How to transition your kids from bath to showers on their own
Bath time with your baby is one of the most bonding activities of babyhood.
You remember having to learn all the tricks to make them enjoy the moment without nagging.
As your child is growing, you begin to wonder; when and how should the transition to having a shower on their own, take place? At some point, they might want to go to a summer camp, and they should be responsible for their cleaning routine.
Short answer: it depends.
No worries though. We’ve gathered key points to consider in order to facilitate the transition as seamlessly as possible.
- Baby Steps
There’s no standard age that your child should shower on its own, so there’s no need to rush it out.
For some kids, it could be around 5 or 6, for others, the need might be felt after the age of 10.
Enjoying your company or the bubbles too much, might contribute to a possible delay.
Don’t forget; during bath time, your baby incorporates lots of toys into the routine, making it a fun experience.
As they grow older, they’re starting to be more interested in tablets or more complex toys, and their bath routine will begin to be shorter than before. At this point it will be much easier to initiate the transition.
- Supervise their first showers
Obviously, everything needs to be done in baby steps. Showering will be a new era for them, especially when on their own.
You can introduce their first routine, showing them how to wash thoroughly their hair and body and each time you can let them do one thing on their own. At some point, they will be able to shower on their own and you can be there supervising or helping a bit.
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If they protest, at the beginning show them how fun this new experience may be.
The final step of their shower independence may be when you reach a stage when you can be in a different room, but within earshot distance.
- Teach them personal hygiene
To make sure they’ll still wash in a proper way, during the supervising period, you can teach them basic personal hygiene. For example, you can show them how to apply shampoo correctly, avoiding their eyes. Perhaps a tear-free formula might be a preferable choice regardless.
Also, make sure your kid knows how to apply the body shower and what body parts they should focus on cleansing.
- Bathing safety
Your kids should know some basic rules about their safety with regards to bath time before left alone.
For instance, they should learn how to regulate the right water temperature for them, knowing where “hot” and “cold” is. You can teach them to have a non-slippery mat inside the shower area for safety. They could also make sure they thoroughly wipe themselves well, before stepping out in order to avoid slipping on the wet tiles.
- It may be the end of bath time together, but there are plenty of other bonding activities that now begin.
This is the time when you start being involved in your kids’ hairstyling. If your child has very short hair, you can teach them how to use the hair gel currently, in order to spike them. If they have long hair you can style their hair in multiple ways such as the French braids or ponytails. If they are bit of a jungle challenge for you every morning, showing them how to use a spray that helps with combing, might also be helpful.
