I love getting clean! Actually I love taking a bath and getting clean is just a wonderful byproduct. At least every two days I try to find the time to take a bath. This bath means laying in the tub, no one talking to me, and soaking my body and brain type of bath. My wonderful husband and father-in-law installed a small television directly in sight of my bath tub. I love to relax into the warm water and turn on a mindless show while letting all of my momma stresses melt into the tub. My time in the bath is one of my greatest forms of self care. Apparently it is part of my up bringing because bath time was always a long event in my house growing up.
When we were little bath time was one of the few breaks my mom received as a stay at home mom. Before things like self-care were discussed among moms, my mother figured out a way to give herself a break. She had three kids under the age of 4 and needed some time to relax. My mom would throw three demanding toddlers into the bath along with a massive amount of toys that included Tupperware and kitchen spoons. Then my mom would take her perch on top of the toilet and break out a book. Losing herself in a trashy romance novel while we happily played in the warm water. Even from a small age I remember her taking time to heat up the bath water more than once during bath time. Eventually our bath time would end and my mom's quiet time along with it. Returning to the chaos of small children until the next bath was needed and my mom could enjoy another book on her porcelain throne.
As I grew older my mom used a bath to fix everything. Whenever we would come to her with any ailment she would always advise that we take a bath. You have a tummy ache, take a bath. You have a broken toe, take a bath. Your boyfriend broke up with you, take a bath. It seemed to be her magical cure for everything. Her insistent bath therapy trained me to still use this philosophy in my life. Taking a bath not only seems to wash away my dirt and grim but also the majority of my troubles. All my psychological ills seem to fall down the drain with the rest of the muck. I have always thought of my baths as a reset button. Feeling totally out numbered by my 3 girls means I need time to be with myself and nobody else which is super rare.
My amazing husband usually takes care of bath time with our little ladies. We both learned early on that if I lean over the bathtub to scrub them down I will throw out my back. An old dance injury that still plagues me. My girls love bath time. Even now when my 8 year old has decided to start taking showers she likes to play with the other girls over the side of the tub. We have all kinds of bath things water changing colors, bath paints, and every toy you can imagine. Even if a toy isn't supposed to go into the tub my girls make it a bath toy. Barbies, LOLs, and little people all jump in the bath with my girls. Luckily they can all go in the dishwasher when they have been left in the bath a little too long with a little too much gunk on them. Secretly my husband and I do throw some away the ones that cannot come back from the brink of moldiness.
I have heard people say "Everything comes out in the wash." Even if my little ladies are splashing or playing over the side of my tub it is still a much needed mom break. All my stresses of the day come out in the wash. All my anger and malice comes out in the wash. All of the worries of my momma life come out in the wash. Washing away all of my mental and physical ailments makes me a better momma. Just like the quiet time my mom had while we were in the bath made her a better momma too. Maybe someday my own little ladies will use bath time to make them better mommas. I encourage you all to find that one thing that can wash away your momma stress and hang on to it. Most of the bad things in this world can be cured from a good bath. Just ask my mom.
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