5 brilliant benefits of baby bath time

Who knew that baby bath time was about a lot more than tidying up grubby bubs and washing spills away?!

It turns out that there are a whole bunch of benefits concealed in this simple evening routine and that baby bath time is the perfect time to nurture family connections and encourage your clever baby’s health, happiness and development. Let us tell you more …

1. A mindful moment

Most parents are juggling lots of balls as they try to balance work with family life. Distracted parenting can be a bit of a necessary default at times, but bath time offers a few minutes in the day to slow down, connect with your child and take a few deep breaths. This is also an excellent time to consider your day and focus on the things that you are grateful for … a sort of helpful reframing as you head into the tail end of the day.

2. Hands-on bonding

Whether it’s washing away the day with tear-free, soap-free Cetaphil Baby Moisturising Bath & Wash or hydrating your baby’s sensitive skin with soothing Cetaphil Baby Daily Lotion, caring for your child with hands-on, skin-to-skin contact helps to build the bond between parent and child … and protect and nourish their precious skin in the process.

3. Conversation-sparking

As you bath your child, you can chat to them about the experience and encourage language development and stimulate their senses. Talking about what they might be seeing, feeling, smelling and hearing helps your little one to learn and grow. Listen to the sound of the water running together, chat about the colours of their toys, count the bubbles in their bathtub. There are lots of opportunities to explore.

4. Relax your little one

There’s nothing quite like the transition from busy afternoon to warm tub to settle little ones. After a challenging or grubby day, it’s the perfect relaxing remedy, and it can help babies sleep more soundly at night as well. Note that a warm bath or shower has the same effect on grown-ups too, so maybe you could climb on in with your bub sometimes?

5. Craft a bedtime routine

Babies and small children respond to predictable routines. Not only do routines help kids feel safe, they punctuate the day in ways that help them understand what comes next and what time of the day it might be. Creating a comforting bedtime routine, starting with bath time is a brilliant first step in a trusty evening ritual that can last right through childhood. Follow up with quietly getting dry and dressed, stories and cuddles, and finally tucking in and goodnight kisses.

‘Night night!

This is a sponsored post for Cetaphil Baby