Bath Time Fun

*This post is sponsored by Nuffnang & JOHNSON’S® *

One of the things we are lucky enough to have at our house is a really big bath tub. Which is a great thing now that we have three boys to bath each night! Max, Lincoln and Elliot absolutely love bath time, and I love seeing all the fun they have together in there. Some of their best bonding moments are when they are all sitting there trying to out-splash each other!

 

For me, bath time is about so much more than just a way to get them clean, it’s something I try to make as much fun as possible. We have a little machine that sits on the side of the tub that blows bubbles and plays music. We sometimes have mega-baths where we fill the tub with as many bubbles and as much water as we possibly can. Other times (normally in summer!) I add multi-coloured ice cubes into the water that they love to chase around! 

 

Right from when Elliot was a new baby he has joined in on family bath time. At first (when he was still really little) it would be quiet & calming bath time first, so that Elliot felt safe. Then once I took him out, the older boys would get to have their usual crazy fun! Now that Elliot is almost one, the fun starts for all of them the minute they get in. Elliot is a champion splasher and can definitely hold his own with the big boys! 

I’ve always loved bath time with the boys and always made sure they were having fun, but I actually had no idea that I was also giving them so much more than just a fun way to get clean. Research has revealed that routine touch and massage by a parents or loving caregivers (like the amazing grandparents my kids are lucky to have) is so important to our babies’ growth and development, communication and learning. JOHNSON’S® is at the forefront, highlighting the importance of daily rituals that help you to stimulate your baby’s senses and nurture their developing minds. They’re also paving the way by advancing research that reveals the importance of multi-sensorial experiences that can lead to happy, healthy baby development. And like I said I thought I was just letting them have fun whilst getting clean!!

 If I think about it though, it’s pretty obvious how much of an important thing touch is in our children’s lives. The way they adore being tickled at any opportunity, how rubbing their backs when they are sleepy is a guaranteed way to relax them, the way they reach out and hold each others’ hands in the back of the car and how any nightmare (no matter how frightening) can be fixed by climbing into our bed for midnight snuggles.

Another hugely important factor in a baby’s development is scent and the effects that it can have on their mood. My first experience with JOHNSON’S® products (as an adult) was the day after Max was born. Our midwife came in to show us how to bath our brand new baby. After she’d filled the baby bath up, she swirled some JOHNSON’S® Top to Toe into the water and from that very moment it became my go to bath product. Every single time I use it, it takes me straight back to when I first became a mum. Babies start being able to smell from well before they are born (about 28 weeks!), so as I bathed my older boys each night, the little ones in my belly were becoming familiar with the subtle, calming smell of Top to Toe. I’m sure they recognised it once they were born because bath times have always been such a calming experience for them.

JOHNSON’S® is one of those companies that is part of our history and will definitely become part of our future. My mum used their beautiful, gentle products for my sister and me when we were little, I now use them for my kids and hopefully my kids will use them when they have their own babies. They’ve been setting the global standard in baby skin care for more than 120 years, and I love that they are continuing to work with leading scientists to ensure their products are about so much more than just getting clean.