots of bubbles, they love to make bubble beards and bubble wigs!

Fact: Smells trigger more emotionally vibrant memories than other senses.

6. Massage: Giving a baby a massage after bathtime can prolong that bonding time. Massage can help relax baby and also the overall well being of your child. We found daily massage to be essential in helping ease digestive problems in the first few months.

Fact: Massage can lead to improved cognitive performance and increased alertness and attentiveness. 

Johnson’s® have launched the #somuchmore campaign to try and raise awareness of the benefits of bathtime. Their studies have shown that parents underestimate the power of bathtime- only 37% of UK parents surveyed recognise bathtime as being important to their child’s brain development.

We have been using Johnson’s® products since Little G was born and will continue to use it as both girls grow. I have personally used their products for years as I love the smell- it reminds me of my childhood, just proving how bathtime memories can last a lifetime.

How long do you spend bathing your children? Join in the discussion on Twitter, with #somuchmore. 

 Johnson’s sent us a few goodies to say thank you for this post. However, we use them at home all the time anyway so fully endorse them as a brand.