Tell me how you do bathtime, particularly if you have a newborn & a toddler!

[LaTristesse]

I'm finding bathtimes really difficult at the mo. I have a newborn and a 2 year old and had intended bathing them at the same time, but apart from DS being a messy splashy maniac in the bath and soaking the baby once I've got her dried, at some point I have to leave the bathroom to put her somewhere safe and dry while I get him out and dry him and I obviously don't want to leave him in the water.
As an alternative I tried doing them separately but it was a mare because DS, under the guise of 'helping' got wetter than she did, as did the entire bathroom.
Tonight I reverted to bathing the baby in a washing up bowl just so I could empty it before DS managed to get in there and soak the whole room: better but still a difficult faff...
So what's the answer? What do you lot do?

I just didn't really bath the baby at that age, if I was doing it on my own. It got easier once DD could sit up, and they went in together then.

I did wash her, I hasten to add, but a brief flannel wash at other time of day (rather than at bedtime which is always the most fraught time)

I didn't bath a newborn with a toddler and not at the end of the day

in the washing up bowl in the morning was easiest

I bathed ds before his bedtime, got him.settled then bathed the baby did last feed and bed.

It gets much easier when they can go in together.

I did it quite rarely! I did the baby in a baby bath downstairs, just in the middle of the day or whenever it fitted in, DD1 would sometimes help at little bit but mostly just ignored the bathing. I don't think young babies need baths often really, as long as they have a flannel wash. Then DD1 I would bath on her own - although only 2/3 times a week. After a few months I would sometimes put them in together, when I'd got DD2 out to dry her I would put her on the landing once she was dressed, with some toys. It got a lot easier once DD2 was able to sit up enough to go in one of those sitting bath supports.

Also, like Rhinestone I avoid doing bathtime after dinner as I find it too fraught, so we usually do it before dinner (then DD1 watches tv in her towel while I get tea ready) or she'll have a bath in the morning. Sometimes DD1 likes to have a shower instead, usually in the morning.

I did mine together. Dried baby first and out in jamas. All done in bathroom. Baby put to one side while got toddler out and dried. Then we all moved to toddlers bedroom to get his jamas on.

Not easy by your self. Especially if both are having bedtime milk and stories etc.

I chuck em all in together! Dd (5) ds1 (3) and ds2 (4months) all love having a bath together and luckily ds2 doesnt mind getting splashed.
Wash and dry ds2 first and sit him in bouncy chair (in bathroom) while washing and drying other 2.
Its hectic but easier than doing 3dc separatly and is only managable due to ds2 been a very placid baby.
Just do whatever works best for you and tbh newborns dont get that dirty

Dry baby first and then pop her in carry cot/moses basket - if your bathroom is big enough - that was as a nanny.

My DD loves showers so when her brother is born if I have to do bath time on my own I think she can go in the shower and I'll bath the baby in a baby bath.

I got the 2 year old to try and get undressed while baby had a quick rinse, then put toddler in the bath while dried / dressed baby. Then quick feed (bf) if required (while sitting on the toilet - lovely), and into bouncy chair sat in bathroom doorway. Dry toddler, PJ's, teeth, and then feed baby while reading story to toddler. Take baby off, into cot to protest for 5 mins while tuck toddler in, then downstairs to clusterfeed baby.
It gets easier! Were about a year down the line now, with a 2 yr gap. They just both splash about and soak the floor and parent!

I'm feeling quite proud to have managed this with dd 2.11 and ds 6 wks:

Ds in bouncy chair while I run the bath and get dd undressed and in water
Ds undressed and dunked or bathed in the tummy tub (glorified bucket)
Dd plays and washes herself
Ds dried, dressed and quick bf then back in bouncy chair whilst I wash dd and do her teeth.
Dd dressed
All in dd's bed, read stories whilst bf ing ds
Make excuses and bring ds downstairs for cluster feeding!

It's knackering and needs careful preparation but I guess that's life with 2!

I barely used to bath baby at this age too. I would put baby in boucy chair if awake or moses basket if sleepy whilst bathing the older one.

Then if baby does need a bath I did it in the morning whilst other one was out at Nursery!