Bath time can be one of the most stressful parts of the day for everyone involved when kids fight parents and refuse to bathe. Following a routine is a sure way to take the negativity out of bath time and can actually make it fun for kids and parents! Make it a time of day that everyone looks forward to in order to wind down before it’s time for bed.

Prepare

Make sure that all of the items needed for a bath are out and ready to go. These include towels, pajamas, and Andy Pandy’s 100% Natural Baby Body Wash & Shampoo. Have your child help gather these items and pick out a towel. Giving your little one a job to do will make them more interested in the activity and less likely to dread the bath. Also, having these items ready will prevent a situation where your child is cold and wet without a towel! This would certainly make bath time much less fun to look forward to next time around. Using a soft kids’ towel with fun character prints like Little Ashkim can also give your child a reason to want to take a bath.

Create Consistency

Taking baths at consistent times each day will help your child prepare for bath time, making it much less of an “unpleasant surprise.” Create a routine where your child knows that baths always happen after family dinner time or just before brushing teeth and bedtime, for instance. This can also help once your child is in the bath. First it’s washing, then shampooing and rinsing, then play time, and then dry time. This will take away the possibility of your child being taken off guard by the bath and throwing a tantrum because they weren’t ready for it.

Save Time for Play Time

Another way to make sure that your child looks forward to the bath is to leave time for play! Water can be fun, and bath toys can be simple. The bath is a great time for your little one to be creative and use their imagination. Make this part of the routine, and preferably get the not-so-fun washing and shampooing out of the way right in the beginning of the bath.

Make the End of Bath Time Relaxing

Once your child is playing and washing is out of the way, chances are she will be reluctant to leave. Make sure that there is a snuggly soft towel and comfy pajamas waiting just outside of the bath to help make the transition out of the tub more enticing. Once dried off, give your little one a relaxing baby massage with Andy Pandy’s Organic Baby Lotion, and then get them into dry, soft PJs. This will also help with crucial relaxation before bedtime.