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Just wondering when everyone decided it was 'safe' or appropriate to leave their kids in the bath alone (but within earshot of course!). :doh:
I'm not planning on doing this anytime soon, but it just occurred to me tonight while he was in the bath that I wonder what everyone does??
Your input is most welcome and appreciated! :lol:
:redface:jack was probably 2 when we would let him have a shower alone and about 27mths when he wa shaving abth, we are within ear shot and constantly calling out or checking but yeah he has baths alone
Paige is 3 tomorrow and we started about 6-8 months ago.
Definately in earshot and we go in and out every 3-5min...sometimes more.
Not sure when we started doing it, but we leave ours and they're about 3 and 18months.
I'd say it depends on each situation - in our situation, our house is quite small, and the kids quite chatty, so when I hear them stop chatting, I'll stick my head in. And the bathroom's quite central so I'm walking past quite often.
I imagine it'll be different in our new house where the bathroom is tucked away a bit more, I might have to find something to do much closer. And obviously I don't go out of earshot, like outside or anything. I don't think I'd be putting washing on the line during a bath til they were much older, as in old enough for someone to come and get me if things went wrong.
DS1 turns 4 in November and he doesnt have unsupervised baths. I nearly drowned as a child so maybe thats why but I wasnt planning on leaving him unsupervised til 5
DD is 2 and i leave her to play but check every 2 minutes or call out to her
Ds is almost 2 and I love watching him play in the bath. I'm ok leaving him for a few minutes to run get a towel, washcloth or camera, but I couldn't let him have his whole bath unsupervised. No only do I feel uneasy leaving him alone but I'd miss out on him being cute in the bath. It'll be a few more years I think.
TBH DS is 2 and I don't even turn my back on him when he is in the bath. If I need to get a towel I'll get DH to watch him. I don't see me leaving him in there without someone watching for at least a few more years just yet.
Charlotte has been having caths by herself since she was about 15 months or so.
I started intially as we were living in a VERY small unit, with no bath, so she would sit in the TINY baby bath we had from when she was a NB in the bottom of the 'roman bath' (shower lol). The bathroom was in the middle of the house, I would put towels ont he tiles around her bath and on the floor so she wouldnt slip over if she did get out and used to do the dishes and keep an eye on her.
However, Charlotte has NEVER been a stnad up in the bath type - has always been aware not to do that, she doesn;t touch the taps at all ever, again she was taught from the beginning tht only mummy and daddy touch the taps.
Now we live in our own house with a propper bath, she still baths alone if she wants to (she more oofen than not kicks me out lol) but we can see her from the couch or even the patio if we need to. And she doesnt get herself in or out of the normal bath as she did with her baby bath in the shower set up. lol She is really good in the bath, and I trust that should something terrible happen, it would be/have been a very isolated and unpredictable occurence - she is always within earshot, and always within 30 seconds travel time from anywhere in the house.
So I think it really does depend on the child and how they are known to behave and respond to instructions
about 2yrs we started to leave DS alone for a few mins or so, to get a towell or something , i usually have the water very low and he has a million toys to keep him occupied . DS hates his head under water , so i know he wouldnt pourpusly put his head under.
DD is a water lover (12mths) and often puts her head under water deliberatly , so i never ever leave her alone in the bath .
they both bath together, DD comes out first and i go to dry her off , while DS is unsupervsed . if its quiet i often run in panic , but DS is just concentrating on something important to him (cleaning matchbox cars with a toothbrush :lol:)
dds room is right next to the bath room so i can hear ds easily . or i wait till DH gets home so he can bath and i can supervise if he needs to get towells or something .
I agree with this to a certain extent but I also think accidents happen. DS listens to us, won't touch the taps etc but IMO it is still too much to ask a toddler to follow instructions unsupervised.:
I can't see myself leaving her in the near future... I would never forgive myself if something happened that I could have prevented by being there, and besides, whats 15-20 minutes out of my or Shel's day to sit with Jazz, either in the bath with her or in the bathroom, and enjoy her?
DD1 often showers unsupervised, I pop in every couple of minutes to make sure she hasn't emptied an entire bottle of shampoo or climbed out to brush her teeth at the sink. Sometimes it's the easiest way to keep her occupied while I clean up a mess she's made, and the bathroom is within earshot so I just listen out for her talking and banging things around and check in on her very often.
hmmmm depends what you mean by "bath alone" if you mean leaving them in the bath alone to play etc totally alone for the bath then NO.
But yes since DS was about 2 perhaps a bit earlier I would "duck out of the room" so to speak....go to the toilet myself, get him a towel, microwave his milk or lay his pj's out. That sort of stuff or even grab the phone if it rings (then walk back into the bathroom). Like most have said, he's within earshot etc.
