What Do You Do with Your Baby While You Shower?

Updated on January 06, 2010
J.S. asks from Orangevale, CA
43 answers

Hi moms! I have an 8 1/2 month old and now that she is really mobile, I'm not sure what to do with her while I shower. She won't sit in the pack and play because it is in another room and she gets upset when she can't see me. The pack and play won't fit in our bathroom. She is too big for bouncy seats and swings. I was wondering what you do with your baby while you shower? Thanks for the suggestions!

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So What Happened?

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all the awesome suggestions! This will give me PLENTY of ideas on how to get a shower in every day. I really appreciate all the suggestions and words of advice. This is why I love this website! :) Thanks again for taking the time to respond!

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D.K.

answers from San Francisco on

I would move the play pen to in front of the bathroom door and then just leave the bathroom door open for her to see you. Talk to her while she's out there so she knows that you are close by. Or you could always just wait until she naps. Good luck!

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S.W.

answers from San Francisco on

I use an exersaucer in the doorway. I put snacks and toys on it for my son to eat and play with while I shower

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S.P.

answers from Sacramento on

I have worked showers in at nap time or before baby morning wake up and, i ended up showering with a child in there with me on more than one occasion. sometimes it also came down to frustrated child for the 10 minutes i needed to get clean.

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C.D.

answers from San Francisco on

I take my 8 month old in the shower with me and have since he could sit up. He likes the warm water, I bring bath toys and a tupperware cup to play with on the floor for him. It does require moving around him or moving the nozzle when I rinse out the shampoo so it does not get in his eyes but it works great for us- I would only shower like once a week if I did not take him with me. You can also try the shower in your bath tub for more room if you have one
good luck

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M.E.

answers from San Francisco on

The main thing you want to do is keep her from danger. The safest place is her crib or a playpen. Put her in there and let her cry. You deserve a shower and it's unrealistic to restrict your showers to naptime and times when your husband is there. Good-luck.

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J.R.

answers from Sacramento on

take a shower while she sleeps...

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D.J.

answers from San Francisco on

I use to put them in the crib or pac n play. They learned to not be upset for the 15 minutes while I was in the shower.

Your child will not hurt herself in those 15 minutes if you let her fuss through it. She will learn to be alone in the other room.

D.

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C.A.

answers from San Francisco on

I use to lock my daughter in the bathroom with me and a bunch of books. She would sit on the floor, look at books, go through the drawers, etc. As she started to walk I would shower before she got out of bed or before I went to bed.
Best of luck,
C.

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K.D.

answers from Stockton on

I used to put my daughter on the bathroom floor with a whole bunch of her favorite toys. She would play, but was able to see me at the same time. If you have a shower curtain play peek a boo once in a while to get a laugh and let her know you are in the same room:)

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A.P.

answers from Texarkana on

This question i have to be honest gave me a little laugh. I am not the only one that has trouble getting a shower every day. I am lucky, i have a seperate shower and bathtub, so at that young while i was in the shower i would stick him in the empty tub with toys. A built in playpen! Now that he is two i can let him bathe while i get in a shower. Now come in ten weeks i will be in the same boat as you are when the new one comes. Good luck just figure out what works best for ya

R.M.

answers from Sacramento on

If she won't get in the shower with me (In between holding her, I sat her on the shower floor with an empty shampoo bottle and a toy when I need to use both hands), I bring a few toys, a book,and her sippy cup and let her sit on the floor while I take a shower. I peek out at her every few minutes and talk to her while I'm showering. When she was mobile, I took all of the dangerous things out of our drawers and cabinets so that she could go through them, which never seems to get old for her. She's talking now, so if she's awake in the morning, I ask her if she wants to shower and some days, she'd rather sit and play.

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A.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

For now, Just switch to showering at night. that is what I did.

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M.F.

answers from Salinas on

if she sits really well on her own I would either lock her in the bathroom with you or pretty soon she will be big enough just sit her on the floor of the tub while you shower. My daughter thinks that sitting in the bathtub while I shower is pretty much the best thing in the world... This morning I had both my girls almost 3 and 1 in the shower and they loved it, and it saved me bathtime later... which they also love

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J.J.

answers from San Francisco on

I have a year & half daughter. I shower when she naps-she takes one nap per day now in the am. I also hear that other mom's shower @ night or before the baby wakes. I do know this is hard to accomplish, I have a small bathroom too & having her in there is not an option. Good luck

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D.C.

answers from Fresno on

I put my son in his high chair with cherrios and put it in the bathroom with me. not sure if your child is old enough for finger foods. you could use toys instead. I also used the exersaucer.

