Kids sharing a bath

[BrakeLights]

Both DD and Ds love long baths but there's rarely enough time for both of them to have one on the same day. A few days ago I put them both into the bath tub at the same time but then wondered if it's hygienic.

Ds is still in nappies and I clean him very thoroughly before I put him in the bath but DD uses all kinds of public toilets and honestly I'm not sure if she always wipes properly. I think she does but who knows?

Also I'm worried if ds goes to the toilet while in the bath. A wee probably wouldn't be dangerous (but still disgusting for DD) but if he poos? Should I put a swim nappy on him?

I shower both of them off after the bath anyway but am still worried about them giving each other an e coli infection or a UTI or some other infection.

Don't overthink it. Mine have always taken baths or showers together. When you get if there was ever a code brown (rarely), we did a quick abort! 😂

We've decided not to have our dds share a bath until dd2 is toulet trained. I'm not worried about them getting infections, but I don't think it's nice for dd2, especially when it's clear dd2 is weeing (when she stands up). She has only ever pooed in the bath once, thankfully! DD1 has the big bath and DD2 has a baby bath in the shower, or sometimes goes in the big bath earlier.

They swim every week but obviously there's chlorine and tbh I just prefer not to think about that side of things otherwise I'd never go swimming!

Haha we also use the phrase code brown! DS1 is a notorious code browner. We do shower off any co-bathers when one occurs (which includes several cousins and friends!).

@BrakeLights my kids have sensitive skin. Definitely avoid bath bombs and go for sensitive skin bubble baths if you are keen, such as Aveda or Child’s Farm. But be prepared for them maybe still being drying - they’re expensive but we’ve had to give several supposedly sensitive skin bath products away because my son’s skin was still too sensitive.

This would never have even crossed my mind!

Mine shared baths with siblings from being new born babies and have always been fine! 😅

My mum would bathe first and then I’d hop in. My two younger bros followed me.
One lot of bath water cleansed us all but it was a long time ago! No harm came to any of us, and no showering/rinsing off afterwards. Nobody got any infections. It’s just what we did.

NB: Overdosing on bubble bath is not good for girls. I know of such a case where a child did so and had to see a consultant about recurring UTI’s. I suggested to mum to cut out the bubble bath. She did and the UTIs stopped.

Oh no. DD has just discovered bath bombs and she loves them. She wants loads for Christmas but they look like a bad idea for her sensitive skin. :-(

What do you mean by overdosing? Do you mean too frequently eh every day or do you mean too long at a time (eg. Sitting in bath bombed bath for longer than 30min).

We always shared baths when I was a child, as we got older we got in one after the other all five of us in the same water. Funny how we used to argue who got to go in first.. 😂

If you're going to get bath bombs go to lush, they do a sensitive skin and child friendly bath bomb called the butterball bath bomb.
That will be your best bet.
Also in regards to your question about eczema. My dd has eczema and I do also, I use Weleda calendula baby shampoo and body wash, it's recommended by the eczema association and contains nothing bad and is organic.

So what’s the age difference if DD is doing bubble bath/bath bombs? You also hint she uses public loos one her own which would make me guess she’s 6 +. So I wouldn’t personally think age 6+ should share

You are over thinking this. All three of mine went into the bath together.

DD is 7 and Ds is 2. What's the age difference got to do with hygiene?

Thanks for the tip. I'll do that!! Have you tried the butter bath bombs? In the past I have found push products drying but butterball bath bombs just sound delicious!!

I normally use oilatum or aveeno stuff and I am applying an emollient twice a day.

Not a hygiene issue. But I think putting a 7 year old in the bath with a 2 year old is a bit like asking her to user a potty or a zippy cup. She too grown up

I see. Thanks for explaining. She's fine with jt. It was her idea getting into the bath with Ds.

This.
What is the point of bathing the kids if you wash them before the bath and shower them after the bath? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Bit of salt in the bath if you’re that worried, rinse with a jug of fresh as they get out.

No I don't shower them before the bath but I change the little one's nappy and clean his bum so he's definitely clean. I was just thinking that you shower before going into a public pool and the bath water at home doesn't even have chlorine to keep it clean. But yeah, shower before the bath would be overkill.

The bath is for fun and relaxing but if you don't quickly shower them after the bath then how do you get the soapy (and potentially dirty) water off?

You're way overthinking this OP.

If the little one does a poo you just get them both out of the bath pronto. Unless it's diarrhoea then the poo will probably hold its shape for a short while before it starts to disintegrate, which is enough time to get them both out. Last time this happened to me I gave DD a quick wipe down with a baby wipe before putting her pyjamas on. If it was a real poo explosion and they both got covered, which seems unlikely, you'd just have to hose them both down with the shower head.

Ahh, the glamour of parenting.

I don't use any bubble bath or bath bombs in my kids' baths. Just warm water and whatever soap suds are left after I've washed them both with body wash.

No I don't shower them before the bath but I change the little one's nappy and clean his bum so he's definitely clean.

That's what I was referring to. The whole point of the bath is to her clean, so you "clean" your child before the bath, bath him, and then shower him after the bath.
Seems overkill: time consuming and a waste of water and energy to heat all that water.
I'm guessing you're not on a water meter.

My 4yo DD and 18 month old DS has bathed together since the youngest could sit. They love it as they play together lovely.

DS hasn’t yet pooped in the bath but if he did I’d just grab them both out, clean up and pop them either in the shower or run another bath.

the only time I probably wouldn’t put them in together is if they’ve got sickness and/or diarrhoea as k think that would just be a bit of a disaster waiting to happen 😂

bath then together, it’s so much easier, and then giggling together and splashing with eachother is lovely to watch.

Really curious now. Don't you have to wash the soapy water off?

I usually use a very small amount of soap with DS and just get him straight out.

But if I’ve treated him to a properly bubbly bubble bath then I’ll shower the bubbles off him at the end so it doesn’t dry his skin out.

I don't put any soap in the water.

Just a little bit on my hand, give them a little rub all over, then use a jug to rinse the suds off with water from the tub.

My children wash themselves with shower gel when in the bath and just rinse themselves with the bath water, they don't need an extra shower after that. They've used soap which will clean them.

All sounds like a lot of work.