But I don't see why you would leave them totally alone until a time they can wash themselves properly etc.....I still have to wash his hair & get him to brush his teeth & so on. And he can't get out by himself as it's too high. I'm sorry, & not to offend anyone AT ALL, but I can't see why you would want to do something so time consuming at that time that you can't initiate some play time in the bath....like watch telly IYKWIM.
And accidents that's what they are do & can happen in the blink of the eye, expecting it or not. Just this morning DS was in the shower with me....when it came time to get out he missed the mat & slipped & first thing he hit was his head on the tiles. We had some tears & a cuddle, all better but it could have been much worse & he wasn't doing anything silly & I was there.
DD is 4 (turns 5 in April) & I will occasionally step out to get the camera or towel but I always rush LOL. These days DS baths with DD & where we are currently living DS's bedroom is across from the bathroom & his change table is just inside the door so I can hear/see DD while I dry & dress DS. Most of the time DD will get out first & dry & dress herself while I dry DS, I much prefer this as I get so nervous leaving her unsupervised. When she was younger if I had to duck out of the bathroom while she was bathing I'd have her sing songs until I got back so I could hear she was ok the whole time :lol:
I'm just a scaredy cat & worry that something could happen in those seconds I'm away & I'd never forgive myself if it did. I also dont mind sitting in there with them, I enjoy watching them play together... they love bath time :)
Each to their own though... as I said, I'm a big scaredy cat LOL
the only time I leave ds is when i am BUSTING to go to the toilet and the toilet is right next to the bathroom so I make sure he talks to me while i'm on there.
I would never leave him any other time as I know accidents happen and they can happen to anyone. Also, he is a cheeky little monkey and will try to stand up because he knows he is not allowed to:doh: He has the naughtiest little grin when he does it too.
My ds is very clumsy as well, so there is no way I want him unsupervised in the bath.. anything could happen
Not sure when I would let him bath unsupervised. Maybe when he is 21 lol
My kids are 2 1/2 and 13mths and I don't really leave them. Only to get things quickly like towels or whatever if I forget or answer the phone, but I try not to. We only live in a littel 2br unit so it is always within hearing distance of them if I do leave, usually to their room which is right next door.
My kids are climbers and mischeif makers though so I tend not to leave if I can help it! They bathe together and DD likes to 'help' mummy and will often try to wash DS's hair or something, even when I'm there with them (sometimes I will clean the bathroom/toilet/floor when they're in the bath) so even just taking my eyes off them for a few seconds is a worry for me, lol! DD has emptied the contents of a bottle of baby shampoo on DS's head once (luckily it was almost empty) and she has gotten the childrens toothpaste and fed it to DS and waten it herself, she tries to brush DS's teeth and DS tries to climb out of the bath......so in short no I do not leave my kids in the bath!!
I leave my DS while I potter around and do my own thing, popping in and out every couple of minutes. I'm not even going to try make excuses for it because in the end someone will disagree. We're okay with how we do things.
Thanks everyone for your feedback.
Cookie - I completely agree with not making excuses. Who cares what others think - as long as you've made your own peace with your actions - that's all that matters. I certainly didn't want to judge anyone!
Sirenz - Liam can be a bit like your DS. If he thinks you're not looking, he'll just have to try ... ! Ratbags, aren't they? :lol: :rolleyes:
I know I'm not yet ready to leave him alone for any stretch of time (would even hesitate to go to the loo as he would act as above!), but I honestly had no idea what others did.
So thanks guys! Feel free to add more if you have further comments! :p
If I have to go further than the toilet, right next door to bathroom (common occurence when I was pg) or the linen cupboard, across the hall, then I have DH watch DD if he is home, otherwise she is out of the bath to come with me.. I encourage her to splash and talk to me if I do have to leave her, just so I can hear her.
She loves water and tries to swim in an inch of water, so there is no way I could leave her to go answer the ph or the like.. But sometimes I wish I could.
^^ I think the thing is, my DS doesn't mover in the bath. He won't even reach for a toy. If he was more mobile I would probably be there all the time but I know he doesn't move. Just chats and splashes.
I can't remember when DS started unsupervised baths. It was ages ago. We have also been teaching DS how to swim and be comfortable in water since he was about 4 months old and is the only kid in his class who will wobble the diving board to get a good bounce before jumping in, so things may well be different with the next kid! DS has been dive bombing in the bath, which is disconcerting for other kids when they share bathtime...!
