When and Who does baths?

LuckySunshineBaby · October 2009

Help settle a debate for me. As DD has transitioned to one nap a day, I find that the "after dinner" rush of 6-9 (her bed time) to be crazy. DH arrives home at 6 (most nights) and we eat dinner at 6:30. DD then runs around like a crazy person until 7:30 and starts to wind down until she goes down at 9. I asked DH if he would start bathing her at night for me (e/o night, we'd split e/o so that one person isn't always doing the chore). That way, 2-3 nights a week, I can clean up from dinner, finish up daily chores and most importantly, DD is ready to roll, so to speak in the am. Because she wakes up at 9, we have a hard time making early morning activities (library hour, etc.).

He thinks it a crazy request and that I'm home with her all day, so it should be on my list in the am. He's never pulled that card before (he did in fairness quickly retract said card:), so I wanted to know what the norm is.

TIA

HarrietNJMommy · October 2009

Well, I do bathtime for all 3 kids. It's just easier that way, because it's not part of a bedtime routine for us.

Bathtime for the girls is during DS's nap (around 2-3pm), and bathtime for DS is right after dinner. About an hour before he goes to bed.

All kids go to bed between 6:30-7pm and it would be too hectic to try and schedule bathtime around that time.......

There is no "norm" - just what works for you and your family.

goillini823 · October 2009

DH gets home around the same time as your DH on most days. DD gets a bath every other night. She goes down for the night around 8, but I usually bathe her around 7 715. She's in the tub for about 10 min, and than DH takes her and changes her and stuff. So I do the actually bathing, but he dresses her and stuff.

SpartanGirl · October 2009

DH gives the baths around here. It's his time with the kids while I pick up or relax. He loves it. We only give baths about 3 times a week in the winter, and we bathe both kids together to make it quicker.

Sometimes, DS will grab a shower with DH in the morning (DD is afraid of the shower for some reason or it would make things much easier if the kids just showered with us).

Kim&Jim · October 2009

We both do baths e/o night. With 2 slippery ones, it's just easier that we are both there. I have done it myself, but I would rather have a partner!

lizzie53084 · October 2009

I do them all, he has only ever done as many as I can count on my hands.

ETA: It's part of our bedtime stuff.

Notwifezilla7 · October 2009

I do baths w/DD e/o morning. Usually our routine is something like DH wakes and gets ready for work upstairs, while we eat breakfast dowstairs. I take a shower while DD watches Sesame Street in our room in baby jail (I mean the pack & play) while DH finishes getting ready. I then get dressed somewhat and bathe her. For us, it works this way.

DH does her bedtime routine every night. He doesn't get home usually until close to 7. We eat together and then he goes and plays w/her and puts her to bed around 8-8:30. During that time, I unwind, clean up, etc..

mauceddie · October 2009

I do bath time. it's usually straight from the dinner table to the bathtub since my 2 yo is typically covered in food. DH cleans up the dinner dishes while I bath the girls.

Daisy77 · October 2009

DH does the baths for both DS and DD#2 and usually after dinner at night. He never really says anything about just him doing it, I think he figures that is his big help with the kids and it is! Smile

babypuplove · October 2009

DD gets her bath every other night (unless she is filthy, in which case she may get one two or three nights in a row). We bathe her right after dinner before bed. Since she crawls and gets pretty messy during the day, I like to wait until right before bed, so I would never give her one during the day, unless she really needed it.

I am usually the one to do it, but if DH is home in time and I ask, he is happy to do it. He did it last night while I enjoyed a glass of wine and caught up on the nest. :-)

rolltidebaby · October 2009

DS gets a bath every other night, sometime before bedtime. DH almost always does this. He loves the time with DS- and he gets him dressed in his PJ's and reads him books before bed. I am usually starting to cook dinner for DH and me during that time. I can't seem to get dinner ready and on the table for all 3 of us for DS's dinner time. So, DS eats leftovers from what I cooked the evening before. The nice part about this is DH and I get to enjoy dinner after DS goes to bed. It's so much more peaceful that way!! BTW, DH also gets home at or around 6 p.m. (For now anyways- until tax season kicks in. Then I will be doing everything since DH won't get home until after bedtime.)

jnksmom · October 2009

We do baths at night usually every night. DH and I do it together with both kids in the tub at the same time. They play for a little bit then I wash both their hair and DD then get her out while DH washes DS. I dress DD and he dresses DS. This just started happening recently...I used to do it by myself all the time. I agree with a pp that there is no norm it is just what works for your family.

guim0014 · October 2009

Hmmm I only bathe my LO like 2x a week so I always like to be there BUT I think it's absolutely fair for what you have proposed with your DH.

Plus doesn't he want a little one on one time with her in the tub 2 nights a week or so? And it sounds like you will still be cleaning up from dinner, doing other projects, etc while he bathes her. So it's not like you are eating bon bons in front of the TV, which you TOTALLY deserve by the way.

gobigblue · October 2009

i do them for the most part, but DH will too if i ask him. baths are not a part of the nighttime routine for us so i probably can't help you much.

Ciarrai · October 2009

Ok, well, I'm a WAHM and have a lot of meetings and shoots in the evenings. Generally DH gets home around 5:30/6ish. We have dinner almost right away. Then he does baths (sometimes I help with drying and dressing) and he or we do story time and bedtime. There were weeks this summer when I was home only 1 or 2 nights out of the 7 so he's on his own a lot at night anyway. When he's not, I try to pitch in but it's mostly his routine.

