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Original poster

Moving into the big bath - tips?

20 replies

24HoursFromTulseHill · 10/09/2023 20:32

At the moment we still bathe our 17 month DS in a large baby bath on a towel on our living room floor. When he was younger we were really worried about him slipping on the bathroom slate tiles or banging his head on the porcelain so we stuck with doing baths in the living room because it felt safer.
Now he's a lot more stable on his feet I want to move him into the big bath so he'll hopefully be less distracted and stay in the bath for longer.
Our bath is a deep roll top bath with a mixer tap in the middle and it will take ages to fill with enough water and I'm a bit worried about him hitting his head on the tap.
I'm planning on putting his current baby bath into the big bath to get him used to the space before phasing out the baby bath but I've also seen a bath dam type product that seems to create a smaller space at one end of the bath.
Does anyone have any experience of moving a similar age child into a big bath or any tips or products you recommend?

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NuffSaidSam · 10/09/2023 20:42

I've never known anyone bath a 17 month old in a baby bath in the living room 😂.

Get a non-slip mat for the bath, tell him to sit down and crack on!

NuffSaidSam · 10/09/2023 20:43

Has he ever been swimming?

NuffSaidSam · 10/09/2023 20:43

Make sure the bathroom is warm and the water is shallow.

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Original poster

24HoursFromTulseHill · 10/09/2023 20:58

I know! We're long overdue the move. It is a big Stokke baby/toddler bath that goes up to 4 years in age though so he still fits in it ok.

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24HoursFromTulseHill · 10/09/2023 21:07

@NuffSaidSam he does go swimming and loves being in the pool.
He enjoys his current baths but gets distracted by seeing all his toys around him so I'm hoping that being in a different room with only his bath toys will keep him in the water for a couple more minutes.
I tried putting him in a big bath a few weeks ago whilst on holiday and I got in the bath first in the hope that it would help him feel at ease - he took one look at me in the bath, screamed and flung his arms around his daddy's neck to save him from 'the evil bath witch'.

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ErrolTheDragon · 10/09/2023 21:12

I tried putting him in a big bath a few weeks ago whilst on holiday and I got in the bath first in the hope that it would help him feel at ease - he took one look at me in the bath, screamed and flung his arms around his daddy's neck to save him from 'the evil bath witch'.

well don't do that again! Probably a good thing it was a hotel bath not at home.

I think you're overthinking this, pretty sure most kids are in the big bath once they can sit up?
Just try the one at home without too much fuss, tell him he's a big boy so he can go in the big bath now. (Actually, if he's got any lingering suspicion about you being a bath witch get your DH to do it).

Sprogonthetyne · 10/09/2023 21:23

Sorry but your overthinking, my youngest got dipped in the kitchen sink as a new born, then sat in the big bath next to the toddler at around 6 months. Just buy some bath toys and a non slip mat, he'll be fine.

If your bath is absolutely huge, you could use a small inflatable padding pool in one end, if you don't fully inflate it will squish to the shape of your bath. We've done that in the bottom of a shower cubical at a hotel.

wishIwasonholiday10 · 10/09/2023 21:53

NuffSaidSam · 10/09/2023 20:42

I've never known anyone bath a 17 month old in a baby bath in the living room 😂.

Get a non-slip mat for the bath, tell him to sit down and crack on!

I still use a toddler bath in the living room for my 14 month old. It uses less water and is easier to clean when she does a poo in it which she seems to enjoy at the moment. We may change to the big bath when we move house soon as long as it’s been awhile since the last bath poop 😂

SErunner · 10/09/2023 21:55

I do think you're overthinking this. Just put him in it? Our daughter used a collapsible bath until 10 months ish because we only had a shower. She didn't bat an eyelid.

pythongreenporsche · 10/09/2023 22:03

I can't envisage how big your baby bath must be! DD2.5 hasn't been on the height centiles in ages (we're both midgets!) but she didn't fit in the baby bath from 6 months ish

MissAmbrosia · 10/09/2023 22:15

I used to take dd in the bath with me and then hand over to dh with a towel. Then we got a seat for the bath so she could sit in that and splash about. God forbid at having a bath in the living room. You are overthinking it all.

HappiDaze · 10/09/2023 22:15

I had a special seat that went in the bath to make sure they didn't slip under when very young

But I suppose your DS can sit up on his own in a shallow bath

Just make sure you never ever leave him alone for a second.

When they start to drown they don't think to pull themselves up so they can drown in an inch of water

MissAmbrosia · 10/09/2023 22:17

Like this

HappiDaze · 10/09/2023 22:17

You only need to fill it up a few inches as high as his belly button if he's sitting in it

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 10/09/2023 22:20

You can get rubber things to put on the taps to stop him banging his head, and I've seen people put a laundry basket in the big bath to keep the small child and toys corralled. If he's still fitting in a baby bath then he should fit in a laundry basket?

I got DD some bath toys that were cups with various sorts of holes and spinny things that suction cup to the side of the bath to pour water in, might make the bath itself more interesting? She also liked bath crayons.

Ostryga · 10/09/2023 22:21

Dd had a bath in the big bath from 3 days old 😂 I just used the soft silicone seat thing (can’t remember the name it was 7 years ago.)

Honestly and I’m not trying to be nasty, just stick him in the big bath. There’s nothing to worry about, it’s not like you’re going to fill it to the top and leave him there for a few hours.

If he screams and splashes, well, that’s what kids do! You just have to crack on with it.

Get rid of the living room bath, seriously!

ChocHotolate · 10/09/2023 22:24

We had one of those dam thingys for the bath, no great if I'm honest. When it worked it was good but it gave way too often.
Non slip bath mat is a must

MissAmbrosia · 10/09/2023 22:26

I also had something like this when dd was really tiny as she was alarmingly slippery - also in the normal bath - but you are past this point.

gemloving · 10/09/2023 22:34

We used to put the baby bath in the big bath with our first, the second child went straight into the big bath at 6 months. He was in first and the water was super shallow ans he was laying down, once he was more confident at sitting, they were in together. Don't forget the non slip mat x

Burpcloth · 11/09/2023 10:21

My daughter (2) currently gets bathed in a toddler sized shnuggle bath inside the main bath for reasons of not needing to fill the whole tub.
Re him being averse the bath - my daughter at ~1yo freaked out about the bath, (who knows what happened) for a time. Eventually what worked was giving her tampons to drop in the bath 🙄unconventional, but peaked her curiousity enough to get close enough to learn the bath was fine - can you find something that does the same?

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