I had always imagined blissful bath times with my baby when I used to read all my baby care books. Lots of splishing, splashing, cute little shaped soaps and bath bubbles. Let's face it - the truth wasn't anything like it at all. The splishing, splashing part was alright, but my toddler raised terrible cries when it came to soaps and shampoos and anything that has to do with scrubbing her. Even the cute little bath sponge was preferred for chewing and not scrubbing.

Like everything else in parenting, tub-time has it's own challenges and there are ways to come on top of it. I chose the simplest way - using toddler toys. Starting with rubber duckies - a bright yellow 'Mama Ducky' with her 3 little 'Baby Duckies' who accompanied my baby to her bath tub, we have now moved on to little floating baby Mickey-Minnie-Donald-Pluto. My daughter loves to take them along and bathe and scrub them (while I scrub her) and bath times are never the same again.

Oh, and the rubber duckies still go to the tub along with her newfound friends!