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L.O.

answers from Sacramento on

Do you have an exersaucer? If not... you can find them quite cheap on craigslist. They are small enough to fit in a bathroom and fun enough to keep your little one entertained long enough for you to get a shower. Good Luck.

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A.F.

answers from San Francisco on

What you do is get up before your child does and take a shower. The baby is still asleep and you don't have to worry about it or you can take a shower while the baby takes a nap. If you are the type of person that takes a shower twice a day, you get up early and take a shower and when the baby is down for the night you take your shower at that time.

I hope this helps

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M.K.

answers from San Francisco on

I used to put my daughter in the high chair in the bathroom with me with a tray full of blocks and small toys.

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M.K.

answers from Houston on

either took her in with me, did it in the night when she slept, or had a nap - ir didnt do it lol - i didnt shower every day when my baby was small, maybe eervy other

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S.B.

answers from Redding on

Dear J.,
I put both my babies in the shower with me and it's a lot easier once they're a little more mobile and can have some things to play with. You can both get clean at the same time. I was able to stay in longer that way and really get a nice long shower as opposed to rushing through it just to hurry and get it over with. Once your kid is used to showers, it makes it so much easier when you travel etc. It takes a little practice, but once you have it down, it's so much easier than the whole bath thing.

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T.W.

answers from San Francisco on

Make sure she's asleep or husband is home. That's what I always did. Good Luck!

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

I would either put her in the crib or shower every evening so your husband can watch her.

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W.E.

answers from Sacramento on

I dont know if they make these anymore, but i used to have something i called the baby treadmill. it had a seat and play tray but the bottom was a treadmill. my son would sit in that and run run run and laugh cause he wasnt going anywhere. i got it at big lots 11-12 years ago. i also had a seat that stuck to the bottom of the tub and he could spin in it. good luck!

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L.D.

answers from Modesto on

I use the high chair and provide toys. If you shower at snack time you could give cheerios, cheese cubes etc. A friend of mine used a jumpy thing you hang in the doorway. I have to have my 1 yr old with me because I can't leave my 3.5 yr old and her together unsupervised. I use the tv for the 3.5 yr old - one of the times I feel tv is justified (of course all doors and windows are locked in case he gets the idea to go outside!)

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V.N.

answers from Sacramento on

Great question! I have two boys, 2 1/2 and 6 months and my youngest is almost crawling. I use a Combi stroller or our jogging stroller in our bathroom so he's sitting up, contained, and playing with toys or watching brother run around. I can then wheel him around afterwards while I get dressed/ready. I prefer not to use the highchair if it's not a meal/snack time, so the stroller has really worked for us!

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K.G.

answers from San Francisco on

A Jumpy hanging from the frame of the bathroom door. My daughter was very active and loved this!

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M.D.

answers from San Francisco on

Jumperoo or exersaucer?

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C.M.

answers from San Francisco on

hi J., i showered while the babies slept, either naps or at night, until they could walk and then would put them in the shower with me with toys, bath crayons etc. 8 1/2 months might not be too young to try to sit her in the corner of your shower with tub toys. but while she sleeps would be easier.

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K.I.

answers from Muncie on

I baby proofed the heck our of our bathroom, put cushy mats down a few toys, and locked the door. And away I went. I kept the bback door of the shower open so he could peek in if ihe needed.

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R.B.

answers from San Francisco on

We sat them on the floor of the shower and they got an extra cleaning! Just put some water safe toys within reach and mine sat and played while I showered.

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K.S.

answers from New York on

I usually shower when the kids are asleep. Either that or I wait for my husband to come home. Maybe put her in her highchair and leave the highchair right by the bathroom door. If no one is home who cares if you have to leave the door open.

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C.F.

answers from San Francisco on

I had one of those saucers that my daughter could bounce around in. She was just the same, couldn't stand for me to take a shower. Good luck, I know that's hard!

