Just a matter of interest, at what age would you let your second child bath with your first on their own.
I am talking as if your first child is at least 4.
Just a matter of interest, at what age would you let your second child bath with your first on their own.
I am talking as if your first child is at least 4.
My DD is nearly twelve and I've only just started letting her stay alone in the bath with her DD 2.5 yrs old.
This is because I did some reading on child bathtub drownings and the majority of them occured when an older (but still young) sibling was left to supervise a younger child. A child of that age can not be relied upon to a) notice anything is amiss b) respond in a life-saving manner even if they did notice.
Please, don't risk it.
No - I am not doing it. A friend of mine has a 4 year old, and a 18 month old, and sometimes leaves them for a good 10 minutes while shoe does stuff in the kitchen etc. She reckons that she can hear what is going on.
i wouldnt leave my 7 year olds and they are responsible
how could i ever live with myself if something happened????
old enough i would say would have to be a very responsbile teenager!
old enough to babysit- old enough to bath!!!
My thoughts were if they were old enough to babysit, then they would be old enough on their own.
18 month olds slip over etc.
I have a 3 yo and a 15 month old, and I wouldn't leave them even for a second
Geez I must be a horrible parent, DS is almost 3.5 years, and DD1 is 22 months, and I've left them to bathe alone for ages now. They both fight and laugh and play - and we CAN hear everything so I don't feel that I need to be in there with them. If the room goes quiet, then I yell out to each of them and make sure they BOTH answer me. If they don't, then I'll run in there, or DH will run in there.
And I'm sure that DS would tell me if something was happening to his sister, he's pretty responsible (for his age). Plus the bathroom is pretty close to the loungeroom (small unit) so we would definitely hear them fall over.
I leave DS (2) with DD1 (8) all the time. I occasionally leave him with DD2 (5) as well, but I can hear them & am checking every few minutes. My ears are always extra sensitive if he's with her. I do leave him alone as well. While I'm in the kitchen almost next to our bathroom. I'm the same as you Mel. If it goes quiet I yell out.
I would. I have left DS in the bath by himself since he was about 20 months. I am in the next room and can easily hear what he is up to. The 2-3 times he has slipped over in the bath were accompanied by a lot of splashing, he sits himself back up and then cries. There is no way I would be able to miss that and it hasn't happened for well over a year now. If it goes quiet for a few seconds I call out to make sure he is alright.
I am actually a bit surprised that people are so worried about it. It just doesn't seem like a danger to us. When DD is sitting better in there then I will most likely leave them to play in there together, as I said before I can hear everything from the next room. To be completely honest, I have never been able to figure out how a toddler can drown in shallow water?? Surely they just sit back up again??
My DS (4) and DD(2) bath alone together. We are in and out most of the time getting pj's ready and stuff (and telling them to keep the water IN the bath LOL) They are always nattering and splashing (or fighting LOL) and like others have said I keep an extra ear out for them. It's been a while that we've left them alone to bath... can't remember really.
But I wouldn't just say cos I do with mine that it's ok to leave any 4 & 2 yr old alone. I know how mine play in the bath... and know they're not prone to falling over etc. Not to say they don't fall over ever... we've had some almighty spills before with DS.. usually when he's mucking up, jumping around etc (showing off to us usually) If there's a lot of splashing and jumping I'm in there telling them to settle down.
I'm aware of the dangers with little kids & baths. But I'm comfortable with how my kids are and that we are keeping a good eye & ear on them.
They can't if they hit their head on tap or bath on the way down.
I almost drowned when I was two so maybe I'm just paranoid but I've only just started leaving my eldest alone in the bath now and then only for a few seconds at a time.
I wouldn't risk it either, not until they are quite a bit older, my 2 are quite often very vocal but i also know that DD1 likes to tip water over her sister in an attempt to 'wash' her she's only 20mths herself and i wouldn't trust her alone in the bath.
I just bought the little stick on non slip mats for her and my main worry is that she will be walking around slip and knock herself out, if she does that and doesn't cry i might just think she's splashing like a maniac like normal.
DD1 is not scared of water and often puts her head in to 'drink' it, water safety to me is paramount, a child can drown in the tiniest bit of water.
I don't judge other people and each child is different, mine is just a maniac and doesn't know her boundaries and there is no way i would leave her with her little sister, as it is now if i'm home alone and need something i RUN through the house, if DP is home i make him come in and watch them before i even leave the room.
i leave my boys (6) and (4) alone in the bath and if dd is in the bath i stay but i am in and out the bathroom when the boys are in there and you can hear them through the whole house. I do leave DD (2) in the shower by herself/ with the boys but i dont leave her in the bath.
sounds kind of funny but i think if my kids were to drown they would actually have to get out of the bath and lay on the floor as there is always more water on the floor than whats left in the bath ROFL
I'm with Liz as well, I know my kids and they don't muck around in the bath water, they just sit there and play. Occasionally DS will tip water over DD1's head, but boy does she let us know it! The worst thing they do is tip water out of the bath.
