How to avoid hellish bed & bath time with 2.5 year old and new baby??

[TheNewShmoo]

Hi everyone, would really like to hear how people manage this as currently spending everyday dreading 5pm!

My 11 week old screams to be held during my toddler's bath time. I wear him in the sling but I'm finding it impossible to bathe my toddler like this because it's difficult to bend over the bath and wash/dry her, lift her out etc. She always dripping wet and shivering by the time we get her in her bedroom. Everyone ends up just getting v upset at a time in the day where they should be winding down for bed with what used to be a nice soothing ritual.

My 11 week old is not content in the bouncer in the bathroom as he can't really see what's going on, no end of singing has helped either. He just wants to be hugged at the end of the day too as I guess his brain is pretty frazzled. Poor DD always slept like a dream, but ever since bedtime from hell has emerged, she frequently wakes in the night crying and has started to wet herself after 8 months of being dry- although I'm sure this is to do more with the big adjustment to sharing life with the new baby. I am just a mess by the evening.

What do you do??

Hello. I was in a similar situation with my 2 a year ago. I decided that the little one was tired and so I used to nip out for a quick walk (even on dark rainy nights) until dc2 was asleep and then race home and do bathtime while dc2 was asleep. It did mean that for a couple of months dc2 would go to bed later but it got me through that tricky stage until dc2 was big enough to go in the bath too.

Things did get easier quickly so hang in there!

I always bathed the baby during hte morning whilst the toddler was busy/at play school/ could help. Toddler only bathed every other night at best - they don't get that dirty! can still wind down with milk/story at bedtime. She will get used to a slightly different routine. I only bathed mine together once the baby could sit in a bath seat - although I'm not sure that was much easier as trying to get them both out, dry and in pjs at the same time was always complicated!

Haahoo. I have a 20 month age gap and after about 11 weeks started to bath them together. I put baby in baby bath seat and my toddler can sit and stand on her own so it is fine. I put baby in fist bc he loves bath and can sit safely in seat with out me holding him while I get toddler in. I only got in ounce and that was last and then I got out first - dried and got dressed (myself quickyl) with toddler (toddler stayed in towel and happy to walk around naked until after dressed baby) and baby out (dressed before toddler bc baby hates being cold). I prefer not to bath w kids bc it's easier to do on my own and more relaxing!

It's so nice to see the kids happy in bath together :-) one of the happiest so far. It's a way they can play together when baby so young.

Thank you mamabear - sounds like this could actually be a lovely and fun experience rather than the complex logistical exercise it is in my head! DD loves her baths and can play for ages, she's quite wild though and I can just imagine her pouring water all over her baby brother's head!

Watching this with interest, too, as I also have a 2.5-year-old, a newborn, and a husband who only gets home from work at 8.30pm.

Some really useful tips here.

My DD is 3 & DS 12wks. I use the tummy tub for DS but have it sat in the bath so DD climbs in, then DS goes in (DD's bath water helps keep the TT water at a comfy temp). He has a swish around while I support him - he loves watching his big sister in the bath too & once I get him out (I have a cuddle dry towel so no faffing) DD stands & gets a splodge of soap to wash herself with while I dry/dress DS & then she gets out the bath, towel poncho on & through to either her room or my room for pj's & stories while DS br/feeds.
If DH is in from work, he then does couple more stories/ settles DD* while I finish feeding/ settle DS. If he isn't, then DD gets iPad to watch a bit of cbeebies bedtime stories on iplayer while I settle DS & then gets one more story from me & settles.
Takes about an hr altogether.

• I still have to go & say good night before DD will sleep even if DH has done bed - isn't perfect as pre-DS she'd be happy for him to settle her & yet DH doesn't think DD is jealous at all!

Interesting Lofty... may try baby DS in the tummy tub in the bath with toddler DD... if that doesn't go well then on to the bath sling support thingy.

Agree with Barberry that bathmats/towels are v important and getting baby sorted swiftly.

To this end have ordered a cuddledry toddler towel (thanks for suggestion Lofty) to make getting out of the bath as nice as possible for DD and an apron cuddledry for baby DS. Currently I bathe baby DS after toddler goes to bed, and really enjoy massaging him (with that yummy Waitrose solid coconut massage oil mmmm) on my lap afterwards under dim light, so will have to do all this in our tiny bathroom under brighter light whilst DD plays in the bath. Oh well, something's got to give.

DoItNow I've given up on trying to get the baby to sleep for my toddler's bath time- guaranteed to wake up in the middle of it all which is way more stressful. Would be the answer to everything if he could sleep through it!

Lofty do you put your baby in bed to sleep before putting your toddler down?

Wow Mamabear that is some wicked multi-tasking!!