Bath Time - Happy Hour or Horror Zone?

Bath time is a wonderful bonding time with our GrandKids.

And there's plenty to be nervous about!  Slippery tub sides, hot water faucet within easy reach, chewy toys, soapy eyes...

So how do we set up our GrandHomes to give everyone bath time peace of mind?

Here's the first dose of a Grandgifting 5-Part Series on Tub Time Essentials that can set the scene for a Happy Hour, and hopefullly keep us far out of the Horror Zone...

Let's start with: How to make effective kid bathing places in our adult spaces, and get bathtub Peace of Mind for less than $20?  Here are some ways...

Let's get the yucky stuff out of the way first: 
120 kids a day are injured in bathtubs and showers.

And 120 injuries a day has been constant over the 18 years the research has been conducted.¹ Why no improvement with so much consumer focus on child safety?

'Water play' is theoretically wonderful, and having the kids in a contained small space with a controlled water level should be ok.

But, it’s not.  Mostly because bathtub manufacturers haven’t yet innovated surfaces that are not “slippery when wet”, or child-proof faucets for our GrandKids who are more dexterous than us!

So until bathtubs get design attention like playground asphalt and car seat 5-point restraints, we are on our own for protecting the kids in the tub.

1.  Divide and Conquer:  Enclose them safely with mini-tubs

Start Here: With a comfy baby bath aid.

This battle strategy has worked for great warriors for millenium, so it should work for us!  You can have Imperial power too with this Leachco Safer Bather - a great starting point to make handling newborns to toddlers manageable.

I love that for less than $20 you gain control with this great bath aid that gets 5-star perfect ratings from 9 out of 9 customer reviews on BabyEarth.com, and those scores are representative of over 550 reviews I checked all over the web!

Here's a quick review of the benies we care about, especially suited for our occasional GrandHome use:

Does the job: Suppports baby's neck and head
Clever design: Flow-through water makes it heavy for non-slip protection
Easy care: Machine washable or hang to dry
Disappears Compactly: Fold and store until needed

Click here to  for  You may want to get a few of these, as customer reviews warmly attested that these were very welcomed baby gifts!

Next Stage: I love inflatables - Here for todays and stored for tomorrows!

My recommendation is to get one of the vinyl Kelgar Snug-Tub Bath Tubs to make a cushiony tub within the tub. This product also gets fantastically high ratings from over 90% of customer reviews, and price is well under $20. 

Points mentioned over and over in reviews were:

Saves water and time instead of filling the tub
Child can balance and play, cushioned bottom and sides
Great for travel [and sleepovers at Grandparents!]
Easy to hang suction cup and fold away to store

One concerned parent [out of 88] was worried about the vinyl smell and another seemed surprised it was vinyl.  So please take that into consideration.

I also long for a better eco-friendly solution but for now I am happy to have helpful  vinyl 'holders' that lower accident risks and conserve water.  And ecstatic with things that are easy to store, and great when inflated.

Click here to for a that will keep your GrandKids enclosed safely

Another popular inflatable is the Munchkin Inflatable Safety Duck, famous for being irresistibly cute, with a quacking duck nose, and water temperature indicator.

But 4 and 5 star ratings are only around 60% of reviews, and issues mentioned included that the big head and tail prevents filling it under the faucet, which is an 'uh-oh' backache alert!

And some kids are actually scared of the duck!

But for under $15 it's a good spare to have, or to pull out for a surprise, and great for backyard play.

Click here to for

There are also a variety of table top or in-tub sturdy baby-bathers - such as the very highly rated Fisher Price Precious Planet Whale of a Tub, which is great for everyday use - but rather bulky for GrandGear. 

There's no folding this guy, and having even a cute Whale hogging my bathroom or closet storage is not part of my conservation plan.

Also, in reviewing the hundreds of comments, I discovered this one needs screwdriver assembly with precision, another layer of complication.

And I prefer soft surfaces, and flexibility to shift the kids towards me while bathing which can't be done with any of the rigid bath aides.  Having eye contact and seeing them play is the best part!

So, while this whale is a great help and under $20, he may be a gift to give the kids, but he'll probably not be found swimming in my GrandHome
In case you want to check him out - here's a link to  for 

Thanks for coming along on Tub Time 1: Divide and Conquer.

I hope you've found this helpful for choosing bath aides for your GrandHome -  to divide space in your bathtubs in order to better control wet slippery kids.

Please share your feedback, great finds, and questions in the comments below so that we can pool our Grand-Wisdom when 'water matters'...

Coming Bathtime Attractions

In our next episode,  we'll share results of the Grandgifting Search and Find for Tub Time 2- Painfree Lifeguarding!

In the meantime, best wishes for many wonderful water hours,
with and without the GrandKids!

Ronda Kay

p.s.  Also available: 
Tub Time 3: Toxic-Free Fun ... with mold-proof bath toys,
Tub Time 4: Underwater Lab ...with advice on easy, cheap ways to create submerged sensations
Tub Time 5: Dirty Secrets ...with secret weapons for dirt-busting kids in the tub...

* 1. Research sources: Gary A. Smith, M.D., Dr.PH., director, Center for Injury Research and Policy, Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; David L. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; July 13, 2009, Pediatrics, online

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