Bathtime, hun? In some households, it’s a health-related daily responsibility. For others, not so much. I won’t get into the matter, because it’s very personal for each family. But regardless of how often it happens, baby bathtime is a rollercoaster experience! Sometimes, it can be a playful, soothing, and bonding moment. Other times is an action thriller, with you chasing butt-naked tots around the house. One way or the other it always ends with a towel. Of course, you can go by with just any towel or cloth that dries the baby. But for as long as the kid needs cleaning assistance, soft and absorbent baby hooded towels are your allies for different reasons. Even as a useful baby shower gift, quality hooded towels or bath set gifts are a great option.
Besides, how lovely is a baby wrapped up in a snuggly animal towel?
Quick talk about bathtime safety
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a great guideline on bath safety, where, among other things, they state the importance of keeping babies dry and warm right after a bath, to prevent hypothermia and colds. And under any circumstances leave a baby or a toddler unattended around water. That was quick, right?
The best baby hooded towel for each age
At any age, a naturally soft, perfect size & absorbent baby hooded towel. And here’s why.
For me, the perfect size is big enough to last a few years and wrap the baby in a beat. I don’t like small baby towels that are good only for the infant age. I see no reason to buy something that I’ll have to use for years to only use it for a few months.
Naturally soft because the smaller the baby, the more sensitive the skin, and you probably wanna avoid artificial softeners getting in touch with very young infants.
And absorbent because, well, it should remove the water, not spread it. And there is a lot of towels in the market that are all the 3 things, at any price range and fabric.
The most common fabrics for baby towels are terry cotton and cotton. They are soft and absorbent. The cheapest, but still absorbent towels, are usually a blend of cotton and polyester. I’m not a big fan of towels that are only polyester, tho. If your baby has extra sensitive skin, organic and non-toxic towels will be much more gentle, regardless of the fabric. Bamboo and cotton muslin is more breathable fabrics, great for summertime. In conclusion: $40 animal hooded towels from Pottery Barn Kids are adorable, but there are cheaper options that will do the job.
Newborn
For newborns, the goal is to keep the little one warm and comfortable. Honestly, that’s when good-quality hooded towels matter the most. I was in charge of bathing my newborn niece for the first month and wow. In the beginning, she hated it, which seems to be normal. We were completely inexperienced, had a hand-down bathtub that was too big, and we had zero accessories. By the way, the right bathtime essentials for each stage are so helpful. Eventually, we figured out what worked for her and she started to appreciate it. At this age, babies only need less than a quick gentle scrub in the tub/sink. The water temperature must be perfect and they must stay dry and warm as soon as possible. From my personal experience, the hood was key to warming up Maya’s head and making my job easier.
Infants
After the baby starts to interact and sit, is time to keep their heads off the water and save what’s left of your lower back. But you’re still in control. You take them to the tub and remove them whenever you want to. Usually, they love being in the water, splish splashing, and playing with bath toys. They calm down, you can also relax, do some aromatherapy, and enjoy the bonding moment.
Toddlers
Once your bundle of joy reaches the toddler years, it’s a different game. Toddlers have their agendas and like everything else, getting in and out of the bath is open to their mood. From this point on, cute, fun, colorful, baby hooded towels work as decoys. It works with Maya most times. She sees the hooded towel, I start signing our hide and seek jam, and she’s out. As soon as the hood covers her eyes, she is hidden, right? Getting her dry is another story. But usually, from the bathroom to the bedroom, she is pretty much dry, if I’m using a good towel. Because yes, my sister was gifted some awful baby towels that I profoundly dislike. And we use them because why waste? Same for getting dressed. She hides under the towel and I change her. The singing plus the hide and seek trick have been working wonders for months, so I praise baby hooded towels!
Botton: @edushape
That’s what bath toys, bathrobes, ludic mitts, and fun towels are for. Of course, you still want soft and absorbent towels, because sometimes you’ll use them properly. But truth be told, after the third time your toddler starts running naked and wet around the house you consider it a win and move on.
How many baby towels do you need?
As many as you can and want. I am a minimalist to the core. For most things that require doing laundry, from bedsheets to kitchen towels, I go by the 3 pieces rule. That way, I always have 1 being used, 1 waiting to be washed, and 1 clean. And I use this rule for my towels as well. However, I’m also very practical and organized and I appreciate things done the right way. So, every time I bathe Maya and no good clean towel is available, I get disproportionately annoyed. Can I use just any towel? Yes, I can. But I dislike the idea that I used my hard worked money to acquire something that doesn’t do the job perfectly. So if you can have at least 3 good towels, do it. There are great economic packs with 3 towels for less than U$20.
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