Does anyone else find bath time a nightmare?

[earlgreyplease]

bath time in our house is THE worst time of the day for me. I have 4 yo twin girls who are mostly absolutely gorgeous, but seem to turn into little monsters at bath time, they get really boisterous with each other, throwing bath toys at each other and out of the bath, getting in and out of the bath, running about dripping wet, jumping on the beds, screaming and yelling and generally whipping each other up into a frenzy. Often this ends in tears when one falls off the bed or slips and falls over. I find it really difficult to get this under control, or prevent it happening. I am a SAHM, so exhausted by the end of the long twin parenting day, especially as DH is seldom home before bedtime. Help! I always end up shouting and feeling stressed!

what about doing them seperately, cos they probably provoke each other so they might be more sensible seperately? or if they rather be together to make it more fun then threat of separating them may work? (seen someone say on here that did work for theirs as although they argue would rather be together). As they are 4 i think it would be fine to leave one unattended while bathing the other one?
As for chucking toys around mine did this so now I dont bother letting them have any toys in the bath, just saves the trouble

I've only just worked out that seperately actuallu helps even though it seems like your doing two baths

they are calmer

k my general rules for bathtime are:

1.) you don't need to do it every night,.

2.) zero tolerance on getting out of the bath etc. it's dangerous to be climbing in and out all slippery and wet. In our house if you get out of the bath that's that. you get dried and pyjama'd.

3.) i sit in there with them. I used to potter about, but they are generally better behaved when I am right there talking to them and preventing water being thrown around

4.) screaming. NO. screaming would result in coming out and drying off and going and playing on their own while I finish bathtime. (but i do have a really low tolerance for screaming anyway)

5.) make it quick if they're acting up. get them washed and out of there.

If you're there with them I am not really sure why you can't stop them from getting in and out of the bath and jumping on beds tbh, aside from just being knackered and losing the will to live (which i get regularly btw!!)... if you're too tired to keep them under control then give bathtime a miss that night.
do you have a partner/husband who gets in early enough to help out? if so then let him/her do it!

btw I have 3, so I really do know how stressful it is!

You don't have to bath them every day and you don't have to bath them at bedtime. My friend baths her dcs in the morning as they are so silly at night. I only do a proper bath with hairwash once a week and just dip them in the bath on other days.
Even if you're there with them I can see how they can be so silly that you can't stop them messing about and slippery dc are difficult to grab!Try doing a morning bath and see if it is any easier.

Tell them bath times will be different for a while until they can behave nicely. Run the bath - put the first one in and wash her immediately. Take her out and dry her and into jammies. Put the 2nd one in and do the same. Don't leave them in the bath or give them any time to play. Do this for a few weeks and then tell them that if they can behave nicely they can have a bath together again. For the first few baths together do the same thing - just wash them quickly and get them straight out.

Thank you all so much, mainly because I realise I am not the only one!! Also for some good practical advice - thisisyesterday, they often mess about if I go downstairs to get their bedtime milk or to find pjs etc, but also sometimes because I have lost will to live!! You have all made me see that instead of allowing me time to breathe and get one teeny weeny small chore done - just the one - it would actually be better/quicker/less hassle to sit with them, or do bath one after other if necessary. I do have zero tolerance for screaming (which I really cannot bear) and climbing out of bath, hence the often v shouty bathtimes! But I hear you............and I will stay put, bath seperately, or just not bother with bath every night - tres bon idea!
Many thanks
egp

glad you're feeling a bit better about it.
sorry if i am stating the obvious, but another thing I do is get EVERYTHING ready upstairs before they even get into the bath.

so pyjamas laid out on their beds, towels hanging on the radiator, milk at the top of the stairs ready to drink, ds2's dummy and pup ready on his bed.

that way you don't have to leave them alone (hopeufully) and when they get out everything is right there, so less running about

I totally get where you're coming from with wanting to get other bits and pieces done though. I often think "hmm i'll just pop this laundry away while they're playing nicely in the bath". it inevitably ends with a flooded bathroom

ooh just thought of something else, would they be up for a shower perhaps? even if it was just every other night or something? so much quicker, leaving you with more time to get other jobs done once they're clean?