Showering For One-Tips to get that daily shower every Momma deserves

I currently am a momma of two little ones. I have a son who just turned 2 and a 6-week-old little girl. I realize I am in the thick of it, and most people would understand if I did not shower, cook, walk, eat, or do anything besides care for these tiny humans. However, I also have needs, specifically, personal hygiene needs, and dreams of showering for one. 

I was sleep-deprived to the point I thought I could go without the personal hygiene need of showering. Why not, I thought? Despite being active on walks and chasing after a toddler in my backyard constantly. Why did I really need a shower? I could just rock a mom hat, shorts, tank top, and let my day move forward onto the next.

I pretty much went with this limited showering philosophy, until a family member took a picture of me at the zoo for my son’s birthday. That is when I realized that it was unclear if I was my son’s mom or one of the zoo animals. This same family member, also very gently brought up how hard it must be to shower with the two little ones, and to be honest for the first time, in a long time, I had a moment to smell how bad it truly was.

I was a mess. Yes, it was for all the right reasons, but I was exactly that slob kabob mom I was so desperately trying to avoid or swore I would never become. It had nothing to do with how others perceived me and everything to do with me, not giving myself the care I NEEDED.

I decided (after a good cry, of course) that I was going to shower and look like a decent human being on most days of the week. Here are the tips and steps that I put in place to help me achieve that on a more regular basis!

Tip 1 – Safety

I child-proofed my bathroom. I made sure the toilet seat was locked, and all chemicals were put away. I locked the drawers and doors I did not want accessed. In my personal scenario, I used my kid’s bathroom. It just made more sense since this was already baby proofed.

Tip 2 –Preplan 

I prepared my things in advance. I put the things I needed in the bathroom in advance to be able to take a shower, QUICKLY. For me, this included shampoo, conditioner, razor, soap bar, hairdryer, brush, makeup, deodorant, clothes, and undergarments. I have now just made it a habit of putting a few cute outfits in the bathroom when I am putting clothes away, so I do not have to think about it. 

Tip 3 – Entertainment

I made a play cabinet. See the picture below. I cleared out our middle cabinet and put a few different storage containers filled with various toys. I highly recommend these stacking cups. Amazon Stacking Cups

Tip 4 -Snack

After our morning walk, I have been grabbing some sort of fruit (usually a banana or clementine) and saving it for when we go upstairs for shower time.

Tip 5 – Multiple kids

I wait until my littlest is ready for a nap or sleepy enough so I can put her in the crib. I lock my son and I in the bathroom. Give him his fruit to snack on and open his cabinet. Decent looking human being, here I come!

This has been a learning process, as the first day, I only did one of these things, and I ended up with a fully clothed toddler in the shower with me. This is always a great option too, but I found with now having a second, the thought of doing an early bath and doing all the dressing again for my toddler was the reason I was not showering to begin with!

Hope this helps even just one other Momma get a 2-minute shower and the self-love they deserve. Showering for one. For more self-care tips, be sure to check out Self-Care is Still Important in a Crisis.