My mother used to tell me that “parenting doesn’t come with a manual”. That never became more apparent to me than when I was faced with bathing Nugget and Peanut for the first time. By myself. Like all things parenting, I had to quickly figure out how to bathe 2 under 2 alone.
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If Hubs was home, he helped with bath time (making things 100x easier!). Having help was gravy, but as a stay at home mama, I knew I had to figure out how to do most things alone.
While I didn’t exactly Google “how to bathe 2 under 2 alone”, what I did wasn’t too far off. I did a search in several social media groups I belonged to and read about other people’s experiences and tips. I tried a few out and would love to share with you what worked for me!
Tips
- Gather all supplies BEFORE you begin bath time. This includes shampoo, towels, diapers, lotions, new outfit, etc.
- Have an extra towel available in case baby wets in the tub (and trust me…it will happen at some point!)
- Figure out your methods of securing babies (baby seats, closing door to bathroom, baby on floor, etc.)
- Never leave babies unattended in water for any amount of time!
Bathing two “non mobile” babies
This stage never applied to me (my two are 15 months apart and Nugget was already walking when Peanut was born) but I imagine it might apply to mamas of twins or of babies with a smaller age gap. By “non mobile”, I mean not yet sitting, not yet crawling, not yet walking. If this applies to you, bathing one at a time in a baby bathtub would probably work best?
This style of bathtub is what I had. The sling came in super handy, especially when baby is teeny tiny!
Step 1: Figure out logistics
Floor or countertop? Bathroom? Kitchen? Baby bathtub INSIDE big bathtub? Decide on the best location for you.
Step 2: Secure location for Baby #2
This bouncy chair was a lifesaver for us! Super lightweight and easy to move around the house but sturdy enough for baby to lounge in.
Bathing one “mobile” and one “non mobile” baby
When Peanut was itty bitty, I would bathe her in a baby bathtub on top of the kitchen countertop while Nugget roamed around the kitchen and living room and did her own thing. Our floor plan was such that I could still keep a watchful eye on Nugget while I tended to Peanut. When it was Nugget’s turn, we went upstairs to the bathroom. I would secure Peanut in her little bouncy chair while I bathed Nugget in the big bathtub. Once I finished with Nugget, I would carry her while dragging the bouncy chair into the bedroom to get her diapered and dressed.
Obviously, every situation and every child is different. What worked for me was: bathe non mobile baby first (while mobile baby is otherwise occupied), then bathe mobile baby second.
Bathing two “mobile” babies
Once again, the level of difficulty in this lies in how mobile your children are and your layout.
When I had a sitter and a walker, I would put them both in the big bathtub at the same time. After both had had their fun, I began the process of diapering and clothing. I would take the sitter out first, leaving the walker in the tub. Because we had no baby gate at the top of the stairs, I had to close the door to our very tiny bathroom. I would diaper and change baby #1 on the bathroom floor, then sit her down and do the same with baby #2.
By far, the most challenging stage (for me, at least) has been bathing two walkers. They both go into the bath at the same time. I usually take them out at the same time (or let Nugget stay in the tub a bit longer while I diaper and change Peanut first). My challenge has been those 60 seconds that Peanut is unoccupied while I’m tending to Nugget (even though I’m in the same room! LOL). Despite having a bucket of blocks, books, and puzzles in the bathroom/adjacent bedroom…Peanut will find ways to amuse herself that are destructive in nature (think emptying wipes box, dumping out the hamper, jumping on the bed, etc.).
Favorite bath items
What would bath time be without our favorite things?
We LOVE these bath toys! Anything with sprayers, cups, water that continuously runs…a must have.
Also a must have for your water spout. MAKE SURE TO RINSE AND DRY THE BOTTOM! I made the mistake of not doing that with our first one and it ended up full of mold. Yuck!
The teacher in me loves sneaking in a little learning whenever I can!
I’m in love with this shampoo/body wash! I love that it’s hypoallergenic and it smells divine!
We love towels with hoods. 🙂
Bath toy tip: Fill in the holes
If you are going to get bath toys with holes (think squirters or cute animals that float that have a hole in the bottom), hot glue the holes shut! I was never able to completely get the water out and ended up throwing my toys out.
Feel a bit more confident now? You’ve got this, Mama! Doing anything with 2 under 2 isn’t easy, but it does feel more comfortable with time. For more tips, head on over to How to Go Places Alone With 2 Under 2 and How to Deep Clean Your House With 2 Under 2.
Wising you a successful bath time!
