“It is a great thing to take these young and tender lives, rich with so many possibilities of beauty, of joy, of power, all of which may be wrecked, and to become responsible for their shaping and training and for the upbuilding of their character. This is what must be thought of in the making of a home.” JR Miller
Over the Christmas holiday, I read a book (not the book pictured above) about how to enjoy everyday life in the home, as families. It was an inspiring and beautiful book. However, nothing really excited me very much until I read a little section about making bathtime a happy event in a child’s day. This, I could do!
Giving the little ones their bath is ordinary event that I typically rush through without thinking much of the fact that bathtime is, in the world of a child, a undeniable favorite time of day. And I understand, because as a busy mama, a retreat to my own big bathtub filled with hot water and fragrant bubbles is STILL a favorite time for me, too.
I’ve been waking up to the fact lately that just because I’m a mom of seven children doesn’t mean I have an excuse to let ANY one of my children to be unkempt. It’s so easy to get lazy, or forgetful, or rushed, and to let *the young boys run to the bus in the morning with dirty fingernails and hair standing on end.*
There have been times when I would look at a child and think, “When WAS the last time he/she had a bath?”
These things happen as life goes through busy seasons, but in general I do believe that as women, part of our great responsibility as mothers is to keep our children well-groomed, no matter what their age. These little ones are a reflection of US, and all through the ages, women (our grandmothers) have taken pride in their sweetly dressed and combed sons and daughters. It is a God-given joy in life to do the job He gave us as well as we can with what we have, and I want to take advantage of this joy in raising my family.
Here are some suggestions for bathtime according to age groups.
For the Littles (babies, toddlers): bubble bath, tear-free shampoo, gentle washing soap, lotion, and powder. Very carefully wash faces and hands throughout the day as needed (no scrubbing necessary unless magic marker is involved), change clothes as needed, use powder at diaper changes. Keep nails short. Brush teeth.
For the Middles: (around ages 5-9) Yummy smelling shampoo and conditioner, fun scrubbies, bubblebath, detangling spray for the girls, and vaseline (for chapped lips or dry skin patches). The boys in this age bracket are particularly prone to poor hygiene if left to fend for themselves. They still need their mamas, so do a daily “once-over” inspection. Comb hair, use a spritz of hairspray if necessary to keep those cowlicks in place. Fix the girls’ hair and have fun with ribbons and barrettes. I have found that a spray bottle filled with water is very helpful with fixing hair. Make sure children change underwear and socks daily, and have perfectly clean clothes and shoes that fit for school and church (they grow so fast!) Supervise good tooth brushing and flossing.
It’s important to start verbally teaching these children good grooming habits, so that by the time they are in the older group they can take care of themselves!
For the Olders: Deodorant, lotions, brushes and combs, hair styling sprays and gels, face wash, perfume and cologne, good shampoos, soaps, and body washes. Soon the older teenagers will need razors and lessons on shaving. The older girls need their own stash of personal items, hair things, and basic cosmetics. Girls with long hair may still need help, and I still put ribbons in Grace’s hair at times. 
I still have to remind my older ones if I notice certain things are being neglected, but for the most part, all we need to do with these older children is keep the bathroom well stocked. Trips to the dermatologist or orthodontist may also be in order if they are troubled with any of those particular issues that come along with these growing years.
*I generally have my children bathe or shower daily (or, sometimes twice daily!) The little ones do tend to sleep better after a good long soak, and as we can’t leave them alone, it gives me the perfect excuse to sit down and read a book or magazine as they play in the water.
*I always gave my little babies baths in the kitchen sink, lined with a thick towel.
*Sometimes if the middle ones are really bored and going stir-crazy, my solution is for them to “go take a bath”! Then, they fill the tub with water and toys and have a grand ol’ time.
*I go through my children’s clothes constantly, to donate to goodwill, or hand down to a sibling, things that a particular child has grown out of. I throw away anything that’s got big holes or stains (it happens).
*Remember to wash outerwear now and then. Those jackets and coats get pretty dirty, too.
Enjoy making your beautiful children clean and sweet, and please let me know if you have any thoughts about this topic, unless it has anything to do with ironing.
“It is in her own home that this warmth of heart and this openness of hand are first to be shown. It is as wife and mother that her gentleness performs its most sacred ministry.” J.R.Miller
Good to be Home 
LOL “Unless it has anything to do with ironing”. AMEN! I only do that if I HAVE to. I love all the bath time advice! It’s so true that if you don’t keep up on inspecting things, they very quickly get out of hand. Like fingernails and such. Like you said, I’ve noticed if they have some product they enjoy using, they keep up with it a little better. My oldest also learned about hygeine in school and since then he has been a lot more conscious of those things. But I have one that needs a haircut pretty bad and I’ve been putting it off… : )
It is so hard to keep up with my son’s fingernails. Sure wish mine would grow like that…LOL. I think I’m treating myself when I buy ‘the good smelling stuff” for the children’s baths. They do enjoy bathing in our garden tub…lots of water (and not necessarily does it ALL stay in the tub), but it keeps them entertained.
