BUBBLES IN THE BATHTUB

Of those of you who have children, can you remember whether the husband or the wife was first to give the baby a bath and why? Our first baby was a girl, the light of my heart then and now. I was abit unfamiliar with little naked baby girls and must have given signals of my discomfort. My mother and wife insisted that I give her a bath (the baby) in one of those little plastic things, not long after we got her home from the hospital. I resisted, then hesitated, then lost the battle to my mother and wife. That probably psychologically did something to help me overcome my discomfort. I learned to change diapers that day too. The next birth was my son, who could pee a straight line 3 feet high from a prone position. I changed his diapers too but never did learn to do that.

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  • The next birth was my son, who could pee a
    >straight line 3 feet high from a prone position. I changed his diapers
    >too but never did learn to do that.

    One of the first things I became very good at with the birth of the first of
    My 3 sons was to keep the diaper, towel or other absorbent object between my face and his specific body part. It didn't take too many "showers" in the face to realize that I had to learn how to protect myself and learn quickly.

  • In my family, it's a tradition that the Mom's mother gives the first bath to a new baby. My Mom bathed my son & daughterfor the first time at home, and I bathed my granddaughter. It's a very nice tradition to pass along.


  • It is rare that Don starts a thread, so opened this one anxiously. And wasn't disappointed. People are beginning to think I am having way too much fun at my job.

    I have 3 kids, 2 boys and a girl and never gave any of them a bath. I don't think my wife trusted me not to accidently drown them. But, I did get the task of drying them off and change many a diaper. I will never forget the first time. My wife had just gone back to teaching and I was alone with my new son for the day - I worked 2nd shift. He woke up crying as babies typically do. When I went to get him, I noticed the stench was quite strong - he had a bowel movement so big and messy, it seeped out of the diaper and he was covered. I thought great, now what? Why do this to me the first time I have to change your diaper? Just then my kid brother walked in the door. Phew... I have some help. So, he held to poor kid down and I cleaned him up the best I could. Good thing no one was taking a video. After that, it was easy.


  • I gave Robbie his first bath, in one of those little table-top plastic tubs. He cried the whole time! I took pictures - he was red-faced and bawling! I gave him most of his baths, and now that he's 13 and not overly fond of girls yet, he's reverted to his bath-hating ways. I loved bath time, because as a little guy he had so much fun splashing and playing. He pooped in the tub once, so I'd say a quick anti-poop prayer every time he was plopped in the tub!
  • In those old days, electricity for the water pump was on only for a very short time in the early morning, so I would get up at 3 a.m. to start filling up all the containers with water that I could. One was for washing the kids in the tub, another was for washing diapers, another for cooking and so forth.

    Chari
  • Reading these posts makes me VERY grateful that I was able to avoid the infant stage with my stepdaughter -- didn't inherit her until she was potty trained, walking and talking and minding! x:-)
  • "Minding"? My daughter is 22 and never reached that stage? Did I do something wrong?
  • I dunno, Ray. I credit my ex-wife (her mother) for the "minding" part. She was the most well-behaved, considerate, polite, thoughtful 5 year-old I had ever had the pleasure to raise (rear?). I still get father's day cards from her every year and she's now in her mid-20s. Great kid!
  • Apparently the hardware stores in New York don't sell garden hoses, Ray. Your story sounds like a perfect opportunity for 'hosing down a youngun in the backyard'. I can still smell the old gas heater in my grandmother's bathroom with that huge footed-tub full of water and that old cold tile floor. It was almost too cold to get out of the tub.
  • When I had my first son, I'd just turned 21 and was a little awed by motherhood! Allergic reaction to penicillin? Nah, that rash must be a by-product of his ear infection - so I just kept feeding him the medicine until the rash got so funky I had to take him in.

    Everything you could do wrong with an infant I did...except drop him on his head. Saved that for the second son. By the time I got to the third son, I may not have been perfect, but I sure had a lot of life experience!!
  • I was once told that the difference between the first child and the second child, is that you never check to see if the second child is breathing.
  • My husband and tackled Michael's first bath together. We took turns snapping the pictures - he loved his first bath. His love of water has not stopped. He is currently 15 months old and took swimming classes this summer, loved every minute of it. The nightly routine is I wash and Dad dries, then Michael runs naked, most of the time peeing on something.
  • Give him to me!! I want my two year old boy and three year old girl back right now! They grew up too fast. When my daughter turned three she was taking a nap on our bed one afternoon. I laid down beside her and cried like a baby because she was growing up so fast. Men can cry can't they?
  • I have a ten year old son who I fight with every night to get him in the shower. Fortunately, I win most of the time. I live with my 2 year old nephew also. He is just the opposite. His mom takes off the diaper and he runs to the back to throw it out for her, and then I give him his bath. I love playing with him! It makes me forget my entire day. Then, he goes to bed and my son and I read together. Having my nephew around is wonderful, and it is even better that when he is cranky, I can give him back to Mom. I love being an Aunt.
  • >Give him to me!! I want my two year old boy and three year old girl
    >back right now! They grew up too fast. When my daughter turned three
    >she was taking a nap on our bed one afternoon. I laid down beside her
    >and cried like a baby because she was growing up so fast. Men can cry
    >can't they?


    I agree with Don. A few weeks ago I was watching home videos (my brother is in the process of putting every video on dvd) of my two daughters (now age 17 and 14) when they were little. They were running around in those zippered pajamas with the feet. My youngest would always unzip her pajamas to expose her little buddha belly. Watching the videos brought tears to my eyes. I'm not sure where the time went. For those of you with little ones - do not wish they would hurry and grow up because in the blink of an eye they do.

    Remember the John Cougar lyrics: "Hold onto 16 as long as you can, changes come around real soon make us women and men" Oops - now I've reverted to thinking about my age. I was 16 when that song came out...and now I'm...well, a little bit older. x:-)


  • Don,
    You want to hear somone with problems? My daughter is only 14 months old and I tear up every time I hear a song that has anything to do with a wedding. She's not even grown up and I don't want her to grow up. Do you go legally insane when you have a girl? One of my problems is that I was one of those boys that I don't want around my precious angel. I know what they do, and I know paybacks are hell.
  • The only time my ex stayed alone with our daughter I came home and found her standing in the shower being hosed off because she had a dirty diaper. It must have been the only why he could think of cleaning her off.
  • ok, is this my mother? My father did that to me. Only he had some help from my grandfather. two grown men, and neither could stand to change a diaper!!
  • Thanks Don! I need a good laugh it has been a H$#% week so far.
  • [font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 08-07-03 AT 10:19AM (CST)[/font][p]I too miss my little ones. Unfortunately when they were little, I had my head up somewhere so deeply that I don't remember too much. I was too selfish, too
    young, too self-centered, too "hippy-like". But even my ex (note the
    ex part)says that I raised two really nice people whom everyone likes.
    Anyway, there's no looking back. I enjoy others' little ones now
    and play,spoil, pamper them. Of course, after I've wound them
    tighter than shrink-wrap on a CD at WalMart, I hand them wiggling
    back to their mom/dad and say, "Gotta run, bye!"
  • I generally just read this forum without adding to it. Don Ds messages generally give me a really good chuckle, but today brought a tear. My "baby" girl (she's 22) moved out on her own last weekend and for the first time in my life I am living alone. It's been a long time since I gave her a bath but at least now I can finally stop cleaning UP after her!
  • [font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 08-08-03 AT 02:13PM (CST)[/font][p]My son is eight and is growing up SO fast. He is bright, witty and very well behaved - 95% of the time. Periodically, I wish I could have just one hour of him being little again and that firms up my resolve to enjoy the time I have with him, because as many of you say, there's no turning back.

    By the way, today is my 40th birthday and his present to me is to "take" me to a waterpark for fun.

    It will be fun.....because of who I am sharing the day with.

    Zanne
  • HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZANNE!! A water park sounds like loads more fun than writing an AAP.

    Wish I were 40 again.
  • Happy Birthday Zanne! 40s are great!
  • Happy birthday Zanne. I just added your name to my list for your birthday present! x:-)
  • Happy birthday Zanne, enjoy your day.

    My son turned 15 in June and my wife and I have been talking about how fast time has gone since he was in diapers. While I don't miss the diapers I do miss the innocence of a toddler.

    Ever notice how we spent our younger years wishing we were older and now that older has occurred we spend time wishing we were young?

    No regrets.
  • [font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 08-08-03 AT 03:56PM (CST)[/font][p]What a great gift Zanne. .enjoy and happy birthday.

    I have had many blessings in my life, but children of my own were not one them, so I have read with envy your stories. .although I have managed to "adopt" everyone elses kids so am grateful for that..

    When one of my nephews was a baby, my sister and I were giving him a bath. Somehow the baby oil fell into the tub..Ever try to get a wet, oily squirming year old out of a tub..We laughed til we cried, he thought it was great fun, too.
  • Happy Birthday Zanne!

    Gee. When I hit 40 I already had grandchildren. It will be wonderful to spend the day with your son though. Especially if he keeps in mind that everything (the drinks, the rides, etc) are for you. Seeing your kids try to give you the things they like the most is always a blessing.

    Monday I am taking the day off to babysit my youngest grandchild (#6) while his parents celebrate their 2nd anniversary by going to an amusement park. He is almost 3 months old and it has been at 9 years since I last watched a little one for so long. I am a bit nervous, but expect to have a good time...maybe as good as you do!
  • Happy birthday, Zanne! I remember 40, it was an ok year. x:-)
  • I missed the opportunity with my 3 oldest. I married their mother well after their infancy. When our fourth arrived by C-section, the nurses ushered me out fo the delivery room with the baby - I am sure so they wouldn't be distracted while finishing up with my wife. The nurse took me to a sink, placed my little boy on a cushion, and told me to bath him. I cried with joy through the whole bath. Little sister came when we moved to Missouri. The hospital here did not allow parents to give the first bath. I was very disappointed. And because I missed the baths of the older 3, I am the official bath giver at our home. I don't cry anymore during baths.
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