As your little one is growing up throughout the years, it is also one of the milestones to transition your children from bath to showering.
Wait, taking a bath and taking a shower is not the same?
Yes, you are seeing this right. Taking a bath is about soaking the body in a tub filled with water. Taking a shower is about using a shower, either stationary or hand held to clean oneself.
Thus, how can we as parents help our children to transition from the comforting, warm water, sweetly-scented bubbles, and layer of dolls or action toys that turn the tub into a toy box to a shower head?
In this episode of AskMeDoctor!, we are here with Dr. Ng Yi-Ki, a paediatrician and early nutrition specialist from Baby and Beyond Child Specialist Clinic, Publika and ABC Child Specialist Clinic.
We are going to walk you through how you can deal with transitioning your little ones from bath to shower. And hopefully, we can help you as mothers to save up the hurdles to clean up puddles on the bathroom floor.
Q1: When is my child ready for a shower?
Dr. Yi Ki: As parents [especially mums], we know best when our children are ready for a shower.
For safety purposes, it is when our child is able to stand and walk unassisted. It is essential as balance is needed for our child to navigate the soapy and slippery tiles.
Thus, it is strongly recommended that we use a stool during the first few showers.
While this enables our child to sit during the shower, it will also free our hands to reach for any necessary bath soaps and accessories.
More importantly, it will surely help you to focus on your child’s first bath without being anxious that he might slip.
Q2: Are showers safe for my child and how often should he shower?
Dr. Yi Ki: Taking a shower is certainly safe and it is in fact cleaner than a bath.
Here’s why.
While taking a bath means sitting in stagnant water for a long period of time, it can be an entry point to urinary tract infections.
It’s a totally different story for taking a shower. Under running water, your child can wash away all the oils, dirt, and sweat from the skin effectively.
Thus, it is merely about how we take the safety measure to childproof the bathroom and shower.
To prevent any slips or falls in the shower, you should place a shower mat in your tub or on the tile. Stow sharp things, skincare products and even hair treatment products away from your child’s reach.
Q3: How often should my child have a shower?
Dr. Yi Ki: It really depends on several factors such as family practice and our children’s daily activities.
While it is good to shower once or twice a day, our children might need an additional quick shower, with or without soap, after some outdoor activities.
Preferably, we can have our children shower once at the start of the day and once before bed to prevent any sweat or germs brought to bed. Mind that our children should not shower too often as it would lead to dried and irritated skin.
Additionally, we should look into choosing the right products for our little ones. By showering with the right products, it does not only refresh and clean off the dirt, it is moisturising as well.
Q4: How can I help my kids during the adjustment period from bath to shower?
Dr. Yi Ki: While the process might be both exciting and a little frightening, we can approach it by introducing our children to the shower while they are taking a bath.
Gently shampoo them and then turn on the shower spray gradually. Explain to them that some water might get on their face and head during the process. And they can just enjoy it as they are playing with water sprinklers or going down the water slide.
Alternatively, we can talk and sing them a shower song during the process. Using songs from the famous YouTube channel, such as Cocomelon, we can easily sing them the first step and the following steps during the shower.
As parents, we also need to note that some children don’t like the feeling of washing the face and rinsing the shampoo from the head.
What you do is simply tell them the exact step before you proceed to soaping their heads and bodies.
With the step-by-step explanation, our children will be able to feel less apprehensive or fearful by having a clear idea of what is coming next. More importantly, simply try any method or activity to get your children excited about showers.
For instance, you can have your children choose which showering treats [like bath sponges, new bath towels or toys] to use before shower time. With that, they would look forward to showers with their new items.
If your children are still feeling apprehensive about showering, they can continue with bathing. By consistently providing your children with love and support, they will eventually make the transition.
Q5: When is my child ready for independent showers?
Dr. Yi Ki: There is no right age when it comes to independent showers as it really depends on their own readiness. However, you can help to prepare them by the age of three or four.
This is when they start to recognise their body parts better. We can then tell them where to clean while soaping their body parts. They would then be able to clean their skin and hard-to-reach areas as well as genital areas more thoroughly.
As for my four-year-old child, he could be partially independent during the shower. He can actually carry out the soaping quite well.
However, he would still need some help when it comes to rinsing with water as it is difficult for them to hold the showerhead above his head.
So, as parents, we still need to help our children to prevent any soap residues on their bodies. In fact, having some soap residues stuck on the head is actually worse as it will dry out skin and scalp and they are not entirely clean.
For your reference, our children should be more or less ready for independent showers completely by the time they enter primary one.
Putting aside the age factor, you should be confident at first that your child is able to soap and rinse every part of the body well.
Q6: How do I teach my child to shower themselves?
Dr. Yi Ki: With repeated verbal cues and instructions, our children will be able to shower themselves as they have remembered the steps. Alternatively, as we mentioned above, you can try out with a bath song during shower time.
If your children are more of a visual learners, you can have laminated cards with step-by-step pictorial instructions up on the shower wall with a suction cup. While it can serve as a game prop, it is easier for them to refer back to.
So, the trick is simple: simply layout clear, repeated and consistent instructions with a clearly defined routine. With this, they would be able to learn what to expect during a shower and how to wash themselves independently.
More exciting bath-to-shower transition tips are available here.
Your Child Deserves An Enjoyable Shower Time With Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids Head to Toe Wash
While transitioning our children from bath to showering, let’s take the time to enjoy the process and connect with them. If you are concerned that showering your children will dry their skin, we have you covered.
While providing your children with 99.99% protection from the bacteria, the Follow Me Antibacterial Kids Head To Toe wash is dermatologically tested to be mild.
More importantly, it is gentle to their skin and free from harmful triclosan, parabens and colourants.
Besides moisturising your children’s skin, the Follow Me Antibacterial Kids Head To Toe wash can help to soothe any agitation and anxiety your children might have during the showering process with its lavender and chamomile extract.
We hope this sharing by Dr Ng Yi Ki is beneficial for you and your little ones.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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