Yes yes yes Bath time is most definitely my little guy’s favorite time of the day. He used to cry when I took him out of the sink, so now I let him sit longer lol. Since he’s still only 5 months, he doesn’t get too dirty, so we don’t use soap every day. In between days are just a water rinse, but it gives him the same calming effect before bed. Fingernails are still a challenge for me. They grow so fast! I tend to not realize it until he’s scratched his face. Makes me feel terrible!
Loved this post.When I was a girl, I noticed that large families tended to look disheveled….so when we had our five, I did not want our family to look that way. I guess I worked extra hard in that area.We did not have lots of money for lots of clothes…so we had certain “uniforms” that were kept for good. Of course, there were the church clothes that were readied ahead of time each week…ironed (sorry, had to say it) yes, even the ribbons were ironed weekly, sometimes more often. My girls always wore ribbons. We also had our “mall uniform” for lack of a better description. You know..the casual clothing and shoes for a weeknight out. The kids knew not to wear those things for play. They knew what to wear and I always knew they would be presentable.The girls dresses and little lace socks and tights were always washed by hand. It did not take very long to do it and they lasted longer and looked fresher longer. (You understand that we did not have fancy shmancy washers like you have now) I still think I would do them by hand. I like doing that stuff, I guess.Shoes were polished every Saturday night. All of them. I love polished shoes. It is something we did while I was growing up. I still have a container filled with every color of shoe polish and water repellant. :PSo anyway…. It is the little details that matter. You can have little, but the little you have can look wonderful.Just sayin’.
Such a lovely post. I too loved keeping my boys well groomed and cared for. When I went on a long trip,and then was very ill, my friend told me the boys showed up a lot in the same clothes several days in a row. :-OWhen the boys were little we would pick out their clothes at bedtime, before story time and prayer so in the morning they could just get up and change, made the early AM easier.Yes,ironing was usually reserved for before weddings and holidays! In my hubbies first 15 years of work he wore ironed shirts to the job, thankfully he had quite a few, so they could wait in groups for a time to iron. Sometimes my MIL would visit and iron, as she called it “her favorite indoor sport”. We were able to enjoy bathtime with Malachi this week over Skype! He was so cute all happy and rosy. Just had to imagine the lavender bath smell
Lots of bubble bath around here! we keep special bath toys too and have a cool hanging frog they go in.
I love the sweet photos from your little storybook. Can I ask the title? Looks like a little golden book. I too love giving my little baby his bath in the kitchen sink. Calming time for us both.
Sweet post:) I’m reminded to cut my children’s nails 🙂 its been at least a week:) love how u delight in the details!!
I admit, I have troubles keeping up with my four sometimes. Of course teeth get brushed and such, but the girls’ hair doesn’t see a brush every day and fingernails often get too long. Sigh.
Loved this post. I so enjoy giving my almost-one-year-old a bath. I love washing his hair, watching him splash and play in the tub, and putting lotion and clean clothes on afterward. And of course, I love the few moments of utter relaxation while he bathes. Usually I read or surf the internet on my laptop.One question for you: I’ve asked lots of mamas, and none I know actually use baby oil or baby powder on their babies. Do you? And if so, what for?
I really, really like this post. It makes me want to go wake up my girls and give them a bath right now! Happy almost Friday to you. =)
great tips! well since you mentioned ironing it got me thinking. 😉 My mom didn’t do ironing for years and years due to the fact that the older 3 kids did their own and then traded off on who’s week it was to iron my dads stuff/younger kids. It’s amazing how many guys or even people, don’t know how to iron and make themselves look presentable-brush their hair ect.-and my mom didn’t want that to happen with us. I guess I probably started ironing when I was around 8 years old. It was good training!
What a fun post!
@fourfiftythree – Oh Dawn, you inspired me so much. Thank you for your example. Lotsa love, Shan
@weedorwildflower – I love those products because they’ve been around for so many years, it’s the “old fashioned” girl in me, I like to imagine my grandma and great grandma using the same things on thier babies. The powder is great for the whole family but especially for baby’s diaper change and under her arms to help keep her dry…the oil is sometimes too fragrant for babies with really sensitive skin but I like it for Sarah. It’s winter here and her skin gets dry. You can also use a few drops in a bath for extra moisturizing. I use it, too. Smells so good.
@redladybug18 – You need to do an ironing appreciation post! It’s a dying art!
Bathtime can often be a hectic time here. I usually end up as wet as they are. 🙂 Good reason to wait to shower till they’re done. I need to remember to let them play more in there… so often I hurry them through it. Enjoyed this post!Oh, one idea: I keep a nail clippers in the recliner pocket where I often sit…when the children climb up beside me, we check nails. 🙂
So true! I have one kiddo who will latch onto a pair of jeans and suddenly after three days I notice the sorry state they’re in. Nails are a constant need when the children spend a lot of time outdoors. Liked this post ‘muchly.’
I use Burts because of you! It is my “smell” for Seg, but I think of you when I use it and how I love taking advice from you! Great post, has a sweet “Golden book” feel through the whole thing!
this right here is my thoughts on bathtime…BathtimeI think I need to read your post on a regular basis to remind me!! 🙂
What a sweet reminder this post was. Both of my kids are teens now, so I’m just in the “keep the bathroom stocked” stage. Warm, squirmy babies in warm soapy water…sweet memories!