Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Bathe your Kids, Not the Bathroom!



It's Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday!! This is the day I look forward to all week (yes, I do have a life. I just really look forward to this post!) because Shannon, at Rocks in My Dryer, hosts her Works for Me Wednesdays blog carnival where I can get all kinds of wonderful tips and tid bits that have helped me in so many ways! Tips from food preparation, to kids crafts, to de-funking smelly dish towels and other funky smelling laundry!!! Today is my first ever WFMW post but I share this tip with every mom of small kids that I meet. It really works for me!!


Splish splash, I was taking a bath,
Long about a Saturday night…


One of the best tips I ever read in a parenting magazine was to buy a clear shower curtain. Every kid loves to splash. They have so much fun and their little faces light up with the biggest grins! My face, however, not quite so cheery. Instead of thinking about how much fun my little ones were having, I was grimacing at how much cleaning I would have to do afterwards. I would watch as water cascaded down the walls and cabinet doors and mirror! As much as I might want to be that easy-going mom who can relish her kids joy and shrug her shoulders at a little bit of extra work sopping up the bathroom floor, that’s just not me. So, when I read this tip, I felt I’d hit upon a goldmine. Go to the dollar store or WalMart and buy a regular old CLEAR shower curtain. If you must have the matching bathroom ensemble which includes the cutesy shower curtain, just use the clear one behind it and toss the cute non-see-through curtain over the top of the curtain rod during bath time. As soon as you feel your kids are old enough to not have a constant hand on them, pull the clear shower curtain closed. Tip: we have a fiberglass tub/shower so I wet the side walls and smooth the curtain to the wetness to create a seal keeping the water from coming out the sides. Once the curtain is pulled, I tell the kids, “Alright! Go for it!!! SPLASH!!! SPLASH!!! SPLASH!!! C’mon! Harder!! SPLASH!!!” They have an absolute blast! Their eyes are squeezed tight, mouths open in a wonderful laugh, arms are flailing every direction slapping the water and splashing as big as they can! I only call them down when it starts going over the top of the shower rod and onto my head! Oh, and of course, if they are bathing with a sibling who isn’t enjoying the robust fun, they must either calm their splashing down or turn around with their back to the sibling and splash the other way. This way I can allow them to have fun yet I can keep an eye on them and know they are being safe.

This is something that REALLY works for me.

Head on over to Rocks in My Dryer for a treasure trove of more tips and tid bits that may make your life just a little bit easier!!

4 comments:

Shawna said...

I just got done sopping/mopping/soaking up the bathroom floor a few hours ago. Thanks for the tip!

Tammy said...

Wow, what a great idea! Too bad mine are past that stage and take showers now. Yet, still manage to soak the bathroom floor!

Thanks a lot for stopping by my place!

Anonymous said...

What a fantastic idea! My slightly older ones already pull the shower curtain closed while they splash but my youngest (20 months) doesn't like the curtain closed, or even partly closed. Never thought about trying out a clear curtain.

Thanks!

Lizz @ Yes, and So is My Heart said...

That's brilliant!

And, believe it or not, I actually have a clear one right behind my decorative one. I'd just never thought of tossing the nice one above the rod and letting them have fun. My kids will be thrilled if I encourage them to splash.