How do you dry and dress two kids after a shared bath?

amother

Sun, Feb 01 2015, 10:13 pm

I'd like to switch to bathing my one and a half and two and a half together. I just can't figure out what to do with two little kids who are both wet and need to be dried, diapered and dressed at the same time. How do you do it? I should add that our apartment is a bit cold this time of year so I don't want one of them to hang around undressed too long. TIA

FranticFrummie

Sun, Feb 01 2015, 10:17 pm

Bring all the clean clothes for them into the bathroom with you. Keep the door closed the whole time, so the steam will warm the room.

When they get out, give the older one a towel to wrap up in, while you dry and dress the baby. Then finish drying and dressing the older one.

The older one can stand to catch a small chill better than the younger one can, and is more capable of waiting for a few minutes, especially if you talk to him while you're taking care of the younger one.

All in all, I doubt anyone ever became seriously ill from getting out of a warm bath into a chilly room. People have been doing it for centuries, and we somehow survived.

dr. pepper

Sun, Feb 01 2015, 10:18 pm

amother wrote:

I've typically taken on the younger one and diapered and dressed them right there or right outside the bathroom while making it into a big deal that the older one has extra time to play.
Then I take the older one and do deal with them.

In terms of cold, I invested in really inexpensive blow heaters from Target? a few years ago. My kids LOVE it and it really gets them willing to come out of the bath/showers (not to mention the times I use it Wink

)

amother

Sun, Feb 01 2015, 10:21 pm

Bring clothing (at least undershirts) to the bathroom before the bath. With Separate towels, dry them. While 1 is wearing his towel put an undershirt at the other, then either finish dressing the first, Or put an undershirt onto the second kid
Once they have undershirts they're usually not so cold so you can continue dressing them calmly preferably in the bathroom since it's still steamy warm from the bath

working hard

Sun, Feb 01 2015, 10:29 pm

I have an assembly line for my 3 kids 3 and under. Put all 3 into the water. Youngest to oldest, bath them. Take out youngest, dry, diaper and undershirt him, then next, then next. Then I put pajamas on youngest and then the rest. It does not take long.

MamaBear

Sun, Feb 01 2015, 10:44 pm

Quick and assembly line format....which is basically how it is for everything (getting dressed in the morning, brushing teeth, putting on shoes and coats etc etc)

For bath stuff, we also have space heaters...they aren't the scary unsafe ones we had back in the olden days

amother

Mon, Feb 02 2015, 12:22 am

OP here...first of all a huge thank you to everyone for demystifying this for me.

A few questions...I've tried to find safe heaters but wasn't so successful...can you tell me which brand you are using or post a link. All the ones I found seemed to heat up a lot and I was worried about little hands touching them.

Are you saying I can leave my 2.5 year old in the tub while I take out and attend to the little one as long as I'm in the bathroom? I'm a bit scared to because she likes to stand up and turn on the water to the hot setting or what if she slips?

My bathroom is tiny. Think powder room with a bath. I don't really have space to dress anyone in there so I guess I could do the same assembly line in the bedroom and perhaps the heater can be there.

kalsee

Mon, Feb 02 2015, 12:48 am

If there is no room to dress them in the bathroom, you can do it this way-
turn on the heat in the bedroom before bathtime.
Then take them both out of the bath at the same time,wrap them in towels, and carry them one at a time to the bedroom (or if they're light enough you can carry them together)
If you leave one in the bathroom for a minute make sure to let the water out of the bath first.

bnm

Mon, Feb 02 2015, 1:49 am

prepare the clothes and pampers outside, just have bathrobes in the bathroom. take 1 kid out, put on robe, take second kid out, put on robe. take them out of bathroom to preheated room and dress them.

sunny90

Mon, Feb 02 2015, 3:05 am

I would say take older one out, wrap in towel and they walk next to you, carry younger one to your heated room, then put diapers on them both (younger one first Wink

) and then dress them one at a time. At least there won't be any accidents while one of them is running around!
This is so funny it reminds me of when my DS2 was a baby, I bathed him and my almost 2 yo together so I would put them both on the bed, and then assuming the baby was colder than the toddler, do: diaper for baby, diaper for toddler, undershirt for baby, undershirt for toddler, babygro for baby and then dress toddler in PJs. It must have looked really funny. But they got used to it.

alwaybhappy

Mon, Feb 02 2015, 4:32 am

I would take older one out, put towel around her, and send her to whichever room I will be dressing them. at the same time grab the little one and towel him. then go together to the room. diaper both kids one after another, then pj them the same way. they may be cold for a few seconds but that's it.
If it's cold, I would put a had on their wet hair so they dont get sick...

alwaybhappy

Mon, Feb 02 2015, 4:34 am

sunny90 wrote:

I would say take older one out, wrap in towel and they walk next to you, carry younger one to your heated room, then put diapers on them both (younger one first Wink

I didnt even read thru all the responses but I see your's is basically the same post as mine (maybe a little more clear with the details...)-- exactly what I used to do--still do but the older one is now 4 so she gets into pjs herself (usually)

amother

Mon, Feb 02 2015, 4:59 am

alwaybhappy wrote:

Am I wrong to think that kids get sick from germs not cold? I mean obviously they can get hypothermia, but if I leave them a couple of min undressed is it that dangerous?

MamaBear

Mon, Feb 02 2015, 8:24 am

These are safe - mine have lasted many years. Just leave it on near the changing area.

Listen, there's no perfect solution, one kid is going to be wet 2 minutes longer. He/she will be fine.

http://www.amazon.com/Vornado-.....MZ4WP

water_bear88

Mon, Feb 02 2015, 8:29 am

amother wrote:

Am I wrong to think that kids get sick from germs not cold? I mean obviously they can get hypothermia, but if I leave them a couple of min undressed is it that dangerous?

I think it is an issue for newborns, who don't have much fat on them and can't regulate their own body temperature very well. I would think most toddlers wouldn't be hurt by a few minutes of cold.

imaima

Mon, Feb 02 2015, 9:13 am

amother wrote:

So heat the room and bring them in, one by one. I think nothing will happen in the second it takes to put on child on a bed and step in back into the bathroom. Then you get them dressed one by one in the room.