31 Days {Day 23}: Managing Bathtime

Bathing children is a necessary evil.

Over three years ago, when I was pregnant with Benjamin, I was tempted to let my other three kids go for days on end without a dip in the bathtub.  It wasn't that I liked them to be dirty, but  hefting my large self up the stairs and hoisting kids up and over the edge of the bathtub was a lot of work.  Standing up to wash them was uncomfortable, but when kneeling, there was no place for my belly.

After Benjamin's birth, the belly went away, but I was often holding or nursing him during bathtime and only had full use of one hand.  I devised a fun way to guarantee everyone (even the two-year-old) learned to wash him (or her) self when I was unable.  Each child would grab a bar of soap, washcloth, or body puff while I sang our own song to the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush." 

"This the way we wash our arms,

Wash our arms,

Wash our arms.

This is the way we wash our arms

On a Monday evening."

Do you know that my littlest ones still ask that I sing that song at their bathtime...and even though they are fully capable of washing themselves now, I usually oblige!

{Disclaimer: Though this post was written to give you ideas and to illustrate how our family handles bathtime, remember that you are walking your own path!}