How do you keep your LO from standing in the tub?

[McGucks]

We have recently made the switch from a baby tub to our big tub.  Our almost 11 month old seems to like it, the only problem being that he pretty much only wants to stand up.  He's in a great mood with it, so I don't think the water is the wrong temp or anything.  He is not new to standing, so I don't[ the the novelty of that ability is what is behind this.  I am in there with him, BTW, but I pretty much spend most of the time wrangling him down and saying "We need to sit on our bottoms in the tub," which feels kind of silly and certainly doesn't work.  Any ideas?  Thanks!

[Nicole730]

I just say over and over again, we need to stay sitting in the bath tub.  She usually stays occupied and sitting if I leave some water running to play with. 

[EmTheWife]

um, I don't worry about it?  IDK if that's bad or not, but I don't feel like getting soaked or having a power struggle over it.  DS, 10mo, has fallen a few times, but he's learning quickly to hold on and not make sudden movements whilst standing in the tub.

[prone_to_wander]

We either bath him in the kitchen sink OR we have baths with him. SO if he does stand up, we are in the bath with him and it feels much safer than leaning over the tub holding onto a slippery baby.

[cocoanib]

We use this http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-White-Hot-Inflatable-Duck/dp/B000066665

and I put different things in there for her to play with. A peri bottle, wooden spoon, plastic cup, shower comb, etc.

Also, when she does stand up it's usually to get something like a bottle of conditioner, so I'll help her get it and tell her to please sit down to play with it.

[P.J.]

DH or I usually bathe with the baby, so I just hold him well and let him stand if he wants to. It actually helps to wash the lower part of his body! I find that having some fun bath toys in there also works to keep him sitting and occupied.

[KayTeeJay]

We went through the same thing with DS1. What we did was tell him every time that standing up means he's done and it's time to get out. Not in a mean way, just a matter of fact--we don't stand in the bathtub unless we're getting out because it's dangerous. He loved (and still loves) the tub and all his bath toys, so it has worked.

[Llyra]

I never bothered. It was too much of a struggle, during this phase when they're so delighted by being able to stand up. I would just stay close enough to have a hand on the child the whole time, or even climb right in the tub with him. There's nothing inherently dangerous about standing in the tub, as long as an adult is right there to prevent a fall. If I had to walk away from the tub, I'd lift him out until I was close enough to hold him again. In a few months, when his ability to understand and his impulse control start to develop a bit, you can work on it, if it's important to you. I found myself more inclined to rely on my close presence, and a non-skid pad in the bottom of the tub.

[Knitting Mama]

Originally Posted by cocoanib 

We use this http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-White-Hot-Inflatable-Duck/dp/B000066665

and I put different things in there for her to play with. A peri bottle, wooden spoon, plastic cup, shower comb, etc.

Also, when she does stand up it's usually to get something like a bottle of conditioner, so I'll help her get it and tell her to please sit down to play with it.

We used to use this, but now that she stands all the time I actually felt it was more dangerous than the regular tub, as she likes to lean over the edge and has tumbled once. So we're back to me bathing with her in the tub to keep her steady!

[Mis Trae]

I'm having the same problem. I just continue to say "sit on your bottom" and sit him down. That being said, just like another momma, it makes it a lot easier to wash certains parts when he stands up :) I have what's called a Flexi bath and I put it inside the bath tub. Right now,  he likes to now dump the toys over the edge and get them from the big bath tub. luckily, he can do this from a kneeling position so he's standing less....until his next trick.