How do you bath 2 dc's in 20 mins

[LizaLu]

Just been reading another thread about bedtimes and in peoples routines they allow 20 mins for bathtime. This is at least an hour job in my house. Run the bath, allow them a little time to play, learning about pouring etc, wash 2 dc hair, wash 2 dc , dry 2 dc, put away bath toys, always another job to do like cut toe nails, check for any creepy crawlies brought home from school, get 2 dc into pajamas. I am really not being flippant - I want to know how to make it quicker.

tho if were telling the truth, i do have to admit that while i do the bath, usually dp tidies the livingrm/kitchen, gets the pj's, nappies, drinks and kids room ready and has the place all in order for some relaxed 'adult' time after im done putting the kids to bed, and if hes here, he does the stories for the older 2 while i put the 1yo down in cot in our room...

and if hes not here, i dont do any of that crap and am prepared just to sit in the squalor rather than tidy/clean! hahahaha

I bath a very uncooperative, by definition tired 16 month old and 3 year old with severe eczma in about 20 minutes

i turn bath on, put in eczma stuff in the water, and while its running collect PJs from bedrooms

get new nappy / wipes / nappy cream / steriod cream / epiderm cream out of cupboard.

call 3 year old upstairs and he comes straight away. Clothes come off pretty quick and i reckon by 4 mins 3 year old is in the bath.
remove 16 month olds clothes and nappy and he goes in to.... i reckon by 5 mins...

they have about 10 mins play... during which time they are washed with a special dermol cream wash... and brush their teeth.

then 16 month old comes out and scream the place down while i put on nappy / vest and sleep suit...

then 3 y o comes out and gets dried and stand still while steroid cream is applied over most of his body. then epiderm emoliant (and very greasy) cream is applied over whole body... then he puts on PJs!

bath toys stay in bath read for tomoorrow (itsa childrens only bathroom)

i honestly dont have a problem doing it all in 20 mins and if they play less i can even do it in 15 or even 12 mins!

I think I need lessons from dottydot in how to get children to eat their tea in less than 1/2 hour.

Mine had eaten their tea in less than 15 mins today!

hana - re running the bath hot in advance so it cools while you're having tea or whatever. Great idea and I used to do the same until..I was on telly a little boy with horrendous burns. Unbeknownst to his mother he had snuck off and climbed into the bath while it was hot. She didn't even know he could get into the bath by himself. Horrid for child and desperately upset mum. Advice from her and other experts was to always run cold in first, then top up with hot. I was so horrified that I have done this ever since I saw it.

sorry, not was, saw

Madora i saw that too

Yes my friend recently has her 2yo DD in A&E with scalded feet from this scenario. She didn't realise the DD had gone upstairs.

DS and DD took a full hour to eat tonight. But it was because for a special treat we put the little table in the living room and they watched Mary Poppins.

madora

yes
will change that

slow teatimes drive me mad Bozza! If they haven't eaten their meal within 10 - 15 mins, they're not going to eat it at all - they sit there messing about and it drives me mad! The rule tends to be that when I've finished my tea and started to clear up, if they haven't finished I take it off them... The other rule is that have to have eaten the majority of their meal to get a treat, so the two combined hopefully means they eat their tea without too much fuss (ha, ha).

(ooh - I'm so mean...).

If they like tea, it's gone within about 5 minutes anyway!!

Do remember to run a bit of cold water after you've run the hot though - to stop scalding dribbles when they inevitably play with the tap.

hunker - i think briefly about putting that forward as a tip of the day on here every time i do it

Sorry to be thick - but does that require a mixer tap?

wow I think I'm wierd now mine get bathed in about 30 minutes (2 1/2 and 1) but then they come downstairs for nappies (younger one), cream, PJs etc then Daddy comes in eats his dinner and they have a play with Daddy, then it's milk and toast time, then story time (we alternate that one) then it's bedtime at about 8.30pm. If I put them down at 7ish DP would never get to see them during the week, although they do get up at 8pm the next day which suits me at the moment.