Bathing/Showering Small Kids

[Wineorella]

My kids only take baths (3 year old and 16 month old) and I am a complete germaphobe with hotel bathrooms. I plan on cleaning the tub myself, but I am still kind of grossed out. Anyone else as nuts as I am, and can give any good tips with what they did with their kids?

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

We had our 13 month old stand in ankle deep water. My DH helped her stay up and I used a cup to rinse her off. After a day at the parks she was too tired to play in the tub anyway. We were in and out.

 

[Wineorella]

We had our 13 month old stand in ankle deep water. My DH helped her stay up and I used a cup to rinse her off. After a day at the parks she was too tired to play in the tub anyway. We were in and out.

You're right. They will be way too tired to play in the tub.

 

[Dmwc484]

We are bringing a bathmat for the tub. We use it at home so my son diesn't slip in the tub.

 

[Dominion]

Another germaphobe here! My kids were 3.5 and just 6 when we went last time and still taking baths at home. Basically I showered in the late afternoons (post-park/pre-dinner) and took them in the shower with me one at a time. No way was I letting them sit in a tub full of water at the hotel!! We are going again in 2 weeks and I'm happy to say they both shower by themselves now - yippee!!

 

[mjkacmom]

By that age, most of my kids were showering at home (5 kids, 1 full bath, showering was faster).

 

[usnuzuloose]

I have heard of those little blow up tubs that people take on a ship with no tubs for kids.

 

[Jarmo]

A quick dunk in the toilet will probably do the trick

 

[Pesky]

Yep, we always used a blow up duck bathtub (available at Target for about $10-12). Probably tight for your 3 year old but it's an option!

 

[Wineorella]

Thanks for all the tips. I'm glade I'm not the only germaphobe

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Is this a joke thread? Your kids will pick up more germs touching the door handles than the tub, not to mention sitting on restaurant chairs ( studies have found these to be covered in germs) and on rides. Why not wrap them in plastic wrap and keep them at home?

 

[piccolopat]

Wash the tub out with some disinfecting cleaner and then bathe them as usual. IMHO - kids really do need to be exposed to everyday germs in order for their immune systems to develop properly. Too much anti-bacterial stuff will hurt them in the long run. It will also make your kids paranoid about getting sick from dangerous germs that are lurking around every corner. They need to start to learn to deal with dirt and grime when they are young.

 

[Mousemommy1]

When our girls were little, we just gave them showers.

With our son, when he went at 3 months...we cleaned out a sink and used that.

 

[720L]

I bring comet w/bleach and clean the bathtubs. Now everyone just showers but I still clean the bathtub. It just grosses me out not to.

 

[CaoilinnsMom]

on my daughter's first trip she was still two. We ended up with a handicap accessible room that had a really large shower area. She thought it was fabulous and was able to move in and out of the water as she liked. Just an idea.

 

[Thing 1]

No germ phobie here. We used the tubs. I sometimes gave it an extra cleaning when they were little, but not always. When they were too little for the big tub, they went in the tub or shower with a parent....easy peasy. My boys both loved baths when they were little and I always packed a few bath toys and they would play for a bit while I organized stuff for the next day etc.

 

[bpadair32]

Yeah, we honestly don't worry about it. Had we gone when it was just our first child maybe we would have thought about it a little more, but by the time you are on your second/third kid, you tend to let a lot more slide.

 

[Minnesota!]

I get skeeved out by ANY tub (mine included), so, when it was bath time, they either showered with me, or DH bathed them. I am not a germ a phobe, I am a stray-hair-a-phobe. So, it just took care of me finding a random hair...DH can handle that stuff.

 

[powellrj]

on my daughter's first trip she was still two. We ended up with a handicap accessible room that had a really large shower area. She thought it was fabulous and was able to move in and out of the water as she liked. Just an idea.

Please don't ask for a handicap room unless you really need one. I cancelled my last on-site reservation because I couldn't get a handicap bath and I can't use a regular tub.

 

[blackpearl77]

We had our 13 month old stand in ankle deep water. My DH helped her stay up and I used a cup to rinse her off. After a day at the parks she was too tired to play in the tub anyway. We were in and out.

This!! And I brought clorox wipes and wiped down the tub.