To ask how to make the bathtime routine easier and quicker with multiple DCs?

[CurrantAffair]

Have 4 kids. Eldest is 7 and well able to shower independently, though enjoys it a little too much so it is difficult to get them out again once they've gone in (so they're usually last in line).

Younger 3 include 2 girls with long hair and a toddler. Bathtime (99% of the time a shower rather than bath) is such a fucking faff I absolutely dread it. As it is, we do showers on a Sunday where hair gets washed, and one shower midweek. But it takes so fricking long (esp the Sunday one with hair drying etc). I try to minimize it by taking the toddler in with me an odd morning, so at least then it's just the older ones that need washing in the evenings. But fuck me, it's a lengthy process! Not helped by the fact that we have activities 3 evenings a week which make it all the more difficult.

The main time consuming issue seems to be when one girl comes out, the other goes in, but can't come out until I've gotten the first one sorted with body lotion etc. DH is usually watching the toddler while this is going on so can't really help.

How can I make this easier and quicker for everyone?

[alsonotmyname]

I do the Sunday swim and shower and then in the week I take them up after school and they have shower and into pj's for the evening- if we don't go swimming then we do Sunday morning instead of before bed - I find the evening can run away with us otherwise and it gets rushed and stressful

[Lottieskeeper]

@Kanaloa are they? I missed that very important fact.
I would be doing 1 a night in that case.
If one were showered/bathed each day they would all be done twice in 8 days which would be fine by my standards.

[TeamBlondie]

My two children, 7 & 9 bathe together every night. They wash themselves. Hair is only washed once a week, after swimming.

Oilatum in the bath.

[Kanaloa]

@Lottieskeeper

I believe so. OP says they shower once midweek and shower with a hair wash on a Sunday. I know a lot of people don’t shower daily but I really don’t think they could cut it down much more or they’d be washing their kids’ hair less than weekly.

Honestly I think it’s just one of those things that needs to be done. It might feel a bit of a drag but the kids need washing! How long can it really take? I’ve never known it take longer than 40 mins or so to get all mine showered/bathed.

[TheWayTheLightFalls]

Just realised the Jill Murphy book is actually a kids story and not a helpful parenting book 😂

It's a helpful parenting book in this house!

Treat it as a military operation - all clothes, creams etc laid out before (ideally in the bathroom or nearest bedroom), same order of things every time, quick baths for toddler. Put lotion on one (post-bath) when the next is in and starting to wash.

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

Put the ones with long hair in the shower first thing Sunday morning. Comb and towel dry their hair then plait it (one or two plaits) for the day. Don't remove the plaits til Monday morning.

When you bathe the toddler, get the 7yo in the shower same time (if separate shower).

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

The main time consuming issue seems to be when one girl comes out, the other goes in, but can't come out until I've gotten the first one sorted with body lotion etc. DH is usually watching the toddler while this is going on so can't really help

Dh goes into the bathroom you go downstairs. Showers for all - toddler first then down they go to you, eldest in next then down to you (he can then play with the toddler), girls in one after the other then down to you.

Downstairs you do lotion, hair combing and pjs as they come to you then when they are done they can play or watch tv.

Roughly dry comb and plait longer hair. Skip the hairdryer.

[shouldistop]

If they're only showering / bathing twice a week can they not just do it on different nights?
Your 7yo should be able to sort himself out maybe just with help to turn on and off the shower.

[Caterina99]

If long hair drying is the problem and it only gets washed once a week on a Sunday then do it earlier. In the morning or before dinner?

The weeknight baths shouldn’t be such a faff if no hair to worry about. Just throw them in together and get them out one at a time, stuff in bathroom. It shouldn’t take too long. I feel like 7 is the age to start really encouraging independence in that area and you just switch the shower on and off for them. Especially if it’s a boy so no long hair to worry about. They could shower on a different night if you are short of time and space.

[mathanxiety]

Why can't your H dry and brush the 7 yo's hair while looking after the toddler?

Plop toddler in high chair with a little snack if s/he is likely to run amok?

