Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Things that Make Mommy's Life Easier...

...but might not be as much fun for the girls...

I'd had it with bath time. We'd always bathed the girls together, ever since Kate was steady enough to hang out in a big tub. But lately, that whole bath thing has been a nightmare.

The girls are crazy. They obviously have a lot of fun, but they are crazy. Just wild. And I got really tired of yelling at them, getting soaking wet, and quickly losing what ounce of patience I had left at the end of the day. The day really should not end like that.

So, no more. Starting a few days ago, the girls now bathe separately. We alternate who goes first, and while the first one is in, the other one plays or finishes their dinner, or something equally non-water soaking. While the second on is in, the first is putting on their pjs and brushing their teeth. When the second one is brushing their teeth, the first is picking out a story to read and sitting quietly, calmly on the couch waiting for us. No more fighting over the stool while brushing. No more running around the room trying to egg each other on while we wrestle them into their pjs. No more.

I was worried that the girls would be really upset and throw a fit about not bathing together anymore. But so far, it's gone very smoothly. They get in and out when I tell them to (that wasn't happening before), water doesn't end up all over me and the floor, and the bath time/bedtime routine is now calm. It is such a wonderful change, I really can't recommend it strongly enough. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner.

And now, I don't hate bath time after all.

1 comment:

Erin said...

Good for you for changing up the routine and sticking to it! I think we're heading the way of separate baths. Not yet, but almost. I'm trying to get Callie psyched about taking a shower instead of a bath. Maybe that will work. I hope your new bath routine stays easy! And water-soaking free.