How to Teach Children to Bathe Themselves
December 20, 2009 | In: Beauty and Grooming, Family, Parenting
Giving Children Their Bath
If you’re having problems with getting your little children to take a bath, then heed the following suggestions:
Set a bath time routine. Having one can help the children get used to the idea of taking a bath at a specific time. Once this has become a habit, children will not make much of a fuss anymore.
Extend your patience a bit. The first few attempts will surely garner tears and some tantrums and crying fits. But once this has become an established ritual, there will be less of the hassle.
Make it fun for your child. This might be difficult if you’ve already had a long day and you just want to get the chore over and done with. However, children can sense if you’re upset or if your temper is short. And they won’t make it easier for you.
Once your children are old enough to bathe themselves, have your children’s shower things in their own shelf. Keep them lower so that they can reach it themselves. This can help avoid accidents and messes.
Show your children how many drops of shampoo or body wash to use. You can put both in their own dispenser bottles. You can teach your children that two pumps of shampoo is enough.
Demonstrate the first few times how to wash hair and body. You can simply supervise eventually. Make sure that you teach them to properly wash their faces, the skin behind their ears, their genitals and their buttocks. Teach them to rinse their hair and bodies properly. Don’t forget to teach how to dry themselves properly with their towels as well.
Allow your children to play a bit with their water toys in the bath. Just be around to supervise. Set a time limit to bath time. To keep your children from prolonging their bath, you can schedule storytelling session or a bit of play session after to motivate them to finish their bath.
Don’t forget to educate your children on how to clean up after themselves. Shampoo and bath wash bottles should be returned to their shelf. Washcloths should be rinsed, and the tub should be unplugged for the bathwater to let out.
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