What do you do with the first twin while the second is in the tub? Or should you try to manage 2 slippery babies in the bathtub if you're by yourself? How can you manage the tub toys without a fight? It can either be a fun, playful time that helps your twins relax before bed, or a stressful messy ordeal that leaves all of you exhausted.
Author Dagmara Scalise has some practical advice in her terrific handbook TWINSENSE. I've used many of her ideas myself with my 8-month-old twin boys, Zeke and Hunter.
Here are some of my favorite suggestions:
- Get everything ready and within arm's reach before you bring the twins to the bathroom: washcloths, towels (2 per child to keep their wet body and hair warm while they wait), and diaper cream.
- Undress and redress your babies in the bathroom so they don't get chilled.
- Warm up or even replace the water between children.
- Bring a bottle and bottle prop to soothe the non-bathing twin.
- Install a faucet guard or reduce the water temperature to 120-degrees or below (pediatricians recommend this to prevent scalding.)
- Put a rubber mat in the tub or try an inflatable bathtub.
- Double the number of bath toys and store them in a laundry basket.
- Use 2 laundry baskets to contain your twins and bathe them simultaneously with each one in a basket. That way each has toys... they can still see each other and splash, but no one slips under the water or "loses" a toy.
- Use mesh bags to keep the toys together afterwards if you need the laundry basket for laundry.
- Keep the water level low (2-3 inches) so that even if they lie down on their bellies their faces won't get covered up and they won't likely swallow water. Of course, sit next to them the entire time.
- Install a faucet guard so they can't turn on the faucet.
- Use a baby-size bath sponge to secure your children.
Most importantly, Scalise advises parents to accept that bath time can be challenging. Don't be overwhelmed by your nervousness. Just prepare everything and then do the best you can. Babies may cry because they don't like being wet, or cold or when you move them from the kitchen sink, to the tub or the shower. You'll be able to soothe them after a few tries.
Don't think you have to bathe your baby daily. If you are thoroughly wiping them with disinfectant cloths during diaper changes, they can get a bath every other day or even twice a week. In fact, in the winter months, it's better if you DON'T bathe them daily or their skin could dry out. If you try bathing your twins in the shower, put a baby bathtub in the stall, fill it up, then bathe them while you sit or kneel by the open shower door. Be sure to put towels under your knees so they don't start to hurt.
Make bath time fun and safe, even with double, triple or quadruple the kids!
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