Thats the actual reason I don't leave my two alone.....the MESS!:
I'm like you Arimeh, I leave the 2 older boys in the bath on their own. They make that much noise and mess that you know what they are up too. I stay in the bathroom whilst my youngest is in the bath as I don't trust them at all with him, and I too agree they would have enough thought due to their age to do something if he went under (well not quickly enough) but I then generally get DS3 out and take him to the get dressed whilst the older two then have fun. They don't have deep baths and they have done swimming lessons since they were little so I know they are familiar with water.
DD2 just had her first birthday and DD1 is nearly 3, I often pop them in the bath and get back to the stove to tend to dinner while keeping both ears tuned for the bathroom. They both splash and sing really loud and carry on and DD1 always yells out if DD2 stands up or does something she knows is dangerous, I go running if I hear her yell, 'HAY-LEY!' in that stern tone of voice lol.
They're never left unattended for more than a few seconds at a time, I go and stick my head in to check on them or yell at DH to get off his bum and do some parenting while I cook.
My DS is 4 and my DD is 2.5 and they are supervised at all times. Things can happen so very quickly and they are just way too precious to take any risks with.
I would leave DS by himself (almost 4) but if DD (almost 2) was in the bath, either DH and i have to be in there. I dont think i will leave her alone in there until shes old enough to know not to stand up and she can swim basically. Probably around 3 years-ish?
I can't leave my DD 15 months, as she tries to climb the side and has slipped.
If anything has to happen to her though, I know DS would yell out immediatly. They were playing on the verrandah this week and I was inside, (but can see them from our kitchen) and DD slipped between the trampoline. DS was HYSTERICAL - screaming for me that she was hurt and needed help. So I know he would let me know, but I would hate for something to happen if they were alone as it would distress DS as well.
My 2 bath together but I never leave them unattended and DD1 is very responsible BUT I don't know what she would do in a situation if DD2 slipped and hit her head etc. I leave DD1 unattended as she is 4 and she talks constantly to herself in the bath so I always know she is ok. I guess I wouldn't leave DD2 alone with her until I was happy leaving her alone by herself, so probably not until she is at least 2.
I wouldn't leave my kids alone in the bath - but it probably does depend on the kids and how comfortable the parents are. I am completely uncomfortable with the idea.
Drowing is a notorious silent killer. A couple of months ago I was in a wadding pool with DS sitting next to me. I had turned away from him to do something with DD1 and I turned back and he was on his back under the water and unable to get up again. It was a horrible horrible experience. I had no idea because it was completely silent. He flailing wasn't loud enough or urgent enough to grab my attention and it was only because I looked at him that I realised. He was 21 months at the time and I had no idea. It still makes me sick to think about it. I think he just went over on his back and he just couldn't get in a position to push himself above the water again partly because he was panicking. We were only in calf deep water.
The other issue with leaving kids alone in the bath is the hot tap. There are precautions that can be taken to ensure the hot tap doesn't burn but it is definitely an issue to consider because if the kids touch the tap and there are no precautions, it can give them bad burns pretty quickly.
Another thing I never considered until it happened to someone here is that showers have some hidden dangers. The mum left her 4yo and 2yo shower alone together and thought they would be safe because the water runs away. The 4yo threw the pile of dirty clothes into the shower and it blocked the plug hole causing it fill with water and the toddler almost drowned. I think she may have been alright in the end but the ambulance had to come and they took her to emergency.
I don't want to be an alarmist, but I think that it is best to know all the issues before making a decision and if you are aware of the dangers, precautions can be taken. I think most people get caught out with the things that they don't know about or think about. Hope that helps.
DS (almost 10) bathes with DS (2) but I only leave them alone long enough to go grab a towel or clothes. Jack likes to jump around in the bath and can be a bit silly, I would hate for Mitchell to have to deal with Jack falling and hitting his head or something. If I am busy I get my DD (15 years) to watch him in the bath :) Yep, teenagers are good for something, LOL
Your DD is a pretty awesome teenager though ;):
Bri still goes on about her when she see's photo's lol.
When my boys DS1(3.5) & DS2(almost 15months) bath i am generally there for the whole thing. The only thing i may leave them to do is run around and get pj's organised in front of the hearter if i didn't get to do it before they hopped in. But it's only for the quickest time and i race back to them as soon as i can. DS2 is also a bit cheeky for standing up in the water which freaks me out.
DS1 i leave for minutes while i get DS2 out and dressed but i constantly call out to him and get him to talk to me. If DH is home they aren't really left alone to bath because we can 'tag team' but i think he's more nervous about leaving them for a second that i am.
I have the 9yo and 2yo in the bath as we speak ... been letting them bathe together for quite a few months now. Little one usually bathes with my partner. They seem to have fun in there, big one teaches the little one loads of bad habits though.
I never leave my ds alone in the bath. ANYTHING can happen in a matter of seconds and we currently do not have anything to stop the hot water getting too hot.
My ds is very clumsy and slips in the bath while he is sittintg (he doesn't stand up), and has on occasions hit his head. I couldn't live with myself if he did hit his head hard enough to knock himself out and drown because I wasn't there. If he can hit his head while i'm sitting right there, then there is NO WAY ever i would leave him unsupervised, chores can wait as far as i'm concerned.