After dinner on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings the kids get ready for bath by each picking out a pair of clean PJs(the other nights they can wear the same ones because obviously, Pajamas don't get dirty while you sleep...) and anything else that they need(panties, socks, house shoes, diaper). Olivia helps the two littlest get theirs ready. They usually do this while Scotty and I are finishing up in the kitchen after they've helped us with the dishes and clearing the table.
Once Emma Claire has her things out she'll move on to pasting tooth brushes. KK has recently been given this job. It used to be Olivia's job, but now that KK is old enough to do it and since Olivia has other responsibilities, KK happily stepped up! She sets the tooth brushes out on the counter in birth order so that they are ready for brushing. Scotty brushes the kids teeth while they are in the tub. This makes things so much faster.
Once Scotty and I are upstairs and everything is laid out Scotty starts the water and I usually strip down the babies. A baby is anyone in a diaper, so at this point it's Bub and Mia. (If we have a newborn Scotty usually bathes them first in a bath sling, then I'd get them dresses, but now that Mia is OK sitting in the tub, we do the babies together.)
We have a removable shower head like this one. I'd suggest buying one to anyone with kids. It makes bath night so much easier and faster. We got the idea from Jon & Kate Plus 8, You can get these just about anywhere and they are pretty cheap. We got ours at Walmart several years ago and we've never had any problems out of it.
Once the babies are washed up Scotty hands one off to me and he takes the other while the Middle Littles(KK and Addi) get in the tub for play time.
After bath we brush hair, clean out ears, floss teeth, and clip nails. We do this EVERY time. It keeps things routine and routine makes things easier. I used to dry hair too, and sometimes still do, but most of the time I just let the girls hair air dry.
Once the babies are done with all their stuff I'll give them a few floor toys to play with and I'll clip Livi's nails. If I've gotten time I clip the other girls nails before they get in the tub, but most of the time I'll get that done when they get out.
Scotty goes to clean up the girls then sends them out to get dressed. Once he has Olivia's shower set up she does everything else on her own now, so that's nice. She's just recently started doing her own shower and that works great for her to get to have her own time. Even if it's while she's in the shower! Ha!
While Lulu is showering Scotty and I tag team to complete the girls nails and teeth and hair. By the time Liv is out of the shower we are ready to help her. She's big enough now to do her own hair, so it's usually just flossing her teeth and finishing her nails if they didn't get done before bath.
Once everyone is brushed and flossed and clipped and clean we are ready to begin our daily family worship time.
A few other thoughts:
- We reuse towels. I have five towels and a six hook over the door rack. I just hang the towel on the rack once the kids are dry. Now if someone gets their dirty we have backups, but normally they are washed on Monday when I do all the other laundry. That means that they are used three times to dry a clean baby. Big whoop!
- Once Bubby is going potty and is a little more "aware" of himself he'll bathe alone and Mia will move up with Addi and KK will likely shower before Livi. KK is probably old enough to take her own shower, but she's just not ready yet.
- We use bar Dove soap. Even on the babies. I also use Lavender Aveno sometimes, but usually only if I had a good coupon.
- We have a bath tub toy net to keep all the toys cleaned up and it's super easy for the kids to scoop them up as they get out.
- We use an old towel as a kneeling pad. It's also used for quick clean up afterwards. With five littles there's bound to be some water on the floor. It uses the last spot on my rack.
