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JULY & AUGUST 2019 | 33✓ Get everything you might need ready
beforehand. This is convenient, but also
safe, as you won’t have to take your
hands off your child. Pump bottles are
great because they allow you to keep
a hand on baby at all times.
✓ Use a bath thermometer if you worry
about the water being too hot or cold.
✓ Make sure the room isn’t drafty. If you
are moving baby to another room to get
dressed, then make sure that room is
lovely and warm too and that everything
you need is set out beforehand.
✓ Invest in a kneeling pad, or make sure
there’s a low stool at the bath to sit on to
protect your back.
✓ Wet babies can be very slippery.
Make sure you have face cloths handy
to improve your grip, and only use a tiny
bit of bath product. Non-slip pads in the
bottom of the bath are essential.Johnson’s Bedtime Bath range is
enriched with essences that benefit
sleep. Jelly (R29.95), Oil (R47.95),
Powder (R29.95), Soap (R16,95) Bath
(R64.95) and Shampoo (R44.95).
At Baby City, Clicks, Dis-Chem and most
supermarkets.slowly until they pop works out his
eye muscles. When he tries to pop the
bubbles, his arm muscles work, and the
whole action stimulates the development
of his hand-eye coordination.
Spray some shaving gel or foam on the
tiles or the side of the bath, and allow
your toddler to smear it. The slippery
experience develops his sense of touch.
Hide-and-seek in the foam is a firm
favourite. Hide a bath toy in the foam,
and then ask your little one to look for it.
Initially let him see you hide it. Once he
knows how the game works, he’ll expect
to find the toy. When the toy is revealed,
make a big fuss. This game helps to
develops a sense of object permanence,
which is very important. In short, your
baby learns that an object still continues
to exist even when he can’t see it. It’s
quite a revelation for a little mind,
from about nine months onwards. This
game is also useful for a little one who’s
experiencing separation anxiety, as it
reminds him that you continue to exist
even when you aren’t with him.DUCKS & FROGS
Cute rubber ducks and frogs are such
classics. Practise baby’s listening skills
and speech development when you play
with them. Make up songs about the
duck or frog family. Then encourage
your child to sit quietly and watch
how the toy floats away – it’s good
for his visual development. When he
reaches out for the toy, his hand-eye
coordination is at work too.
Buy toys with different textures –
smooth, rough, slippery and prickly – to
boost his sense of touch. Provide some
that float and others that sink to expose
your child to these concepts.
BONUS TIP: Keep bath toys squeaky
clean by squeezing out all the water
after bathtime. Also run them through
the dishwasher once in a while, or soak
them in some sterilising solution.BOOKS, CRAYONS & MORE
Not the paper books, of course, but
(recyclable) plastic ones. Keep for
the end of bathtime to calm down a
little after all the more stimulating
games. Wipe them down with a towel
afterwards and if you spot any mould- it happens! – throw them away in the
recycling bin.
Special bath crayons are another treat.
They rinse off easily. Your tot can use
them to scribble on the edge of the bath
or on his body.
As you colour in his body parts, you
can name them, so he learns the names.
Spongy letters of the alphabet are also
popular toys. The textures and shapes
of the letters and how they change from
dry to wet are interesting. The younger
your child, the bigger the letters should
be.
WHAT’S THAT SMELL?
Bath products with fragrance will
develop his sense of smell and can even
have a calming effect.
Of all the senses, smell is one of the
best developed at birth. Newborns don’tsee very well and rely on the sense of
smell to familiarise themselves with
the world. So fragrance has a purpose.
Babies engage up to 30 percent more
when fragrance is present during
bathtime, and they cry 25 percent less
after bathtime, before bed, when they’ve
had a fragrant bath.
Check the ingredients carefully to
make sure the fragrance used complies
with the highest regulatory standards.
And here’s a lovely thought... As your
baby grows older, he will remember the
smells of his baby and toddler baths
with great joy and the association with
your loving touch.GET IN!
For your baby this intimate skin-to-skin
contact is wonderful. Hold him safe on
your lap while you gently wash him.
SAFETY TIP: Never get out of the bath
while holding your baby. You might slip.
Pass him to your partner, or put him in
his car seat. Put it next to the bath before
you get in, and line it with a towel.LET THE FUN CONTINUE
Dry your little one in a soft towel that
won’t hurt his skin. Pat rather than rub
him dry. After the bath, moisturise his
skin with a soothing massage. Finally,
a cuddle, a story, a lullaby and to bed. YB- Babies and toddlers still have
developing skin and hair, so choose
products that are clearly marked as
suitable for the age of your child. - For babies, gentle products that
don’t strip or aggravate their delicate
skin are essential. - For toddlers you still want the
gentleness but also a bit of extra
cleaning oomph and germ protection,
as they just get so much dirtier than
they did as babies. - If hair washing is a hassle, then
a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner
is the way to go. - Some foam baths could hurt children
with skin issues, such as eczema, so
steer clear. If your daughter is prone
to bladder infections, also rather avoid
bubble baths. - In general, keep soap out of your
little one’s eyes and mouth as far as
you can.
PLEASE NOTEPREPARATION IS KEY