Stacyc625 · October 2009

DH does them most nights- as well as putting her to bed. Only because i am in school from 6-10pm four nights a week. I do bath and bedtime on the weekends and one day during the week.

teach2183 · October 2009

DH gives DD her bath every other night. He will add in an extra day if he will not be available one night. It is part of DD's bedtime routine and he loves doing it. They play together in there for a little while and it's part of their bonding time without me around.

axr8111 · October 2009

I generally do bath time and bed time. It's not that DH won't do it and he usually offers a couple of times per week and often helps with dinner dishes but mostly I assume these are my jobs and that it's a bonus when he helps. Since DD sleeps in so late (gosh I would love this) couldn't you get up ealier and get what you need to done? That seems like a dream wake up time to me and that would give me a whole free morning if I woke up early enough.

soontobemrs.S · October 2009

Dh does it. He loves it and it's something we do before bed a few times a week. I usually hang with them and watch just because it's such a fun time and dd usually asks for me to stick around.

LuckySunshineBaby · October 2009

axr8111:
I generally do bath time and bed time. It's not that DH won't do it and he usually offers a couple of times per week and often helps with dinner dishes but mostly I assume these are my jobs and that it's a bonus when he helps. Since DD sleeps in so late (gosh I would love this) couldn't you get up ealier and get what you need to done? That seems like a dream wake up time to me and that would give me a whole free morning if I woke up early enough.

Well, sorta. DH is on a new diet that requires me to cook him an entirely different meal than myself or DD. So, I cook her meal (and mine, which are similar) and then I cook his meal (which has involved a lot of new recipes), so after dinner, it's 7ish and I can't seem to get dinner cleaned up and earlier chores. I see him and her hanging out for 2 hours post dinner while I'm cleaning and such and thought it would be helpful if he could do baths during this time. I do love her late wake up, but it's the stuff I can't do ahead that seems to be an issue. I usually pack DH's lunch from left overs or from the new diet, plus it would be great to have a 1/2 hour at night to chit-chat or whatever while I'm cleaning up dishes with friends and family that all live so far away.

Soon2BMrs.P · October 2009

We do baths at night...part of the bedtime routine for both kids. I do DD she is 5 1/2 months and goes to bed at 6pm...(my husband is never home by 6pm...he is also scared of babies...fragile and unpredictable...whatever!). My husband does bathe DS who is going to be 3 years old in January...my son goes to bed at 9pm at gets his bath at night too. Bathtime is 50/50 here usually.

jenlynnc · October 2009

I give the kids a bath before bed...usually every other night. DH usually bathes them if I'm gone or I ask him to help which is not often. He normally doesn't get home from work until they've already gone to bed.

hokies94 · October 2009

I do them and they are generally not part of our bedtime routine. For some reason baths rile my girls up and they're crazy women after them so we've started doing them before dinner or in the late afternoon. They get maybe 2-3 baths a week unless they're really dirty for some reason (they're almost 5 and 6 1/2 and don't generally get terribly dirty).

I give DS (4 months) a bath before bedtime but he only gets about one a week. He really hates baths and screams during them so it's not worth it for me to do it any more frequently.

I can count on one hand the number of times DH has given them a bath. He gets home late most nights and everyone is asleep by then.

Can you do them during the day?

funchicken · October 2009

DH gives her a bath after dinner pretty much every night--even weekends. He enjoys spending one on one time with her after being at work all day.

Jerseygirl16 · October 2009

DH does bath time. It's part of the bedtime routine for us. Usually he will clear the table and I'll start loading the dishwasher while he gets them upstairs and in the tub. Then I'll use the time to put away laundry or tidy up before going in to grab our 18 month old from him. I dry her off and dress her while he finished up with the 3 year old and then gets her dressed. It works really well that way for us but I'm sure it's different in every house.

Temp174496125006552 · October 2009

We both bathe Ben (at night). It's a two person job. Seriously. He's extremely squirmy, stands up about 2 dozen times, etc. So, DH holds/keeps Ben down and I wash.

My daughter was the total opposite and I used to take her in the shower. She loved it.

mandymack · October 2009

IF my DH was ever home early enough to do bath, he would gladly do it as he truly enjoys it on the weekends.

She is 3-years old though and bath time is not the chore that it use to be!

I personally think that your DH should help with whatever you ask of him because YOU ASKED and obviously would like the help. Good luck getting him to pick up a few bath-time shifts!!!

hayleydeee · October 2009

DH gives DD a bath every night as he's putting her to bed while I make dinner.

VegasWed · October 2009

I am a WAHM and DH is in charge of all baths. DS gets one every night, and DH enjoys giving them.

cp760 · October 2009

Dh does baths 90% of the time.

yosmtegrl · October 2009

DH and I rotate. One night I will give DD a bath, and he will put her to bed. The next night he will give her a bath, and I put her to bed.

Sawyerplus1 · October 2009

DH does bath time here, often right after dinner, while I clean up and get everything else ready for DSs bedtime. Works well for us! (Though I do sometimes bathe DS during the day if we're just having a lazy day at home)

Want a personalized experience?

When and Who does baths?

Re: When and Who does baths?

eclaire 9.10.06 diggy 6.2.11

Choose Another Board

Search Boards