Editor’s note: We continue with our 31 Days of Reading in Spanish. Check out the book review below and don’t forget to enter our weekly GIVEAWAY of $100 worth of books in Spanish! This is the last week, so you have until July 31 to enter.

BOOK DESCRIPTION/REVIEW

If you are looking for a non-traditional book in Spanish, though it comes in English as well, then Tener un patito es util/Tener un nene es util is it! It is essentially a two-for-one book (though the stories are connected) because as the pages are flipped, the book unfolds to one long panel. You can start reading about the duck’s perspective (yellow side) about bath time and then flip the book over to read about the little child’s perspective (blue side). In fact, one of the reasons why I love this book is because it offers a way to teach children about seeing the world (or in this case, the point of view of a rubber duck versus a little kid during bath time) from two different points of view.

The illustrations and the storyline were both created by the author, Marisol Misenta, an Argentine native who is known by the mononym ISOL. Like many of her other children’s books, such as Nocturno: Recetario de sueños, there is an interactive component where the child reading the book is asked to, either literally or implicitly, to think or write about what is happening in the book.

   BOOK DETAILS 

   Title: Tener un patito es útil/Tener un nene es útil

   Author and Illustrator: ISOL

   Ages: 2-5 years

   Publisher/Year:  ISBN: 978-1480001244

   Price: $18.49 on Amazon.com

   Website:  http://www.isol-isol.com.ar/

Bath time in our home has definitely taken shape since the early days of when we first came home from the hospital. I was the very nervous mami that bought and returned about six different tubs the first couple months of our baby’s life. In addition, my anxiety was so intense that the idea of speaking in Spanish to my bebita was beginning to dwindle away, which totally broke my heart. After receiving a little pep talk from my brother-in-law about how to bathe baby I gained a little confidence.

I will never forget the evening when I promised myself to really try and relax during bath time. I held Sabrina in my arms, close to my chest and whispered, “Okay Sabrina, lo vamos intentar de nuevo (Okay Sabrina, we are going to try this again).” I promised myself to take deep breaths and sing songs in Spanish while I dabbed her with the little bath towel. It worked! When I took her out of the bath and into the warm towel I sat down and she looked into my eyes and began to coo as if she were saying, ”Gracias mami! Me encanto esta vez!/Thank you, mami. I loved it this time.”

As our bebita has grown out of her newborn tub we have found new ways to make bath time fun. I quickly learned that bath time toys needed to be rotated in and out in order to maintain her interest. We have run the gamut of items we have introduced during bath time. We have had traditional bath toys that swim with a simple wind to mega block boats and tractors.

As I mentioned, at one point, I felt that our idea of only speaking in Spanish was fading due to the challenge of balancing all of the elements involved with parenthood. I decided that I would try integrating Spanish during specific routines in our day-to-day lives, like bath time.  I added the other daily routines once I felt that the one we were working on was in place. As I continued to rotate age appropriate toys (such as alphabet letters, water proof books, mega blocks, containers to put things in and open and close) I realized that the different items helped with diversifying and continuing my use of Spanish during bath time. Eventually, Spanish took over all of our daily routines. We are now 98% of the time speaking in Spanish to our bebita.

Yes, we also still sing during bath time, but most importantly bathing our bebita is an important part of our bedtime routine that also involves playing, chasing, reading, lots of laughs, and eventually a baby that is ready to sleep.

Bathtime has now not only become fun time and a time for Spanish, it is another important bonding time with my baby that often brings joy. JOHNSON’S is “treasuring everyday joy” with a contest for parents to share our a photo of our sweetest bonding moment with our baby to have the chance to win the Grand Prize of a $25,000 scholarship. Just visit the JOHNSON’S Facebook page to upload your photo and enter. 

The Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner: Melissa !

JOHNSON’S is celebrating their new Desitin Soothing Rash Bath Treatment for a calming baby bath to soothe and relieve their delicate diaper area.  The fragrance-free bath is made of a colloidal oatmeal and skin conditioning aloe and vitamin E that’s gentle enough for baby’s sensitive skin.

We are giving away one gift set of Desitin and JOHNSON’S core baby products (as pictured), including the new Desitin Soothing Rash Bath Treatment, to a winner.

All you have to do to enter is share with us your biggest tip to make baby’s bathtime, fun time.  Here are some techniques from JOHNSON’S to get you inspired!

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway. If you want to up your chances at winning, then this is how you can get additional entries (only after you’ve completed the step above):

**Please leave a separate comment for each so we can count them and avoid mistakes.

1. Subscribe to receive blog updates and subscriber-only content via email and leave us an extra comment letting us know you did so or that you’re already a subscriber. Make sure to leave the comment using the same email you subscribed with.

2. Follow us on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link to the post, a mention of @SpanglishBaby and use the hashtag #BabyBathtimeFun. Copy the link to the tweet in an additional comment on the giveaway’s post.

3. Like SpanglishBaby on Facebook and join a thriving community of parents.

This giveaway ends Wednesday, September 21 at midnight EST and is open to U.S. residents over 18 years of age.  Check out the Giveaway Rules.

Disclosure:  This giveaway and article is brought to you by JOHNSON’S and Latina Bloggers Connect