[PancakeGoddess]

K is 2.5yo and likes to fill cups and trucks with water on the side of the tub. They overflow and get all over the floor. I'd like him to use the corners of the tub on the other side, but he won't. Would you pick this battle? I'm inclined to line the outer edge of the tub with towels and leave him alone, but that does make for a bit more laundry, and where do I draw the line? It's not ok to dump gallons of water out...

 

[BellinghamCrunchie]

We have a similar issue with our DD. I limit the toys she can have in the tub to ones that can only dump smaller amounts of water, due to the floor not having really waterproof seams and a lot of water on the floor will cause water damage and possibly mold growth. So she can only dump small amounts (like 1/2 a cup at a time) and the towels can absorb this much.

I also make sure she has plenty of outdoor water play when the weather is nice, where she can dump with whatever she likes.

I wonder if your child would respond to giving up the dumping toys for something more interesting, like those tablets that turn the water colors, or a wind-up boat, or colored bath soap "crayons" (I forget what they are called).

It seems reasonable to me to come up with a solution that more nearly meets everyone's needs, including mama's

 

[sweetpea333]

my dd does the exact same thing!! she 2, i just let her do it and then use my dirty clothes to wipe it up... it gets pretty annoying!!

 

[elmh23]

I have a rule about nothing on the bath ledge that can spill. Mostly because I don't want to clean it up, lol. My dd gets annoyed with my rule every now and then, but for the most part doesn't care.

 

[PortraitPixie]

another 2 year old doing the SAME THING!

: It drives me nuts...

they're funny little creatures...

 

[PancakeGoddess]

I knew I wasn't alone.

Well, he seems to be so *driven* to do the pouring play, and he will ask for the cups if I remove them. Oton, he has gobs of water stuff in the back yard.

thanks for the ideas, everyone.

 

[papapoochie]

Yes, my DS likes to pour on the floor, although not directly but as a consequence of his play, ie, setting water filled cups up on the outer ledge. I would try to shift him in the tub so that the water stays in the tub, but it works only sometimes. I don't mind the water in the bathroom floor as much cause it's tiled, but it seems to make it's way onto the hardwood floors in the hallway and on the wood door. Mostly, I sit next to him and just keep wiping and saying "be careful w/the water...." If he's feeling impish, he giggles and says, "you used to be okay w/the water but now you're not! HOW COME?"
I'd think, because I'm an uptight old man, that's why. What happended to the hippie in me?

Anyway, water on the floor, urgggggg.

:

 

[shoefairy3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elmh23 I have a rule about nothing on the bath ledge that can spill. Mostly because I don't want to clean it up, lol. My dd gets annoyed with my rule every now and then, but for the most part doesn't care.

Same here...no toys on the outside ledge...or it is time to get outta the tub

 

[grahamsmom98]

Go to a bath supply store (Bed, Bath & Beyond or Linens-N-Things or try something like Harriet Carter catalogues or Wal-Mart/Target) for those bath trays that fit across the tub, over the water. They aren't expensive.

They come in a variety of styles and materials (I've seen metal, plastic and even wicker) so you should be able to find one that fits your decor (if that's important).

I have one that I keep candles on for when I take my bubble baths and want to mellow out! Ds used to play with bowls and cups in the tub and this solved the water-on-the-bathroom-floor problem before it started.

 

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

We just spent more than $2,000 to fix a leaky and moldy ceiling and wall underneath the kids bathroom due to several "floods" caused by way-to-enthusiastic bathers. I am really, really sorry I didn't fight this battle at 2. NOW we have a rule that things need to stay on the inside ledge and water can only be dumped into the bathtub. I like the tray idea -- I think I'll put that on my list.

One thing that I found was that they are happy dumping into the bathtub after filling cups from the running faucet. So now I leave the faucet on longer but with lower pressure.

I also never leave the bathroom while they are bathing anymore either. Even though I know they are safe, I want to be there to supervise and redirect away from the edge very quickly. And I still put towels down for "insurance".

 

[Yooper]

I do not fight it. I use the same large beach towel for every bath which I just fold and put up right along the tub on the floor. I never wash it. I just hang it and use it again and again. It does not need to be clean as no one is using it for body parts. We have a 120+ yo house and the bathroom floor is toast. I understand the feeling. Any more water damage and who knows what will happen (me thinking the tub will fall through the floor while I am in it). But the towel soaks it all up. I do ask dd to be careful but do not make a big deal out of it. I figure she is practicing. Better with water and a beach towel than a counter and a gallon of tomato juice, eh? Not a battle worth fighting IMO.

 

[bobica]

that was a battle we chose. it drove me nuts and it's my dad's bathroom (we live downstairs & only have a shower) so it was non-negotiable. we'd take the cups away for a minute, redirect and model where to dump the water. she got ok with it pretty quickly.

 

[MamaBug]

Moving this to Toddlers

 

[mclisa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PancakeGoddess K is 2.5yo and likes to fill cups and trucks with water on the side of the tub. They overflow and get all over the floor. I'd like him to use the corners of the tub on the other side, but he won't. Would you pick this battle? I'm inclined to line the outer edge of the tub with towels and leave him alone, but that does make for a bit more laundry, and where do I draw the line? It's not ok to dump gallons of water out...

Been there. Very hard to make them understand that there is no water outside the tub. We do better now that they are 5 adn 3, but still have to be reminded.

 

[PancakeGoddess]

thanks mamabug. I guess I wasn't really considering this a toddler issue only, but it seems that's who is responding!

 

[leximom]

I usually give my 1 year old showers because of this. It drives me crazy!!1

 

[Sydnee]

I just lay a thick towel down, and let them have fun!

 

[PancakeGoddess]

Update! My MIL came over with her garage sale leftovers and I found a little plastic treasure! I think this is a small freestanding shelf/tray that's supposed to be used in the kitchen cabinets to save space, but it also serves as.....
Our Annoying Bath Problem Solved

eta, we couldn't use one of those across-the-tub caddies because the bath has barely any lip on the wall side.