Save the Stinkbug!

I am not sure how other parents do things, but we don't give Shae baths every night. Partly this is because of how bad this is for her hair -- being all coarse and curly, it is also very dry, and washing it every day is not advised -- but mostly it is because Bath Night at Casa Gonzales is a giant big-ass hour-long rigmarole involving approximately seven bottles of stuff, negotiations over types and quantities of tub toys, mud wrestling to get that kid out of her clothes, several fits of tears when I try to rinse shampoo out of that mop, etc. It's kind of a big deal, and when it's over, we're exhausted.

So recently we started a new routine on our off-nights. She gets regular full-on bubble baths two or three nights a week, and most of the rest of the time, she gets what have we been calling "bird baths." We put her Elmo mat in the bottom of the tub, turn on the water, give her some roll-on soap syrup, and let her have at it for about 10 minutes.

It's great, because we are using this as one of those "teachable moments" -- we're trying to get her into the habit of washing herself, and this is a big help. Of course we follow up with a washcloth on all the important bits, but it's fun to listen to her check off all her bits that need to be cleaned: feet, hands, neck, ears. And it's fun for her, of course, because she can kind of make a mess while she's washing up.

But of course the best part of this plan is one that I hadn't even really thought out, and it is that we get to relish in the best part of bath night -- the after-bath snuggling and giggling, when Shae is all clean and smells extra wonderful -- a lot sooner. And for a lot longer.