Seriously though, I’m obsessed. At the risk of sounding like a total crazy person, I am going to try and explain to you my obsession with my bath time.
I’ve always been this way, my mom is the same, so maybe I got it from her. I didn’t think it was that abnormal, until I got to university and realized that noone beyond the age of three has baths every night before bed. I couldn’t help it though, I was addicted. I remember, everyone would be all dolled up and ready to go because they took a quick shower (like a normal person) before going out…..and I would be up in the bath hearing them “pre-drink”. People would come over and ask where I was and when they heard I was “having my bath” I’m sure they were probably like, “What? is she two?”. It wasn’t like it was a nice bathtub or bathroom, it was the finest of the student ghettos a.k.a it was gross. But I just couldn’t shake it, I needed my bath. I suddenly realized that people didn’t really take baths daily anymore, unless it was a special occasion or something. I don’t understand it. To this day, I tell people I take a bath daily and they find that surprising.
I want to bring back the bath in a big way. Showers are overrated, bath time is where it’s at. I think the world would be a better place if everyone had a bath every night. You think I’m joking, but bath time is no joke. I told you, I’m obsessed.
The obsession carried on wherever I went. When I moved in with my boyfriend (now my husband), he quickly realized that I needed my bath time at the end of the day and gave me that time. When I got pregnant, it became absolutely crucial. Not only did I need it to clear my head, I now needed it to ease all my aches and pains. And it worked. Before I went on mat leave, my job was pretty demanding. I can remember coming home, being super stressed and needing a bath to clear my head. Then, I would go, with a clear head, and finish up my work…then need ANOTHER bath to clear my head to be able to sleep. I would think to myself, enjoy this time because once you have a baby, you won’t be able to take your bath anymore.
Well that was a lie. The addiction only got worse. In the first couple months after giving birth, the bath was my saviour. I would put witch hazel and epson salts and soak for as long as the babe would let me. He would settle in for 2 hour naps and sometimes I would sit in the bath for most of that. I would keep adding hot water, not a care in the world. Well, OK fine, except for the massive anxiety of becoming a parent and the fact that I still felt like I’d been hit by a mac truck, but in the bath I was calm. It was the epitome of peaceful, with my newborn laying beside me in his bassinet. I would sometimes bring him in the bath with me. I already know that I am going to look back on those moments as some of the happiest of my life. My son is 7 months old and I am now doing two-a-days. In the morning, I put him down beside me on his playmat and watch him play while I bathe and wash my hair. Thank god he is still young enough that this doesn’t traumatize him. I guess I won’t be able to do this forever, but for now, I am relishing in it. At nighttime, the first thing I do after I put him down to bed is turn on the bath. I sit there and soak. I stare at my knees and realize I friggin’ love my knees (I used to hate my “chicken legs”), I love my fingers, I love the blinds, I love the light fixture… In the bath, I just love everything. I come out in a zen like state. I make it super hot and just soak. This is how I recharge.
I. LOVE. THE. BATH. I love writing about the bath, I love thinking about the bath, I love bath products, I love bathing my son, I love bathtubs, I even love cleaning the bathtub…the whole nine. I even sit there and dream up ideas for “comfier” bathtubs. I think to myself, I should test out bath products for a living OR invent something to make bath time better. Maybe I will, maybe I will. But for now, I am just going to sit there and enjoy them, no strings attached.
I know this is probably sounding ridiculous. I’ve never met anyone that quite shares my passion for bath time. This bath obsession is no joke. We got a $620 water bill in the summer. I WISH I was joking. I think it was worth every scent. This is my therapy. I feel amazing after coming out of the bath. You can’t put a price on (squeaky clean) happiness. Not sure my hubs agrees, but he just knows that when it comes to me and my bath, don’t mess. It’s not like I have an amazing bathroom or anything. My bathroom is stuck in the 90’s right now. I don’t discriminate, any bathtub will do. As long as it’s clean and can contain enough hot water to blanket me up in all it’s bathy goodness, I’m a happy girl. I know, I know, I spent almost a full EI cheque on “baths”, so sue me…I love the bath and couldn’t stop even if I tried. I had my birthday party in the bath this year. No, nothing crazy like that, just me soaking in the bath for as long as I wanted. It was the best.
So that’s it. My ode to bath time. Let’s bring back bath time.
Try it. Be careful though, it’s addictive. Before you know it, you’ll be professing your love to bath time like I crazy woman and getting $600 water bills. Seriously though, I would marry bath time if I could.
Time for a bath. ❤
the modern mommy collective 