Mom asks other parents if they are cleaning their bathtubs before giving kids a bath, sparks debate

Parenting is a tough job and with the internet constantly trending new parenting tips and tricks, it can make the tasks even more challenging. The most recent parenting trend that’s doing the rounds on TikTok is related to bathtub cleanliness. A mom—who goes by @mama_tiktok_here on TikTok—turned to the internet for clarity on a rather peculiar matter of bathtubs and baths. Her concern began when she saw another mom ask a question on a Facebook group that she was a part of. The mom asked the group whether parents were washing the bathtub before giving their kids a bath. She looked genuinely perplexed about this question because it’s not a very common thing to do.

She follows this up by asking, “Are we supposed to be doing this thing?” She then adds that she does a deep clean of the bathtub a couple of times a month but not every night. She ends the video by putting a question out to the internet, “Am I the crazy one?” While she definitely is not crazy, the fact that she and the mom from the Facebook group had the same question, shows that maybe there are some parents out there who do practice bathtub cleaning every night before their children’s bathtime and this was evident from the comments section.

The TikTok comment section was a bouquet of opinions that were an eye-opener that bathtub cleaning is not as rare of a practice as one would’ve thought. Talking about cleaning the bathtub for herself, TikTok user @jettalynn21 said, “I wash the tub before and after it's used and I don't even have children.” This was followed by a queue of comments by users who felt the same. @beautyimagestudio pointed out the relation of bathtub cleaning to culture. She said, “I guess maybe it’s a cultural thing, I know in a lot of black and brown households that’s the rule: you always clean the tub before you get in or out.”

While the practice of cleaning bathtubs is a personal lifestyle choice, some users felt that rinsing the bathtub to just wash away any soapy residue is normal. @sana_bby said, “If by clean she means to throw a few splashes of hot water before they go into the tub then sure.” Some users also felt that cleaning the bathtub is a ‘regular’ habit for hygiene reasons and were pretty shocked that it’s even a question. @indigenous_mama said, “I’m absolutely shocked with these comments. I can't imagine all the bacteria that just be growing and then taking a bath in it.” From the looks of it, the mother has got a mixed bunch of responses and bathtub cleaning as a ritual is not new. A lot of people seem to practice it and for good reasons. However, ultimately the discussion boils down to ‘to each its own.'

On the topic of trending parenting tricks and tips, a recent Instagram reel posted by pediatric dietician Jennifer Anderson—who goes by @kids.eat.in.color on TikTok—gives a short training module on how to get toddlers to swallow pills. Anderson made her 7-year-old son practice swallowing pills based on the five-step program called  "How to Swallow Pills" by Dr. J Kaplan, Ph.D. The toddler practiced for 14 days straight and finally, he was able to swallow an even bigger pill. The video went viral for the creative trick, not just for kids but also for adults who may be struggling with swallowing pills.