Bath Before Dinner

About a year ago I started giving the boys their bath before dinner. And I've never looked back.

I used to do the typical routine of dinner, bath, books, bed.....but I often ended up skipping or dreading bathtime. Why? Because by the time dinner is over I am tired! I would look at all the dinner dishes that needed to be washed, the boys that needed to be bathed, the books that needed reading, and the toys that needed to be picked up before bed......and I would feel like sitting down on the couch and never getting up.

My other ongoing issue has always been what to do between the hours of 4pm and dinnertime. The boys are getting tired and cranky by this time and it's just a hard time of day.

So one day I gave them a bath to distract them from their crankiness. And it worked! They had fun, and my to-do list after dinner didn't seem so long. Sure, they get some dinner crumbs on their pajamas, but I don't mind. Most days they are in their PJs by around 5:30. Then after dinner all we need to do is pick up toys before the bedtime routine starts.

I love baths before dinner. It works for us! What works for you?