How does bathing two kids at once work?

[elektra]

How old does the youngest have to be?
Or is it easier to just keep the baths separate?

Right now DD gets a bath almost every night. She loves it, I can relax, it's part of our routine, it works for us.
But then DS ends up getting bathed only about once a week, because we just don't have it in the routine.
I am thinking that it might work to have both in the tub at the same time but I am pretty sure that DS is not quite ready for this. Although I know other folks who have made it work. I'm just not sure how.
We had DD in the Primo Eurobath until she was about 2, so I have no reference point for keeping an infant secure in a bath.
What about those chair suction things? They seem dangerous to me though- like the baby could get stuck in there.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We had family baths till ds2 was reliable in the tub (still highly supervised but able to sit well). I went in with the boys and held on to ds2. Lots of fun. :)

Beth

[KrisM]

Around 8 or 9 months, they all went in with a sibling or two. So, DD was 9 months, and DS1 was 2.5. Then, DS2 was 9 months, DD was 2.5, and DS1 was 4.5. But, it gets crowded, so now they're usually all separate again.

[Dr C]

No answer for you but I'll be watching this thread--we're hoping to do the same with our kids when DS gets a few months older. I had sort of thought it might work as soon as she was sitting up well on her own--obviously one of us would have to have to be right there with her.
We don't have much experience with bathing a baby in a tub either... we didn't have a tub when DS was a baby, and when he outgrew his baby tub at about 15 months he just started showering with one of us!

[HIU8]

When DD turned 1 we started bathing DS and DD together. DD is 2.5 and they still get bathed together. It's just easier to do it like an assembly line and get it over with. Occassionally DS asks to take a shower in the morning and then DD gets a bath alone, but not usually.

[AnnieW625]

We started putting DD in the bathtub without the baby bath when she was about 10 or 12 mos. old. I think a lot of it depends on how DD is in the tub. I vaguely remember being about 4 when I first took a bath with my brother so he would've been about 1 then.

[infocrazy]

DS2 went in at about 6 months I think, DS1 would have been around 27 months (he went in there v the sink at about 9 months I think). I have a picture of DS2 in the bath at 7-8 months sitting solo but I think before then, DH and I did team baths where DS2 would go in with DS1, get washed up then get a hand off to the other parent while DS1 was getting washed up.

I'm not sure about DD, but honestly, I think she'll end up in there even earlier just to simplify my solo bedtime routine.

[catsnkid]

I remember taking one with my sister when she a baby.. Then something yucky happened and I never wanted to take one with her again, KWIM?

[HIU8]

I used to take a bath with my sister and my brother every night. My parents did the one washes and dries and get the kid dressed thing. It was like that until I was about 7 years old when I insisted on taking showers instead. My brother and sister were bathed together for several years after that.

[Melaine]

You might put the Eurobath on the floor and bathe them both at the same time although not in the same actual bath. We used the Eurobath for a looooong time too...

[almostmom]

At the sitting up age, I put my kids in a blow-up tub in the regular bathtub. They are really cheap at BRU and worked great for support. Around a year (I think) they started bathing together. They just stopped doing this a few months ago when they decided they liked showers, which they do separately.

I'm sad they aren't taking baths together anymore - they had so much fun doing it (though they often soaked the floor which led to DH screaming, or me sometimes...) and it was really sweet. Little hard animals and creative play were always present. Sigh... are they really growing up? Well, they do often keep the animals in the shower and still make up stories...

[LarsMal]

As soon as DD1 could sit up in the bath ring I started bathing DS and DD1 together- maybe around 8 months? They still take most of their baths together. A coulple weeks ago I put all three in together, but I won't be doing that again!

At 4 1/2, DS has been asking to take showers lately, so we let him shower and I'll start bathing DDs together (C is 9 1/2 months).

[elephantmeg]

I put them together pretty much from the start using the safer bather cushion thing. I think DD was maybe a month? It starts getting fun when the second one can sit well and even more fun when the second one can splash!

[elephantmeg]

this is what we had. We had one for DS too but it was kinda yucky so we got a new one for DD.

http://www.amazon.com/Leachco-Safer-Bather-Infant-Bath/dp/B00005JIVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1265745608&sr=1-1

It just kept her head up a little. I would have all the stuff ready to put them in PJ's in the bathroom plus her bouncy. Get both in, get baby washed/rinsed. Dry/diaper/PJ baby. Let DS play while I held/nursed DD. When DS was getting to the done point put DD in bouncy, wash DS, get him out and into diaper and PJ's. Drain tub. I picked up the toys, dirty clothes etc after they were in bed as I was getting a shower. Yeah DD cried some nights while I got DS done but it wasn't too bad!

[cuca_]

I've used a bath ring with my 3 oldest. I think they are safe, as long as you are right there and don't fill the tub too much. The baby needs to be able to seat too.

[Raidra]

We got one of those tub seats that hooks over the side of the tub. My second went in that as soon as he was able to sit up. Then once he hit crawling (maybe walking?) age, we got rid of the seat.

