Bath time is a precious way to connect with a little one, and many medical professionals highly endorse the health benefits that come with a sweet, bubbly bathing routine. Let’s splash right into what some of these are!
Soothing massage therapy
Mayo Clinic notes that massaging infants during bathing, especially through gentle rubbing motions, has a positive effect on their stress-controlling hormones. This is why babies are often more relaxed and sleepy after leaving the tub. Slow strokes and kneading work well too as they aid blood flow around the body.
Learning development
“Scientists are now recognising [that] everyday interactions parents have with their baby and everyday moments… can be thought of as learning moments or learning opportunities,” explains developmental psychologist, Andrew Meltzoff, in an interview with Health US News.
As the co-director of University of Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, Meltzoff added that babies gain educational and learning development benefits from bath time.
This is especially true if playtime is incorporated into the bathing regimen since children often stimulate their minds through play and imagination. Toys and colourful towels like our My Bath Time – Premium Playtime Giraffe set are ideal for unisex baby gifts – complete with an adorable velour hooded towel.
For baby presents where you know the gender, the Deluxe Polka Dot Girl and Boy gift sets are ideal. Both have storybooks that are safe to immerse into water and include body washes. Any bath-time baby gift baskets are sure to be a help around the tub.
Body clock adjusting
By sticking to a timely schedule of pre-bed bath time, babies learn from the routine and adjust their body clock accordingly. Bathing before bed teaches them that sleep and winding down will come soon after.
Bonding with baby
Another key perk of bathing a baby is the bonding and relationship-building between parents and their young one. Kids Health.org notes that touch is an early language for humans and a key means of communication, as is eye contact and skin-to-skin interaction.
Before they can talk, babies try vocalising the sounds of their caregivers through imitation. They also interact by copying facial expressions and gestures, and with the movements involved in bath time, it is a prime opportunity for these benefits.