I remember the first time I bathed my baby girl. I remember thinking how excited I was to watch her splash her hands in the water, let her stare in amazement at all the fun bubbles floating around her, feel her sweet baby skin, and get her all nice and squeaky clean.
While most associate bath time as just a means of cleanliness, it’s so much more than that for your baby. Believe it or not, bath time is one of the most important activities a parent can do for their child to help them grow into awesome humans. Here are some reasons why bathing your baby is highly important for their development:
1. Babies Need Attention
Bath time is the one time we have with our babies, during which we have uninterrupted one-on-one contact. There is no cell phone interruption, outside distractions, or internet browsing on your laptop. You are holding her, steadying her, even playing and laughing with her the entire time. Because of this intimate and consistent attention over a few minutes, studies have shown that bath time is one of the most crucial times for cognitive development for your baby, helping her stimulate and expand her brain and social interaction skills.1
2. Babies Need To Be Touched
Studies have also shown the importance of touch with babies – and during bath time, they are held, scrubbed, and washed the entire time by a parent’s attentive and steady hands.2 Babies affectionately touched by a loving parent or caregiver are 50% more likely to have eye contact and 3x more likely to have positive interaction. Touch is also sometimes called our “first language,” hence its importance for babies who don’t yet know how to communicate with a native tongue.
3. Babies Associate the Smells of Bath Time With Good Memories
Fragrance is the substance of memories. When we smell something familiar, it can take us back to a place in our childhood or memory that reminds us of a specific event – like how blueberry pie reminds you of Grandma’s house or dirty gym socks remind you of your days on the basketball team. Whenever your baby regularly smells the scent of their shampoo or body wash, they will associate that scent with the precious times they have spent with mommy or daddy during bath time – the splashing, the toys, the bubbles, the giggles.
Our babies are the most precious part of us and the most important thing about our future. As parents, we must use every opportunity with our children to nurture, love, and help them grow into great people. And since baths are necessary anyway, it’s a perfect opportunity to bond with them and give them the attention, touch, and sweet memories they deserve.
