Bath time: it’s got to happen. And if you can’t remember the last time your kid had one, it’s time for another one (same rule goes for you and showers.)

Whether it’s your first time bathing your babe, or your fiftieth, here are some guidelines:

1. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER leave your child alone in water. This really should go without saying but since drowning in a tub is approximately 62% of all unintentional drowning deaths for children under age one (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db149.htm) we will keep addressing it. Children can drown in as little as 2 inches of water. Don’t leave standing water around them. Don’t let them be in the tub alone. If you have to leave, take them out of the tub and with you. Your child’s life is more important than whatever draws you away from the tub.
2. Make sure the water is not too hot or too cold. They say to check the temperature with your elbow (I’m assuming because it is more sensitive to temperature than your hands which change temperatures frequently). I honestly didn’t figure out how to get a good temperature until my second child. My poor daughter had several too cool baths I’m afraid. But I would rather err on the side of too cold than too hot and burn him/her.
3. Some babies love baths, some hate them. If your baby is the latter, get some bright toys and water books to distract them. It’s also a great time to sing songs. We like “3 Little Ducks”, ABC, and “3 Little Monkeys.”
4. Make sure you wash tub toys often. If your toys are squeaky water toys, the kind that can suck up water and squirt it out, I recommend soaking them in vinegar every once in awhile. However, once you see what comes out, you might want to fill the hole in with hot glue like I did. Here is a small fraction of what came out of our ducks. ICK!! Before you glue them, make sure to wash them with the vinegar (if they’ve been used, if they are new just plug that sucker up). I seriously wanted to barf when I saw this.
5. Have all of your supplies before hand so you aren’t scrambling to find shampoo, a washcloth, etc. This is more important if you are bathing a baby that can’t sit up. For a bigger kid, as long as everything is in the same room you are good. Warning: You will get wet, I guarantee it. This is why I usually bathe my kids before I get ready for bed, so I don’t get my pjs wet.
6. Have fun! Bath time is a great time to play and bond with your child. It is also setting an important example for them, one of good hygiene. If you do it right, they’ll even remember to shower when they’re teenagers. Maybe.