Bathing Tips

I learned from a mom of a low functioning autistic non-verbal child to use a bucket of water to wet the hair, counting backward from 10 and tilting the child's chin up so the water runs down his head off his face. Nowadays, my son gets 3 buckets of water, but in the past, we used just 2, one for wetting and one to rinse after the 2 in 1 shampoo. He tolerates separate conditioner now but still appreciates knowing when it is over.

By the way, she learned this in the ER, that is counting backward from 10. When the procedure was over, she got to 0. She counted slower if things were taking longer. And the doctor was told ahead of time to at least take a break at 0 so that the child knew that particular part of the procedure was done. Hope this helps someone else. - M.B., Walnut, CA

If your child goes through a phase where they are scared of the bath, try letting them get in with their clothes on first (maybe just a T-shirt and old shorts). For some reason, this can take the fear out of getting in the water.- B.N., Burlington, KY

Madeline likes to try and do things herself, but finds it very frustrating that she can't, especially in the bath. As any young lady wants to do, she wants to wash herself but can't hold onto a washcloth or sponge, and the commercial bath mitts are far too big for her little hands. So using a good quality hand terry towel and one of her mittens, I made her a wash mitt. Draw around the mitt, including the thumb so you have a "thumbless" mitt. Making it a little bigger than the original one, cut out 4 pieces of towel. Sew 2 bits together all around so you have a double thickness, and if you want, you can now sew a picture patch on the outside. Do the same with the other 2. Then sew the 2 double thickness shapes together and you have a wash mitt which will not come off your child's hand. If you want, you could also make the palm part a pocket so you can put a small piece of soap or soap leaves into it, but I haven't, as I like to use liquid soap with Maddie. I thought of this idea when I made a similar pair of mittens out of an old thick cotton T-shirt when my girls had chicken pox to stop them scratching the pox blisters. - T.H., Bristol, UK

Our son, Graham, is 3 years old and loves to play with toys in the tub. To give him extra support in the bathtub, he sits on a small foam/sponge rubber pad. This adds extra comfort while sitting and keeps his bum from slipping. One of his favorite tub activities is washing his dolly's hair and tummy. Perfect practice for his own! - R.S., London, England

I have a small and inexpensive (about $2.00) hint for bath time. I bought one of those foam pads that you use to kneel on while working in the garden, to save my knees while bathing my girls. They are available in the garden section of your local hardware or discount stores. P.S., I also use one of those spray attachments with the long hose (that attaches to the shower head) to help at bath time. - D.G., Chandler, AZ

My little angel is small and delayed due to Cri du Chat syndrome. She loves the water but because she is still working on learning to sit, her time in the bath was limited to how long I could hold her in the water. In her baby bath, there wasn't enough water for her to play. What water she could splash went everywhere, so I started putting her in the big tub. I then got the idea to take a baby bath seat and line the edges and posts with pieces of a water noodle that I cut apart. This provided soft support on all sides, allowed her to work on sitting, put her in a better position to play and allows her to splash as much as she wants and see floating toys. The bath seat has suckers on the bottom that prevents the seat from moving. I still stay with her. I've really enjoyed watching her play and strengthen her skills in a cool way. - C.V., San Antonio, TX

I have a 19-month-old daughter who was unable to sit unassisted, but could manage in a high chair. I found a bath seat by Gerry Products at Wal-Mart for under $20, that has a front bar that opens up and a bar between the legs that keeps her from sliding forward. The front bar locks in place after you put the baby in, so you don't have to struggle getting her legs through the openings. It is also large enough for older babies or toddlers to use too. If your child can sit with some support, but not alone yet, this bath seat is perfect! (P.S., it also collapses for travel!) - C.C., Tucson, AZ

We have a 14 month old who is unable to sit up. Because bath time is so difficult, we put her in a laundry basket (with holes) inside the tub. With a bath pillow behind her and a towel below to keep from slipping, this allows me to have my hands free while washing her. - T.M., Bakersfield, CA

I have a child who is unable to sit up unassisted, which makes bath time especially difficult. So, I bought a foam egg crate to lay her on, and I put an extra piece under her head. Now, I can lay her in the tub and not worry about her slipping or being uncomfortable. In fact, she loves being able to splash in the water. - L.B., Santa Clarita, CA