Then I got pregnant with Fiona and once my belly got too big, I insisted on them having showers so I could wash them standing up. Fiona's never taken a bath with the boys.. she uses a blow-up tub and the boys still shower. The boys keep begging me to let them all take a bath together, but that would mean scrubbing out the tub more than the bare minimum requires, and I'm using the 'belly's too big' excuse. So they pester Daddy, but he hasn't done it yet either. :)

[hillview]

Around 9 months I started bathing them together but I'd bathe DS2 quickly and get him out and dressed and let DS1 stay in the bath. Now they bathe happily together most of the time.
/hillary

[maestramommy]

We put Arwyn in the (regular) bathtub with Dora when she was 9 or 10 months old. Maybe earlier. It was when she was able to sit up by herself well enough that she wasn't still flipping back or tipping over. She might've been crawling by then too. Before that, we might've started to put her baby tub into the tub with Dora in there as well. They both get a bath every night, but only get soaped and shampooed every other night.

Laurel only gets bathed once a week if I can get to it :bag And she still goes to bed before the girls even get started on their bath. Until that changes she won't be bathing with them. Hopefully things will change in the next few months. Although 3 in the tub will be pretty interesting I'm sure!

[BeachBum]

I have twins and they started bathing together at about 9 months. We just sit them in there and sit on the side of the tub to supervise. Our main rule is that they must sit down. If they stand up, we take them out early. They learned pretty quickly.
When I get them out, I get one out dry him and let him crawl around naked while I take care of the second one.

[ljackson]

DS is 6 months old and I recently started bathing him with DD (3 years). As he can sit I tried to get him to sit in the tub, but he straightens his legs and won't do it. I put a small amount of water in and have them both in there with DS lying and DD doing whatever she wants while I wash DS. Then I get him out and put extra water in for DD so that she can have some time to play while I dry and dress DS, then he goes in the Bumbo and I wash DD.

[ThreeofUs]

We bathe them both at once in the big tub. They do pretty well together.

When DS2 was small, I would be in there with them.

[catcombs]

I used a mesh bath sling type seat (it almost looks like a mesh bouncy seat) for the baby until the baby could sit up on his own. It is crowded now with all 3 but I don't have time for seperate baths.

[MommyAllison]

We started bathing the kids together when DS was sitting up very well, around 6 or 7 months. I held onto DS' arm for awhile (a couple months?) until I was confident he would be ok. DD was never crazy in the bath though, just played calmly - DS was the crazy splasher, and now they are both crazy. I can't imagine sticking a 6 month old in with them now!

[elektra]

You guys have given me lots of good ideas! I think I may try it with DS in there, holding onto him the whole time, and just see what happens before I buy a separate seat.

[khalloc]

I've bathed my 2 children together since my son was about 1 year old. He is almost 2 now and DD is 4. There really is nothing to it!

[nfowife]

I bathed them together starting when DS was about a month old. I had one of these things:
http://www.diapers.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?productId=18673

Then when he could sit up, I used a bath seat like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Dreambaby-L610-Bath-Seat/dp/B000MPMDJ4/ref=pd_cp_ba_0

Until he was about a year maybe? And since then they still bathe together. DS always gets out first, when he was little I would dry him off and get him in his pajamas, and then put him in his crib with a toy or the mobile while I took care of DD (the bathroom connects to both their rooms).

[tmarie]

We only started doing it regularly in the last month or so, when our little one turned 18mo. We probably could have done it earlier, but she is such a monkey, I was afraid she'd get too silly with big sis and slip and fall. I'm the kind of mom who likes to do quick, utilitarian baths with the little ones, but it is hysterical when they are both in the bath. It gives me the biggest laughs of my day. Both my girls are just so silly and happy...granted, my bathroom now gets soaked, but its fun to see them having such a blast. :) The only struggle is getting them OUT of the bath!

tmarie

[carolinamama]

For awhile, I had DS2 in the Eurobath inside the tub with DS1 in the actual tub. Does that make sense? DS1 didn't have a ton of room, but it worked and I got both boys bathed at the same time. DS2 was sitting well unassisted pretty early so around 6 months, I put them into the big tub together and just didn't fill it very high. I always take pajamas into the bathroom with me and just dress the first one out while the other one plays in the tub for a few more minutes.

[daisymommy]

I personally LOVE this thing:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012L83UK/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0000D9SR8&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=024NRXFQKP5P1A3CGW99 It's a crazy price there; I think I paid $29.99 for it.

I know some people have said they had a safety problem with it (legs getting stuck), but I cannot imagine how that happened. I used it with Hannah and Joshua with huge success.

I would put the older child and baby in together (when baby was old enough to sit unassisted, but I wanted a bit more safety).

I would wash them both, then take baby out, dry them off and dress them in the hallway while child #2 was still in tub (so I could keep an eye on them). Put baby somewhere safe like their crib while I finished off older child.

For now Andrew isn't old enough for the bath ring, so I bathe him by himself, and then Hannah next. But if I had a bath sponge/supporter thingie I could do them both in the bath together.
Joshua is 7 so he takes a shower by himself. Bath day is a looong process that I do not look forward to ;)

[arivecchi]

We had family baths till ds2 was reliable in the tub (still highly supervised but able to sit well). I went in with the boys and held on to ds2. Lots of fun. :) :yeahthat: This what we do.

[mikeys_mom]

We started bathing DS and DD#1 together when she was around 3 months old.

We used the Daphne bath seat until DD#1 was around 9 months old.
http://www.amazon.com/Thermobaby-Daphne-Bath-Seat/dp/B000HC8X14
We certainly did not pay what it is listed for on Amazon! It was about $30 Cdn IIRC.

I now have 2 of the Daphne seats that we are using for the twins. They still fit but I really need to get them out of them and start just putting them straight into the tub.