Parenting Club

9 - 18 Months: Splashy Baths

Rub a dub dub, have fun in the tub

Now your baby can lift his head and is developing at a rapid rate, here’s how to make bathtime a bit more exciting. But remember to never leave your baby unattended in the bath. A child can drown in less than an inch of water in under a minute. We recommend using a non-slip bath mat for extra safety.

  • Still bending over the bath? Buy your baby a bath support or, if he’s six months plus, a bath seat. Both leave your hands free and he’ll enjoy sitting up.

  • Making bathtime fun encourages water confidence. Demonstrate sprinkling water from a sponge, blowing bubbles down a straw and squirting water from an old washing-up bottle. Bath books and plastic cups and spoons can liven things up, too.

  • A watering can is one of the best bath toys. Try trickling water over the back of his head to get him used to the feeling of water running over his face – but always say ‘Ready, go’ first so he knows that something is about to happen.

  • Swish him from left to right through the bath. Then let most of the water out and let him lie on his back and kick.

  • Sing songs such as, ‘This is the way we wash our face/tap the water…’ – even more fun if you, or your baby’s closely supervised older sibling, are in the tub too.