Hello! I have a 15-month old boy and I am looking for suggestions on what to do with him when I'd like to take a shower. I don't really want to give him free roam of the living room (even though it's child-proofed) or the bathroom. I have been putting him in a jump-a-roo for the past (many) months but now that he's walking, he's not so thrilled about being in there (sometimes he bounces himself to sleep though, which is great!) He doesn't like being in a play pen either. What do you gals do?
I brought mine in the shower with me. Then I know exactly what they are up to, and he gets clean in the process and has a good time to boot.
I either bring him in the shower with me (and give him toys to play with) or I lock him in the (babyproofed) bathroom with me while I shower. He's too good at getting in to things he shouldn't be in for me to allow him out of sight or hearing.
Target has cupboard and toilet locks. Having my son in the bathroom playing while I shower is also a GREAT incentive for me to keep everything squeaky clean. Haha. :)
Hello K.,
When my son was still small, I just put him in the tub or shower with me. When I didn't feel like showering with him, I would gate off my hallway at both ends, and keep the bathroom door open so he could venture in there if he wanted. He would run from one end of the hallway to the other, and he loved it! The other thing I would do sometimes is put him in his crib, and give him "special" toys so he didn't cry. It worked like a charm....until he went to a toddler bed!
K.
K.
Depends on what is going on.....if my son needs a bath or cleaned - I will have him take a shower with me in the morning when I am getting ready for work(s). If I am not going to have him in there with me then I will have him sit on my bed and watch his "shows"...while I get ready. Now that he is a little older and more able to actually follow directions and obeys....I just let him stay in my bed with the bathroom door open so I can keep an eye on him. It's a juggle sometimes. When he was younger - I would just have him in the shower with me. He plays with his toys by the drain and I try to manuvere around him.....lol.
Can he still fit in an exersaucer...? Or you can try moving the high chair in front of the tv for him to watch...? Or does he like to color or do anything for about 10 min. If so, put the high chair in the bathroom and give him paper and crayons or whatever toys are small and will entertain him for 10 min.
I've done all of the things others have suggested. I mostly just bring my kids in the shower with me. They both love to play in the water. I have a 14 month old girl and an almost 4 year old boy.
When I just had my son, I always brought him in the bathroom and gave him toys to play with. As he got older, I started to bathe with him. It's so much easier and then we don't have to do baths at night all the time.
Hi K.,
I was never a big fan of watching television so young, so I used a special toy that could be played with only when I was showering when she was in the crib, or playpen.
T.
K.,
I wait until my kids have gone to bed for the night, or I have dad babysit, or I wait until my 17 month is asleep and put on some cartoons for my 5 year old. This last one is not my favorite, but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Melissa
K. -
I get up before my sons, or wait until they are in bed for the night. But, when it's a do or die situation (ie. I just mowed the lawn and I have horrible allergies so I MUST get in the shower) I leave him in the bedroom or bathroom and sing songs that he sings along with or play simon says while I shower. They love that, but it seriously has only happened a few times, most of the time I just get up before them or wait until they go to sleep. Also, if I am grubby from the day, I have them hang out with papa when he gets home and then I can take a RELAXING shower, no simon says!
L.
As long as they're able to be confined, I've let her watch tv while I showered. When she couldn't be, she showered with me or I took a bath with her!
I agree with the suggestions to take him in the shower with you, but sometimes there just isn't enough time, or I simply want to shower by myself! My daughter is now a few months away from three, and I sometimes let her watch sesame street or Wonder Why ( I think that's what it's called) both on PBS, in the adjacent childproofed bedroom, with the monitor on. It is very different w/a 15 month old, my point is that it will get easier. One thing about showering during nap time...I took a long shower (~15-20 minutes)a couple of weeks ago just after I knew Arden was sound asleep for her nap. When I got out of the shower and went to check on her (still dripping wet), she had gotten out of bed, couldn't find me and was sobbing near the back door thinking I had left. I will never forget that image. Be safe, and know it doesn't always work out perfectly.
Most the time I try to get him to join me and sometimes he will. He brings his toys in and plays. Sometimes I'll keep him in the bathroom and just keep playing peek-a-boo with the shower curtain to keep an eye on what he's doing. We also have a baby gate we put at the end of the hallway and he can only get to his room, our room or the bathroom. Putting that up gives me a little piece of mind that he can't get to the rest of the house. Just be quick and no harm done!
I always showered with my toddler. Clean us both. Kill 2 birds with one stone.
In order of personal preference & common use:
- waited for naptime
- had him play in the bathroom (toilet lid and door closed)
- took him him in with me
- waited until dad came home
- put him in his crib
I nearly always took a second shower sometime after he went to sleep at night (whew! whataday to wash off!!!)...so I haven't added that on ;)
~Z.
Play yard and TV! Or, wait for naptime... That's what we do.
I bring my toddlers in the bathroom with some favorite books/toys and with the door closed they're usually happy to sit and play. If they want to be with me, I just bring them in the shower with bath toys and let them play while I wash up.
I used to put my son in the bathroom and put stuff he didn't usually get to play with in a drawer that he can reach (all the other stuff is childproofed/locked).
When there is nobody else to watch my daughter when i want to take a shower i bring her in the shower with me and let her splash around while i am washing up. I guess this is only because i started bringing my kids in the shower with me right after they were born. This is the only solution I have for you. it worked for me.
just an opinion: my daughter loved to shower w/ her parents. sometimes this is not what WE wanted. Lots of showers with us made the whole expereince of showering with us unforbidden and thus increasingly not as interesting to her. If no one can watch your little one while you are showering, then I suggest y'all learn all about hygeniene and the liberation that being shamelessly exposed is all about together, lest they develop unhealthy ideas about the human body..
Hey K.,
I have a one year old son and I take my showers when he's either napping or down for the night. My son also hates his play pen and is too active to leave him loose in the bathroom. Hope that helps!
Hi K.,
Everyone had great suggestions! Either let him be in the bathroom while you shower(just childproof, childproof, childproof!), section off some of the area near the bathroom so it's okay if he roams out of the bathroom, crib w/special toys, or if you aren't down with any of that, or to change it up sometimes, let him shower with you! :o)
K. W