That's our experience, HTH :)
DD is 2 and a very bad combo of a silly goose and a daredevil so I would only duck out to get something and then go back. Things she does in the bath:
stands up (that's fine) then says "bounce" and jumps back down in so her bum crashes against the bottom of the bath.
lies on her back, holds on to the sides of the bath (even though she can't reach the sides properly), puts her head right back so her hair gets wet and kicks her legs so hard that the bathroom floor gets soaked
tries to get out a million times which is dangerous because our bath has really high sides (an old clawfoot) so she could easily fall back in again
She just loves water. The other day we went to the swimming pool and she kept getting out of the toddler pool and dashing over to the ladies doing aqua aerobics in the big pool and we only just managed to grab her a couple of times before she jumped in.
She basically has no fear and not much sense so that's why I wouldn't leave her on her own for any more than 30 seconds.
I think with all things, it's instinct and knowing what's best for you and your little ones, as their mum. It definitely helps to know what everybody else is doing to gauge your own parenting, but the day you feel comfortable leaving him to splash in the tub is the day that it's right for you guys :):
i changed my habits after i went to a Kiddie first aid course.
now i have a babygate on the bathroom doorway. not sure what i will do when she is able to climb over that, she's a very short nearly 3yo, so far, it's working.
now i have all the hair products etc in a basket high up, on those 3M hooks you stick to the wall, so DD cannot get to them.
we've always had a rubber mat in the bath tub to avoid slipping and i got a inflatable thing to put over the tap. (safety shop at hospital has those).
i think if there was room for a comfy chair (for me) in the bathroom, i would like it better - to be there for her splashing about and having fun.
The towels are stored in the bathroom.
i'm also glad our loo is right next to the bathroom, so i can go if i'm busting, and talk to DD the whole time (which i try to rush).
We aim to have her baths when both of us adults are home. I realise i only have that luxury as her other parent lives in the same place and doesn't work away or night shifts.
Ooooh yeah I have a stool in the bathroom, so I can sit & watch & play. Makes things much easier. I also use the time to give myself a quick cleanse & tone, wash off the days makeup....pick a pimple or two LOL...floss my teeth. Plenty of things that can be done in the bathroom for 10mins or so. When DH is home (he's very often away) that's when he showers with DH so I can go off & get something else done.
I dont leave DS1 in the bath alone at all - either DH or I sit and talk/play with him - it is nice time... yesterday DH popped out of the bathroom to get a towel and we were both freaked out that he had to do it (i was feeding DS2). when i am home alone with them i feed DS2 in the bathroom while I watch DS1. I think accidents can happen v fast and my DS1 is obsessed with the taps and also stands up. it is also a spa bath and i am scared he willpush the spa buttons...
I dont know what age they say you can leave them, but i thonk it will be a while yet here...
DD1 is 2 1/2 and i have only just started to leave her unattended to rush out and grap a towel or quickly get her pj's, only ever gone 30sec/1min.
DSS1 is 6 and has just started having unsupervised showers and baths alone (he use to always bath with brother/sister)
i would never leave the bathroom when DD is in the bath. All my cleaning stuff for the bathroom is in there and i take the chance to clean to mirrors, wipe the benches etc. It will be many years before i feel comfortable leaving her in there alone. as Leash said.. whats a whole 10-15 mins out of ur day?
I have removed all toxic things from my bathroom and my bathroom cleaning things are made of bicarb or vinegar or they are Enjo cloths! Even my shampoos and conditioner are Moo Goo, so they have the toxicity of water :)
Plus, if you are unsure of your child's safety with water, definitely stay with them. I was talking to the lifeguard at the pool the other day (DP takes DS to lessons, I was allowed to spectate cos it was diving board day!) and they all love watching him during his time there cos of what he gets up to with full confidence - in the deep end :) And that's MY child - no way do I see other kids able to handle what he can and this next one could be the most cautious critter so the stakes will change once more.
DS is 2.5yrs and we supervise him in the bath. I just know that things can happen pretty quickly. My nephew broke his leg at 2years just getting out of the bath. I can't see myself leaving him by himself any time soon. Maybe when he is around 4 or 5 years?
My DD is 18 months and I am always in or very close to the bathroom while she's in the bath. Her bedroom is directly opposite the bathroom so I go into her room to get her pj's ready and her toys packed up while she's in the bath. She can see me and I can see her from anywhere in her room when she's in the bath so that's not a problem. I'll also go to the toilet if I'm busting. I can't see her, but I can hear her.
If she's in a standing up and not doing as she's told mood then I don't leave the bathroom at all...she's started getting into that bad habit. She'll stand up and then yell "Sdit Down" (sit down). She thinks its a game - not good.