Thursday, January 30, 2014

The road to independence

The other night, Allie asked if she could shower instead of me giving her a bath.  Sure.  Why not?   Now, the girls have had showers before, but normally those are reserved for vacations when my OCD takes over and I can't bear the thought of my kids bathing in a tub of questionable cleanliness.  I'm usually not a big fan of showers for the kids only because I still need to supervise and assist (think HAIR and Anna is more susceptible to falls) which means I walk away with at least one soaking wet body part.

We outfitted the shower in the girls' bathroom with a spray nozzle and recently, Grammy found this clip attachment which allowed us to lower the shower to little kid height.

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I can still assist and not end up looking like I had taken a shower with my clothes on.  I've been focusing on teaching them what to do instead of just throwing them in and lathering them up.

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And there's more!  I've watched Emily change up empty toilet paper rolls twice this week without prompting and Allie's hands are finally strong enough to pop open their car seat buckles, which is a HUGE back saver for me, especially when she unbuckles the kid in the third row of the minivan.  I didn't know she could do it until I found her standing in the back of the van after I had pulled into the garage the other night.  I was confused and thought she hadn't been buckled in.

(At less than, but closing in on, 40 pounds, the girls are still in a five-point harness seat.  Remember, safety first. Allie and Emily have been able to buckle themselves in and tighten the straps for awhile now, but unbuckling has been a different story.)

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

They're so grown up! I love the towel turban (I didn't figure that one out until I was sixteen).

Side note: would a grippy bathmat help Anna? My room mate just bought one and I noticed a major difference.

Kayla said...

Isn't it freeing for you! I love when children gain the independence that allows our backs the break they need.

Melissa B said...

OOOH where did Grammy find the shower clip! My boys love showers but the water ends up EVERYWHERE!

Merks said...

Clip attachment! I'm literally hitting my forehead for not thinking of that. I'm forever soaked after "assisting" with showers in our house. Genius idea, Grammy.

Jessica said...

Any idea the name of the suction cup holder or where it was purchased. I work with adults with disabilities and just recently had one looking for that type of solution.

Sarah said...

I can't remember where she found it but she'll respond or I'll ask her this weekend.

Anonymous said...

My twins will be 6 in a 3 months - they are slightly over 40 pounds but they still fit the requirements of the actual car seat. I am getting so much pressure from family members and friends to move them to a booster seat - it's so frustrating - why should I move them if they still meet the seat requirements and they are safer in the 5 point harness. I agree - safety first!

Katlyn

Creative Works by Ann said...

I agree - safety first! In both the shower and the car. We've had the hand held shower head for years and I have always held it lower myself while they learned to wash.

My daughter, who is almost 11, weighs just 64 lbs. Too tall for a five point but she is in and will stay in a booster until I feel she is tall enough/heavy enough to be safe riding without one. That's just how it is going to be. :)

Anonymous said...

I ordered the Hand Held Shower Grip from Taylor Gifts. The item is: #32906 :)
Grammy

Davida said...

My grandchildren are almost 6 and almost seven and are tall for their age, but they are both still in 5 point harness car seats. They can stay in them until they are 60 or 70 pounds (can't remember which). They actually like them because they are up high and can see out the car windows. Also, if they happen to fall asleep in the car it's much more comfortable than being in a booster seat.

Beth said...

I so much love that shower curtain. I'm thinking you made it, but if not, where did you buy it?

Sarah said...

Thanks, Beth. Yes, I made it.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Grammy! My twins are 7 and have been taking showers lately but feel like the head of the shower is to tall for them. I found it on amazon too. Love the wrap towel heads, so cute!

Lilly

Katrina said...

My son will be 5 in 17 days (eek!). He is 43.4lbs and taller. We have a Britax Frontier 90. He is and will continue to be in a 5 point harness as long as he fits the car seat requirements. I get a lot of pressure to put him in a booster but safety first!

Wendy said...

Love it! M&L can soak themselves, but still need help washing their hair. That shower clip is great, and horray for Grammy for finding it!

Unknown said...

I left my daughter (who is a year older than your girls) in a 5-point harness seat for a longer than "normal" and the sole reason was she could buckle and unbuckle herself. I only have one but I'm a single mom and not having to unbuckle and buckle her seemed like a huge time saver then. She'll be 8 in April and she's only been in the booster seat that buckles with the car buckle for about a year.