How do you bond with your babies, mommies? Does your everyday routine include playtime with them? Or are you more of the “chill parent type” wherein anything goes?
It might not feel like it when we’re sleep deprived and changing what feels like the 1000th diaper, but our babies will not stay small forever. Babies grow and develop at a rapid pace and before we know it, they’ll soon be preschoolers, school kids, and then self-reliant teens. So it’s best to bond and spend as much time as possible with them during their early years.
Aside from cherishing and building core memories with them, studies have shown that our baby’s early years are the “prime time” for brain development. This means that our infants have a biological need and desire to learn and the activities that we do with them can impact their curiosity, attentiveness, concentration, cognitive development, and even love of learning. But no need to worry about being overly cautious about your baby’s day to day activities, because we are also stimulating their brains even in our regular tasks, such as talking, singing, touching, and even bathing.
Bath time for babies is not just for keeping them clean, it’s also good for their cognitive and emotional development. All their senses are engaged at bath time, which then encourages their brains to focus and pay attention. This includes feeling the water and your touch on their skin, watching the water pour into their tub, playing with the bubbles, and smelling the soothing scent of bath products. At the same time, experts have also recommended that warm soothing baths are a good way to promote a good night’s sleep for your babies.
So, are you interested in making the most out of your baby’s bath time? Fill up your tubs and get ready for a few minutes of bonding, playing, and learning (and maybe even a good night’s sleep) with your babies.
Here are a few ways that can help make bath times the best it can be for your baby:
Choose your bath time wisely                  Preferably a time of day when your little one is calm, rested, and has a full tummy. If your baby seems happiest in the morning, try it then. Bath time after lunch is also OK as this will take care of any mealtime messes.
Try different water temperatures
Babies have different preferences and this can include the water temperature for their bath time. Generally, warm baths are best, but try to remember the right temperature that your baby is most comfortable in.
Give her toys
Giving your baby bath toys will provide more stimulation for her and let her discover water’s amazing properties. Moreso if it’s a new toy. Some toys you can try to include are drip-drop cups, letter foams, or even water paints.
Sing-along with her
No one’s too young to sing in the bath. So ready your tunes and vocal cords and sing your heart out with your baby. Aside from being fun, bath time singing can be good practice for your baby’s speaking skills and it can allow her to develop her language and vocabulary.
Go slowly
Babies have their personalities and some babies dislike getting their hair or face wet. So it’s best to take your time and talk and reassure them.
Include bath time in your daily schedule
It can be hard to bond or take care of your baby when you’re working from home. But one tip is to include small bonding moments with your baby into your daily routine. You can even block 10-15 minutes off your work calendar or you can also do it during your lunch time.
Bonus tip: Use the right baby care products
Babies have sensitive skin so it’s best to use products that are specially formulated to care for them. Tender Care baby care products are hypo-allergenic, gently-scented, and safe for baby. You can use Tender Care Hypo-allergenic Baby Wash (available for P169 only in 500ml) or Tender Care Hypo-allergenic Baby Soap (available for P59.50 only for 65g). If your baby has sensitive skin, then the Tender Care Baby Wash and Shampoo Head to Toe (starts at P120 only for 180ml) is best. You can follow this up with Tender Care Hypo-allergenic Baby Powder (starts at P18.50 only for 50g) for a better bonding experience. Check out Shopee for more details.
Aside from boosting your baby’s development, bath time also allows you the opportunity to bond more with her. We tend to be so busy juggling our chores, parenting, and work duties that we sometimes forget to spend quality time with the people who matter most – our kids. By including bath time in our daily routines, we are forced to slow down and give our full attention to our babies. So make the most of bath time moments to have fun, interact with your baby, and just bond. Because such tender moments are fleeting – they’ll be teens sooner than you’ll know and would want a more private bath time, so we should make the most of these moments during their early years.
Do you have your own bath time bonding routine with your kids? Share it with us!
*Published with Tender Care
 during bath time? These tips can help make baby bath time the best it can be 🙂){kind=link}