[mathanxiety]

If getting slow pokes out of the bath is an issue, use a kitchen timer that pings, and give a warning that time is almost up.

[OfstedOffred]

Activities three evenings a week for kids 7 and under is crazy.Cut out the activities.

Start with this.

Cut hair shorter, don't bother blow drying just leave it to dry natural.

2 kids in bath together.

[OfstedOffred]

How many nights a week do you & your DH have "commitments"? At the end of the day it's a choice how much you do when you have opted to have a big family, there's only so far you can spread yourselves.

[lifesnotaspectatorsport]

Maybe you need some better hair products for the girls? My eldest son has thick curly hair and it used to be a real pain to brush etc - now we pop on a good conditioner, roughly towel dry and just leave it to dry naturally. Only needs a quick brush in the morning. I had kept using standard kids shampoo until he was 3 and it just wasn't doing the job any more.

[Getyourjinglebellsinarow]

Kid 1 Hair wrapped in a towel and moisturises in the bathroom while the other showers. Kid 2 wrapped in a towel and moisturises in the bedroom while kid 1 hair blown, then into pjs while kid 2 has hair blown.
Boy another evening.

[2bazookas]

Bring their pyjamas and any nappies required to bathroom.

Fill the bath while 2 girls undress themselves in bathroom.

Long hair doesn't need to be soaked and washed more than once a week. Put it up in a scrunchy under a waterproof cap, and put the girls in the bath with flannels while you undress the toddler. Encourage girls to swab themselves down named body areas face tummy, arms, legs, knees and feet, bottoms. They can help each other.
Get one girl out into towel, put toddler in bath with sister, dry wet girl and pyjama her. Get other girl out dried and pyjamad; wash and dry toddler, call 7 yr old to bath and leave him in to wash himself while you dress/nappy toddler and girls clean teeth at basin. I put the toothpaste on all the brushes myself. Stick to a routine set procedure so the children know what to do.

I bathed 4 under 6 in the same water every night; far easier than trying to remember whose turn it was. One had eczema so nobody used soap.

[Didioverstep]

I have 4 dc. 2 girls aged 2 and 4 and 2 boys aged 7 and 8. We do have a similar routine to you. Except girls like the bath and boys the shower. Eldest goes in. I wash his hair. He does the rest. He hops out with a towel around him goes to his room to dry off and put pj's on. Ds2 jumps in. Same thing.
I then make a bath for both girls who share. Have a play, was hair. Jump put I a towel straight to bed room pj's on. All hair towel dried and then back down stairs. I don't use a hairdryer unless needed to go out quick. And no body cream unless someone's eczema flares up

[declutteringmymind]

Another suggestion - do them on different days????

[Pinkflask]

When my DC were small enough I sometimes used to put one of those big flexitub buckets in the bath and wash them in that - they LOVED being in it, it takes no time to fill and uses loads less water. Plus although it’s fun to get into it’s not fun enough to want to stay in for ages. Let them get in and get warm, then they stand up and you wash them down. Done in a couple of minutes and plenty of warm water left for the oldest.

[Tunnocks34]

I shove my younger two in together and we get out after 10 minutes. My oldest son has a shower but it isn’t long - he has to turn it off when I have the younger two in their pjs.

[beautifullymad]

Get bath tap plug on shower extension.

Put as many children in the bath as you can with emollient and decent non slip mats.

Give them bath toys, such as coloured cups, plastic animals, bubble machine that required very little bubble to function.

Place them in order tap end.

First one wash hair, stand them and shower them down using tap shower adapter.

Have hair wrapper for each child and wrap wet hair as you finish. Lift them out, quick dry and put a towelling dry robe on them to continue drying.

Onto the next child who's nearest the taps....

This way you may be able to avoid eczema cream as it's an emollient layer in the bath.

After the last child you squirt washing up liquid into the bath to clean the toys and the grease, rinse it out with the bath shower and you are finished.

It does require extra bath mats, shower adapter, hair wrapper for each child and a towelling gown.

This was how we were washed as children. My mother made our towelling robes and we had short hair so no hair wrap.