Do you look forward to bath time with your baby or toddler? A surprising 84% of parents said it is some of the best quality time they get with their children, and a great way to bond with new babies. And a good bath time routine helps babies and toddlers understand it’s time to get ready for bed.
But have you ever wondered if there are hidden dangers in your family’s bath time routine? Let’s look at how to establish a safe non-toxic bath time routine – that’s actually easy to follow.
Create a Non-Toxic Bath Time Routine for Toddlers in 5 Steps
Keep your child safe at bedtime. When you establish a bottle, bath, bed routine, make sure you are using safe products and materials that don’t have hidden toxins.
Follow these 5 easy steps and you’ll have a safe and non-toxic bath time routine for your child.
#1 Use a Non-Toxic Baby Bathtub (BPA free tub)
The easiest option is to just let your child bathe in your bathtub. But if your child is prone to slipping in the tub, this isn’t safe.
Baby bathtubs were created to create a safe, non-slip place in which to bathe your baby. And yes, they can still work for toddlers, depending on how big and rambunctious they are.
When you are looking for a bathtub, get one that is BPA-free and PVC-free.
#2 Make it Fun with Non-Toxic Bath Toys (PVC, phthalate-free)
Soak up this time with your toddler. Get some fun non-toxic bath toys and play games with them in the tub.
For example, Barcelona-based Oli & Carol make awesome natural rubber toys that are great for the bath, and are BPA and phthalate-free. And they are so simple that they playing option are endless.
There are plenty of good non-toxic toy companies out there. Boon makes some great stacking boats that are sure to be a hit!
#3 Use a Baby Bath Thermometer
Your baby’s skin can burn so easily. To fill the tub with the perfect water temperature, measure it with a baby bath thermometer.
Look for a thermometer that floats in the water and monitors the water temperature. And get something that’s PVC and BPA-free so it’s safe for your child to play with.
According to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, you want the bath to be about 100°F to prevent burning and chilling your child.
#4 Choose Natural & Organic Bath Products
When you wash your toddler’s hair and body, use only natural and organic products that don’t pose any health hazards.
Even though you won’t read any health or safety warnings on shampoos or body soaps, the Environmental Working Group created a database where they monitor and publish safety concerns about these products.
The database is pretty easy to use. It has charts and facts for every single product. But if this is your first time using it, this video explains more.
I suggest checking their database before using any products on your children. To save you a little time, these are a few products that are deemed non-toxic and safe by EWG.
- Earth Mama Natural Non-Scents Baby Wash
- Thinkbaby Shampoo and Body Wash
- The Big Green Skin Barrier Shampoo and Body Wash
#5 Wrap Your Baby in An Organic Hooded Towel
Finally, when bath time is over, wrap your sweet toddler in a fluffy hooded towel made with non-toxic, organic fabric.
What’s wrong with conventional cotton towels? Conventional cotton uses a lot of pesticides, and you don’t want any of that residue next to your baby’s clean soft skin. This isn’t good for the earth and it’s really not good for us or our children.
When you choose to buy organic cotton towels, you are supporting a sustainable industry that is better for the workers too.
Look for GOTS-certified organic cotton. This will help you know it’s also produced in a socially responsible way, avoiding child labor, and without those awful chemicals sprayed on the plants.
Keep Your Bath Time Routine Happy & Relaxing
Bath time should be a peaceful and fun time to bond with your child.
If you don’t have time for a bath, it’s ok to skip it once in a while. However, when you do have bath time, intentionally create a happy and calm atmosphere.
Keep your voice low and your movements slow. Remind your child over and over that after bath time is bedtime, so they are mentally prepared to sleep. And after going to such effort to make your bath time routine non-toxic, put some thought into the materials your child’s crib, mattress, and bedding are made from.
Bath time routines can be a wonderful way to end the day. Make sure you keep it safe by using non-toxic products!
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Great tips both my boys loved being in water so any bath time made them happy..lol
oh yes my daughter loved bath time when she was younger.
My kids love to be in the bath but they hate getting IN for some reason. It is odd. We give them the power now that they are bit older and it works most nights, might not be on my timetable but it gets done.
haha yes i totally get it! same we have had to designate days for bathing.
Thank you for your tips, it is so important to create them a great routine and they can enjoy this time.
Routine is key!!!
I am such a big label reader and have been trying to make sure my kids aren’t exposed to chemicals as much as possible. These are all good things to look into. I wasn’t even thinking about the type of plastics for the baby bathtub a decade ago when I had my kids.
I didn’t either when I had my daughter and now I wish I had known all of these things!
Very useful article! I also haven’t thought about such things before, but after the birth of my son I became very picky and now I read all the labels before buying. Nowadays, there are many little things that help us in everyday life, but unfortunately not all of them are safe, especially for children!
such the truth— it definitely took me a bit to do this too