C.

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J.S.

answers from San Francisco on

When my kids were little I just took them in with me. I would sit them down with plastic measuring cups and/or other tupperware bowls etc. I would fill the cups with warm water before they got in so they were instantly entertained. I didn't worry about water splashing on them. When it did I would laugh with them to show it was no big deal. After I was clean I would sit on the shower floor with them to play in the water a bit just for fun. We all loved our daily showers!

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I.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Jolly Jumper in the bathroom doorway... makes the showering not as steamy and warm though :<

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J.L.

answers from San Francisco on

i shower when my baby is asleep. :-P i shower at all odd times of the day. nap time, nighttime...

when my son got a little older, he'd bring in a toy and play in the bathroom while i showered, but he was 2 when that happened.

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H.F.

answers from San Francisco on

I have a March 14, 2009 baby and I shut the gate at the top of the stairs, close the doors to mine and her brother's rooms which are not babyproof and sit her ont he bathroom floor. Just make sure you have a toilet lid lock and any unsafe cupboards are locked. Sometimes she crawls off to her room to play sometimes she bangs around the bathroom and sometimes she stands at the edge of the tub and screams at me. When I can I try to get up before my husband leaves and shower then but soem days he leaves by 5:30. I also on non school days enlist the help of my 6 or 8 yo to entertain her. We've tried the exersaucer in the bathroom door but she is usually ahppier if she can move around.

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C.Y.

answers from San Francisco on

I put my son in an Ultrasaucer in the bathroom while I shower.

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E.B.

answers from Sacramento on

Since your child id going to have to learn to be away from you, now is a good time to start. With my twin girls, I put them in their cribs or the pack n play with a tv show or safe toys. In the past three and 1/2 years, there have only been a dozen or so days, I did not shower. As long as your child is not climbing out of the crib and is in a safe place, let her scream or cry. Screaming or crying will not hurt her. It is h*** o* your ears because you do not want her upset, but she has to learn to play by herself. You will only be away from her 10 minutes which is fine as long as she is in a safe place. If she is not climbing out of the pack n play, put her there and put a toddler DVD on or tv show. Tell her where you are going and that you will be back. Good luck.

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D.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Hello J., Being the mother of 5 I had to contain myself from laughing at the tricks I tried to get a shower.
I can tell you that since it is hard to shower withthe child and it is important to get a sower before the child starts preschool(sometimes I felt like it would be that long ) try getting a Johnny Jump Up, they hang from the door jam.The child can safely be in that and entertain themselves for sometime! It saved my bacon more than once and with each baby shower I get one for the new mom! Did you try and put the playpen in the hall outside the bathroom? This works until they figure out how to climb out-- for me it was exactly at 13 months old for the 1st one. I know that getting up earlier doesn't do it because its just to hard to do everyday.
Good Luck,Nana Glenda

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E.B.

answers from San Francisco on

I was lucky & had a carpeted bathroom when my twins were little. In the beginning tho I put them in exersaucers in the bathroom w/ me. As they got older I just put toys on the floor & they'd crawl around & play. I also had one of our cabinets that they could open & filled w/ their toys/books etc. It worked great for me for a long time until they started sleeping in more & I could get a shower before they woke up.

N.P.

answers from San Francisco on

I'd either take her in the shower with me and we'd both clean up, or I'd park her in the bathroom in her beboo chair with some toys or books while I showered. I'd peep out the curtain every minute and sang songs to her the whole time if she wasn't in with me. Naps were also a prime time for a "real" shower.

G.L.

answers from Fresno on

can you shower while she's asleep? or will her stroller fit in there? do you have a stationary walker like to-the kind they just sit in-not walk in. that's what i used for both my kids. or could you take her in the shower with you-that would be just a once in a while thing

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D.Z.

answers from Yuba City on

Personally, I changed my shower time from morning to night after they are in bed. I get more peace that way & hubby is here should someone need attention. I got tired of waiting til naptime or getting up so early to shower first, so that worked for me. I thought I HAD to have a shower in the morning or I would not feel clean. Things change. A shower at night now relaxes me for bed and in the morning I just get up & get dressed.
Take care!
D.

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