How to Successfully Shower When Your Toddler is Awake

I prefer to shower in the morning. I also prefer to shower when my child is asleep. In order to satisfy both of those preferences, though, I’d need to wake up around 5:30 AM. My biggest preference of all is getting as much sleep as possible. SO, there are many-a-mornings when I shower with my boys awake. If my husband is around, we obviously swap watching the children… but for various scheduling reasons this isn’t always possible.

It can be tricky to shower in a way that’s safe with curious active little ones freely roaming the house/apartment. I know some moms that let their kids independently play while they shower and nothing is burned down afterwards. This is very cool.

Since my children have been known to leave the apartment, turn the stove on, stack pillows on stools on chairs to reach the Who-Knows-What cabinet… you catch my drift. I need a GAME PLAN if I want to shower while my kiddos are awake. Here have been my go-to strategies:

Plan A: Keep their Hands Busy

This will look different for a 13 month old than it will for a 2.5 year old. Here is how I enact Plan A for different ages:

Younger Toddlers (about 1 year-2 years old): Strap the little one in a high chair where you can see them. This usually is right outside the bathroom door, with the door left ajar. NOW bust out things to keep their little hands busy: Cheerios, baby puffs, stickers, crayons and paper (taped to the high chair b/c you know they will drop that within 30 seconds of you hopping in). They may tire of whatever activity you choose within 5 minutes. That’s okay. They’ll be mildly uncomfortable for 3 minutes while you finish up… a small price to pay for a mother that feels clean and fresh and ready to tackle life for the rest of the day!

Older Toddlers (about 2 years old -3 years old): Kids at this age don’t love being strapped in (at least in my experience). I still keep the door ajar so I can keep a vague eye on the kiddo. If you figure out the right toy or activity, they will stay just as captivated nearby for the few minutes you need to get clean!

Pick a toy (or book or activity) that is:

• hands-on (requires trial and error, manipulation)
• captivating and novel (it’s not out every single day and they are over it; keep a few toys set aside elsewhere so it’ll feel NEW)
• within your toddler’s skillset: This should be a toy that they’ve mastered before (independently!) but are still interested in.

Specific examples that have worked well for my older toddlers:

• Chunky puzzles & puzzles with sounds: Sometimes I pick several different puzzles and dump out all the pieces RIGHT before hopping in the shower.
• Shape-sorting activities
• Lift-the-flap books, or books with noise buttons

You’ll know the right toy for your child to make this a success!

Plan B: Keep them Close

Another option for a toddler of any age is to simply bring them in with you! Either in the shower itself, or the bathroom more generally.

If you have a bath/shower combo, fill up a bit of water at the bottom of the bath & let them splash around while you get cleaned up. Or grab a spray bottle filled with water so they can feel like a busy cleaner.

I know people have mixed feelings about this (both with regards to safety and personal privacy)– so do whatever makes you comfortable. I’d make sure you have a great no-slip mat on the floor of the shower if you do bring your toddler in. It can get so slippery! My sons went through phases of being scared of the shower…and then loving it and finding it hilarious.

If you’d rather not bring your toddler into the actual shower, you could still bring some stacking cups/ Mega Blocks/ Duplos/ bath toys (anything waterproof!) and put them on a towel on the bathroom floor.

The only minor concerns here include:

1. Your curious toddler may be curious about the toilet and other aspects of the bathroom which is … kind of gross potentially. OR WORSE, they could flush small toys down the toilet causing plumbing problems (yes this has happened to us. We are the poster child for WHY YOU SHOULD BABY-PROOF YOUR TOILET SEAT).
2. Make sure there’s no cleaning chemicals or medicines in your bathroom cabinets that are reach-able. That’s just… standard parenting advice though.

Plan C: Toddler Zombie Time

The third and final option: Put on a show. Your toddler’s brain cells will be just fine if they watch an episode or two. My boys didn’t sit well for shows until they were about 2 1/2, but as soon as this strategy worked well I had no problem using it some days.

Shows are quicker paced and simpler to follow than movies, so I’d recommend a short episode directed towards the youngest crowd (TV-Y) for the highest likelihood of Zombie-hood: think Daniel Tiger, Baby Einstein, Curious George, etc. (Read more about what makes a show good for toddlers & preschoolers HERE).

My boys are also into the Cosmic Kids Yoga channel these days, and that will hold their attention (while getting their bodies moving a bit!) for the duration of my shower (that’s one of my top tips for tired mamas).

Final Thoughts:

If you have an older child to keep an eye on the toddler, you probably don’t have to jump through all of these hoops. Just ask your wise and responsible eldest to let you know immediately if the younger is unsafe or needs anything.

And when all else fails, just wait until nap time//bedtime//partner is home… so you can really relax and take your time in the bath or shower!

Do you worry about your toddler while you are showering?? Do you come out to chaos or are your kiddos totally fine? I’d love to hear your tips and tricks in the comments below!

Cover Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

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