Reply With QuoteOur DD likes to take a bath on her own (just turned 5 yo). I pop my head in regularly or walk past pretending to do something else
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Alone in the bath?
My DD is 5 1/2. She is starting to want to be alome in the bath. Most of the time she has a bath with her brothers. And while she enjoys that she also likes to have a bit of time alone too. Is 5 too young? When did you let your LO bathe alone?
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Our DD likes to take a bath on her own (just turned 5 yo). I pop my head in regularly or walk past pretending to do something else
BellyBelly Life Subscriber
My son has bathed alone since he was 2 or so. We're around and keep an eye on him, but we don't sit there with him. I'm not sure at what age exactly I'd be comfortable with him having the door closed and complete privacy? maybe soon if we wanted it.
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DD started having baths on her own at 3 years old. When she is not in the bath with me (she loves baths with mummy), I am always around, can see her in the bath from the main bedroom and we always chat.
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Definitely old enough! At five they are starting to develop a little more modesty and self awareness. She may feel too 'grown up' to bathe with her brothers. My DD bathed by herself at three or so. I just kept popping in to check on her and she was always in earshot.
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Sounds plenty old enough. We run through the rules before each bath- no getting water out of the bath, no standing up etc.
You can also use bubble bath as a treat for her
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DD1 is alone often at 3yo.
Registered User
Generally I leave the kids in the bath to do stuff like get their jammies, and tidy up from dinner. I check on them every few mins, call out to them and can hear them all the time. But they are all together and I know DD and DS1 will call out if DS2 is being a monkey or if they're annoying each other. Now that they're getting so much bigger, and our bath is practically a basin, 3 in the bath is a bit squishy! I think I will ask her every day if she wants to bath or shower alone or not now. She does enjoy playing around and having a bath with the boys but tonight I let her bathe alone and she was in there for AGES! Just talking to her toys and lolling about int he water. I know I really love my alone time in the bath, I imagine she does too!
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My 2 and a half year old fell in the bath the other day. He slipped under the water and couldn't co ordinate himself back out. I scooped him out in a matter of seconds but he was terrified. He told me he called out but got water in his mouth and if I wasn't there I would not have heard a thing it was so silent. I think 2 and 3 is still much to young.
I let my 7 and 8 year olds. Its only been recently though. I'd say 5 would be on the border pending how much water time they get like swimming lessons etc. Could she pull herself up if she fell and does she know to never stand up in the bath. If yes I would let her.
Sent from my Galaxy S3 so please excuse errors.
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I'm with bellany. Dd1 8yrs baths alone but door open. Dd2 is 6 next month she isnt allowed.
Its a large body of water at the end of the day and drowning is silent. Far to scary if you ask me.
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I've let DD1 bathe on her own since around 2, but I stayed pretty close by at first. She was getting herself out after pulling the plug and getting dried and dressed by herself at three. She has a very healthy respect for water, could swim like a fish and i know she can be trusted not to do anything silly. Also, she's on her own, so no one to play up with. She's started occasionally shutting the door at six but it's more because she wants to sing without an audience.
At swimming she and her two little seven year old friends (boys) still shower together (they've been doing it for years). The older one is just starting to think it might not be cool. But usually they're too busy mucking around to worry.
I've actually had DD1 fall asleep in the bath twice. Lying on her back, obviously the water isn't deep! I went in when the singing had stopped.
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I think DD will be 10 before I let her bath alone she is far too crazy in the bath lol
Registered User
If DD1 (3.5yrs) is in the bath alone then we won't stay with her, instead we will listen and chat to her while we are in the kitchen a few metres away and pop our head around the corner frequently. Probably since about 2.5yrs we did this.not often tho as she's always in with dd2.
If our 14mth old is in the bath then obviously we stay and watch them
Registered User
That's exactly why I wouldn't leave a child alone in the bath. A child can drown in 1cm of water.
Working in emergency rooms as a nurse has scared me for life.
Children DO drown in baths.
Registered User
A little off topic but in relation to the how quickly things can happen - when DD was young, about 2 yo from memory we were staying at a resort that had an indoor pool. We all hopped out of the pool & both DH & I turned our back on the pool to grab our towels to dry ourselves. When I turned back, I couldn't see our DD - there she was in the pool, under the water looking up at us. :-/ Scariest thing ever & we didn't even hear her fall in.....
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Perhaps I should add she was five, almost six, at the time. I'm confident she wouldn't have been so relaxed if she had any water near her face.
It's always a judgement call by a parent to know when you can trust your child to be responsible for themselves, in anything. Since we've never had any incidents where DD1 was been hurt, or otherwise endangered, I know so far we have made the right call. It's a balance too, between trusting them and protecting them. I believe allowing risk for children is very important for the long term.
Hence the reason we also allow her to use knives in the kitchen, help at the stove and peel potatoes. She can also climb trees, ride her bike down a hill, swim in the pool without one of us in it and a myriad of other things that could land her in the emergency room.
We take risk seriously, by educating her and paying close enough attention to know when she is capable of managing things herself. So far, our calls have been right.
That's not to say she won't ever end up in the emergency room hurt (goodness knows as a teenager I knew the local ambulance men by sight I'd had so many incidents!). But I am of the belief that the benefits outweigh the risk and occasional injury.
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