When to move your baby's baths to the big tub

Bathing babies is tough work. Add a little water and babies become the most slippery folks on the planet. Thus moving to the big tub can be scary. Here's when it's ok to give your baby a bath in the big tub vs. his tiny baby tub. Why move him: Once your baby is too big for the little tub it's time to move him to the big tub. If he's too big for his little tub but you still feel unsafe or he's not sitting well just give him sink baths (if you have a big enough sink) or washcloth baths. He's not that dirty. How to make the switch correctly:

• Wait until he can sit up well. Those baby bath tub seats you hear about are not always safe. A few kids tumble over each year in these and drown, so I don't recommend them. It's simply safer to wait until you have a baby who can sit up well.
• Make sure the tub has something non-slip on the bottom. Bath mats work well. Once at a hotel I needed a non-slip mat for my baby and I used a towel which worked great in a pinch -- it was soppy but Cedar didn't slip around.
• Let your baby play in the big tub a few times. Throw him and some toys into the empty tub and let him acclimate before you add water.
• Babies get cold quicker than adults so make sure the bathroom is warm during his bath. However, do not run the bath water too hot. Use your elbow to test the water (not your hand). The water should be warm not hot. Don't fill the tub with more than a few inches of water.

Most importantly: Before a big tub bath get everything ready and right next to the tub -- washcloths, soap, etc. You cannot leave your baby alone for a second. Until your child is six years old or so you should never leave him alone in the tub. Not even for a minute to get the phone. If there's an emergency and you have to leave the room take your baby out of the tub. Babies and small children can drown in only a few inches of water and they can do so very quickly. I had friends back before I had my son who lost their 4 year old baby girl in a bathtub accident. The dad left the room for one minute to get the phone. When he came back his little girl had hit her head and fallen under just inches of water. She was unconscious and in the hospital for a week before they pronounced her brain dead, and her parents made the decision to turn her life support off. That's a tragic story. However, it freaked me out enough that I've never left Cedar alone though. And you shouldn't leave your children alone in the tub either. You don't want your child to be a statistic.