Sibling Bath Time Involvement

Admit it, you inwardly cringed the first time your little four-year-old said, “I want to help wash the baby!” Images of your toddler swinging the newborn over his head like a rag doll come to mind. You can’t imagine how your first-born could possibly understand the nuances of gently bathing a baby. Still, you understand that a little sibling involvement can help alleviate jealousy. So, with a few simple instructions, hold your breath and let your little one have a special bath time job to do.

Some baby bath time responsibilities you can give your toddler include:

• asking him or her to make sure the baby bath towel is unfolded and spread out for after the baby’s bath;
• asking him or her to line up the baby bath shampoo and other bath products nearby where you can reach them;
• let him or her gently lather up the back of baby’s head (make sure he doesn’t have sharp or jagged nails first);
• have him or her dangle some toys in front of the baby to help keep the baby engaged and happy during bath time.

The point is to make your toddler feel that the job they’re doing is important. A little hands-on sibling involvement goes a long way to keeping peace in the house.