The bedtime bathroom routine is one that all parents can relate to. It is something we all do daily. Our bedtime bathroom routine has seen some changes for the better over the last few months. The areas that needed improvement were bathing and teethbrushing and with very minor tweaks we have created a more kid friendly environment.

This summer my children went from taking a bath together to taking a two separate baths. We had to split them up due to the bath being too small for both growing kids and the fact that they would play non-stop in the tub and become overly silly before bed. After about one week of giving two separate baths, I was exhausted! It made the bedtime routine unbearably long and felt really wasteful. Two baths full of water is a lot! So I told my daughter that when she turned 5 she had to start taking a shower. I was nervous but she did great with transitioning to a shower, so much so that little brother wanted to take his own shower too! Now both kids take showers nightly and our bath time has been cut in half! I did have a problem with the water flow from our adult shower, it was not concentrated or powerful enough to rinse all the shampoo out of my daughter’s hair. Our solution: a kid shower attachment. It is awesome. It also a closer flow and the kids really like it. The suction cups that came with it did not stick to our tile so we had to buy some hardcore suction cups from our local hardware store.

“My Own Shower Adjustable Shower Head” available on Amazon.

This has made it so easy for both kids to be fully in charge of their bathing. We as parents are just around to ensure safety. When it came to the kids brushing their teeth I thought I was doing well. We had a sturdy step stool and both kids could reach their brushes and the toothpaste. The problem was I still had to watch them like a hawk and was constantly reminding them to brush longer. When the time came to buy new toothbrushes I found some that blink for the amount of time you should brush! It was a simple switch and they were a similar price to a normal kid toothbrush. The kids love to brush, brush, brush while the light flashes, it feels like a game. Although these items are not traditional Montessori equipment, it follows the independence theme and helps me keep a little sanity at the end of the day!

Happy 2013 from Whining is Closed!