Bathtime for 6 Month Old

Updated on September 09, 2009
G.T. asks from Ruston, LA
28 answers

My 6 month old son has recently outgrown his infant tub, but he can't quite sit up yet. I am trying to find a new bath method for him, but I'm not sure which route to go. I've seen the bath chairs, but I don't know if he'll outgrow it too quickly. I've heard of bathing in the sink, but I'm not sure how it works. What do you use to clean the sink? (I don't want to use any harsh chemicals, but I want it sterile.) He also loves to kick and play in the water, so I hate to confine him to a chair or sink. Any ideas or examples of your bath routine would be helpful. Thanks!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.T.

answers from New Orleans on

I got a bath ring and put my kids in that. When they were in the in between stage I would get in the tub with them.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.Q.

answers from Jackson on

I still use my infant tub for my 8 month old. you can use the big tub, just support his upper body - tricky, that's why we're still in the little tub. He actually doesn't seem to mind it, he slides down, I pick him up, and we have fun!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.R.

answers from Shreveport on

I actually bathed all three of my children in the sink at 6 months and it worked fine. I cleaned the sink with the soap I was going to use on them and if all else fails get in the tub with him. He will enjoy it with mom playing and believe me he won't notice or question a thing.

More Answers

A.H.

answers from Tulsa on

I had two bath chairs for my son. It will depend on what kind of seat you get as to how fast he will outgrow it. If you get one that is about chest high all the way around him, it will be a lot harder to get him out as he gets older. If you get a seat that is high in the back, but just has a little tray in the front, then you can use it a lot longer. We used the bath chair for a few months until he could stand up himself and then we just switched mainly to showers. You can find some chairs pretty cheap, so that might be an easy option until he's better able to sit and/or stand on his own.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.C.

answers from Fayetteville on

I also used an inflatable tub (that sat in the regular tub) for quite a while. I hardly put any water in it until he could sit up well. It was a lifesaver (and fairly cheap). If he fell back, it was like a cushion against the regular tub. It also was less scary than just the regular bathtub since the space was smaller. We had a bathtub seat but never had much luck with it on our other kids. They could never sit upright in them. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.G.

answers from Baton Rouge on

We used a sponge thing that you can get in the baby section at Target by Munchkin or they sell them at Babies R Us (it's bear shaped). It worked really well.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.B.

answers from Florence on

I just fill the big bathtub with a little bit of water, and lay them down in it. It's not enough water to reach their ears when they lay down, but it's enough for them to kick and splash. It's probably the easiest way that I've figured out to do it. And then once they can sit up well, I let them sit up in the big tub.

My kids love it.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.M.

answers from New Orleans on

You could lay him down in the tub on one of the sponge things you use for newborns with just an inch or two of water. The sponge things cost about $7 from.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.P.

answers from Oklahoma City on

What we did with my daughter was take an adult bath towel and fold it over several times to make a soft mat for her to lay on in the bath tub. Then we ran just enough water to make the "mat" nice and squishy so she could kick and splash a little. This made her happy and kept us from having to buy anything else to hold her up during bath time.
J.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.M.

answers from Florence on

you can also just put a thick towel folded in the bottom of the tub or sink with a couple of inches of water. Just wring it out and throw it in the washing machine when you're done. I liked using the kitchen sink while my babies were small enough, it is easier on your back. Odoban is a good natural cleaner. So is vinegar.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.M.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I just started using the bath seat a week ago for my 7 month old. He was grabbing everything in the sink and trying to crawl out. Now he likes bath time and can't get into anything he shouldn't get into. There is room for more toys. There is plenty of room for me to clean him and get him in and out of it easily by myself. I think it is awesome and I can also fill up the big tub with a few inches of water and not worry about him tipping over and getting water up his nose if I don't catch him in time. He loves it. It isn't expensive either.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.L.

answers from Oklahoma City on

With my first two I used a bath chair, they can sit up and splash and kick but don't fall over. I used it until 10 months of so, makes washing easier too as they are still. Yes, it is only a few months, but it is something that you ise every day.

With my third I used an inflatable tub. I placed it inside the real tub. The sides were high adn soft so it helped her sit up. If she did tip over it was very soft. Obviously Inever left her side. She prob used this until nearly a year too. BONUS: I sometimes took it outside and filled it with a couple inches of water adn some soys while big sibs were playing in the pool.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.Y.

answers from Oklahoma City on

when my son outgrew his infant tub at about 5months, I started using an inflatable tub that I stuck in our guest bathroom tub. A friend of mine got it for my baby shower from babiesrus and it worked GREAT...I then transitioned him to the regular bath tub at about 10-11 months when he started wanting to stand up in the tub :-D Anyhow, they don't sell it anymore but I googled it....here's a link http://www.buzzillions.com/dz_681842_especially_baby_noah...

you could probably find something similar but I thought it was awesome for the transition and also for traveling. hope this helps.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.H.

answers from Huntsville on

One option is to only put a shallow amount of water in the tub and just lay him on his back.

To bathe him in the sink, I would just wash out the sink with your dishwashing soap, like Dawn soap.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.J.

answers from Tulsa on

When mine outgrew her infant tub that fit over the kitchen sink I bought a larger inflatable tub that fits inside the regular tub. If he can't sit up yet just hold him upright. The great thing about this tub is since it is inflatable it is soft, so if he suddenly flops backward his head will hit the inflatable tub edge instead of something hard! It is also large enough to go well into the toddler years. I can't imagine life without it! I don't know the brand but I think it is the Babies-R-Us store brand.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.G.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I used the bath sponge. I don't knwo what it is actually called, but it is a large piece of foam/sponge that has indentions on it for their head and body, they just lay on it.. I used it in the regular bathtub. That way my son got the feel of the water but wasn't on the bathtub floor.

K.C.

answers from Fayetteville on

We always used the regular bathtub (as newborns I used the bathroom sink) with our arm underneath the head and holding their arm with just enough warm water to lay in but not be up to their ears. My boys LOVED it!! The splashing and kicking!!! I just put a couple colorful suction toys on the side to entertain them when they got older.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.P.

answers from Tulsa on

I have 3 kiddos,the youngest almost 18 months. I used with all 3 of them the bath chair. It still allows them to kick their feet, suppot their back and reach over the little rail to play with toys in the water. It has suction cups on the bottom of it to stay in place but you still have to keep a close on the little one though.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.B.

answers from Tulsa on

Bathtub rings are awesome because they turn and twist as the baby grows older and want more independence but yes, they do grow out of them too soon. The sink is nice because it is waist high and you don't have to bend over or get on your knees. I don't steralize the sink, just wash it out with dish soap. Soap works, it kills germs, it cleans saliva and bacteria off your dishes and silverware so it is good enough for cleaning the space a dirty hiney will sit on...lol. I don't like to bathe in the kitchen sink though because it is too confining for the baby and all my stuff has to be moved out of reach each time.
************************************************************
Here are some links to information about bathing that in-between age child.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddl...

http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-buy-a-baby-bathtub_100...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I have 2 of these and loved them because of the part that goes over the tub. It is slightly padded and is very comfortable to lean on.

http://www.diapers.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product...
_________________________________________________________
The product I swear by is:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Safety-First-Baby-Expandable-Bath-Tub...

As you can see in pic #4 it can be squished up for storage. I always use this as an opportunity to spray the parts that are usually not opened and clean those area well. My 5 year old still likes to sit in this tub so it fits kids of all ages and since it is smaller than a regular tub it uses much lass water.

The blue ring comes out so a variety of kids can use the tub. A baby can use it if they can sit up at all even with assistance. The ring really snaps in and we've not had any problems with it coming off.

I have never paid more than $5.00 for the ones I have purchased because I find them all the time at resale shops or thrift stores. I am always buying them when I find them and then I have extra to give away.

Good luck, and if those links don't work let me know and I'll try again.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.T.

answers from Oklahoma City on

G., my daughter was the same way when she was a baby, I would put about 1 inch of water in the bathtub and put her on her belly and she still could play in the water and eventually started sliding back and forth in the bathtub on her belly.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.F.

answers from Little Rock on

G., You state that your baby had outgrown the infant tub and likes to kick and play in the water.My kids also liked doing that and I found that after they outgrew the infant tub that I could put just a few inches of water in a normal tub and put a very thick towel in the bottom to lay them on works really well,gives them freedom to kick all they want.Just make sure your little one doesn't roll over.If you want to use the sink method just use a little peroxide to sterilize the sink and the wash and rinse well with soap and hot water before filling for the bath.Hope this helps,bless you for being such a caring mom,D. F.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.P.

answers from Baton Rouge on

When my kids were too big for the sink, but not really stable enough to be free in the tub, I put them in small storage containters with holes and put that in the tub. You can get them at wal-mart or target or any place like that. They cost less then $2 and little ones can hold on to the the sides and kick and splash.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.S.

answers from Shreveport on

Hi G.-

Try putting one of the sponge bath mats in the bath tub with enough water to allow him to splash and play. This also helps support him without you holding him while trying to bathe him. It also makes the big tub less threatening when he is off the bath mat.
Hope this helps.

J.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.P.

answers from Jonesboro on

Get in the tub with him.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.P.

answers from Huntsville on

i started my son in the bath chair at 5 months
he wasnt sitting really good yet but it still worked
he is 11 months old now and still uses it and hasnt out grown it
i suggest getting it
im sure he will still be able to use it until he is 1 1/2

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.G.

answers from Tulsa on

There is a wonderful thing in the baby section of walmart. The bath sponge. You can place it in the tub and put the water up to the top of it. He can splash and play while laying on his back, Or if you are carefully watching his head he can be on his tummy. As he gets older it also is useful to keep him from sliding while he sets up. I had 6 kids and used one every time. Good luck.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.W.

answers from Tulsa on

The kitchen sink is great. Just clean it like you would normally or you could by the "Go Green" cleaners that are available at Babies R Us. You could also use vinegar in the sink to disinfect. My kids have always loved bathing in the sink. There is plenty of room to splash and play :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.E.

answers from Tulsa on

I have a First Years "Sure Comfort Deluxe Newborn-to-Toddler Tub" by Learning Curve. [Could they make the name any longer?] http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2403667 I love it. It's tilted back on one end for babies who can't sit up, and the other end is a seat, for a toddler. We have a 24-month-old who still tries to use the baby tub (he's about 25 lbs), though we moved him to the big tub several months ago. Our 6-month-old tries to sit up when we put him in the tub now, so I put him on the toddler side and hold onto one arm or support his torso while he splashes. He's also able to prop his arms on the tub sides for a little while. I absolutely love this tub. It's very sturdy and easy to clean, except for two little nooks incident to using the tub at a kitchen sink. And it works very well at the kitchen sink, too. :) This was one of the best shower gifts our family got, and the price is excellent.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches