When did you allow your child to have a bath alone?

1. 0

   L a d y f a c eposted 13 years ago

   There is so much danger surrounding children and water... Obviously I wouldn't leave a 1-2 year-old alone in the bath tub, but I wouldn't accompany a 9 year-old to bath time either. What are some signs that your child is ready to graduate to bathing without supervision?

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   1. 87

      WryLiltposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      My daughter loves the water and I've been leaving her in the bath since about 11 months, she's 13 months now. She's never completely alone but I'm comfortable ducking into the kitchen to grab something, distributing laundry through the house etc. and checking back every few minutes.
      
      I guess it also depends when they can wash themselves. Until that point, you'll need to be in there sometime, and some kids take awhile to learn!

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      1. 88

         IzzyMposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Wrylilt you are taking chances here! Please don't leave her alone at all - she is too young!
         
         I can't quite remember at what ages I left my children alone in the bath, but certainly it was beyond school age, and I always ran their bath for them, cold water in first as always for safety.
         
         You'll know when your child is old enough to bath alone in safety.

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   2. 77

      nell79posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It can differ slightly from child to child, but for me it's not until they're about four, and then I still check on them. Young children, especially babies and toddlers, don't have a strong sense of balance and are "top-heavy" because their heads aren't yet in the right proportion to their little bodies. They haven't yet developed good, quick refexes and disaster can strike in moments with one little slip.
      
      I've heard more than once from parents who thought their children would be okay for just a second, only to find out too late that wasn't the case. It's too late for them, but it's a reminder for the rest of us that it's better to be safe than sorry.
      
      If you're having any doubts about if they're safe or not, then listen to that instinct.

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2. 59

   saleheensblogposted 13 years ago

   in my country kids learn swimming within 4 years in many places. I have heard and seen 5-8 year old kids crossing deep wide rivers [up to 4 kilometers] swimming. So it totally depends on how quick is you baby in learning. I suggest don't let them bath alone until they can walk properly.

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3. 71

   shimmering Dawnposted 13 years ago

   I used to leave my son in the tub when he was ten months old.. the tub was small and had a nice belt to keep him from slipping in, I could always keep an eye on him from somewhere while doing my work.. he loves water and would cry to get out of it.. I would have to keep getting in more warm water... as the water became cold..
   He started having bath on his own by the time he was four .. he would refuse to let us give him one! That would be a struggle always!

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4. 61

   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   When my kids were three I let them wash themselves, but I stayed nearby, waiting to wash and rinse their hair and ready to tell anyone not to stand up without my being there to help them get out.  When they were four or five I'd let them sit in the tub (shallow water), while I'd sit in a nearby room as they played in the water after they were clean.  (I could hear them talking to themself, moving around, splashing, etc. as they played with whatever toys they were playing with.)  I told them not stand up, and they were the kind of kids who wouldn't.  At six/seven they were taking their own showers - so somewhere between five and six, I guess.  I do recall reading in books that a five-year-old shouldn't be left alone; but I knew my own five-year-olds.  If water isn't shallow enough, it would be easy for any kid to slip on his back and end up slipping under water.
   
   Here's a kind of sobering (but also enlightening) link:
   
   http://www.babycenter.com/400_how-old-i … 0292_46.bc

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5. 0

   L a d y f a c eposted 13 years ago

   Wry - commonality! My son loves the water also, and would stay in there all freakin day if I let him. I wasn't able to leave him alone at the same age that you were able to though. Even while I was there I had my "cat-like" reflexes tested twice.
   
   Saleheen - I hit the water to learn how to swim at two. I believe it's an essential skill to have.
   
   Lisa - I like your course of action. And thank you for the link. I love that website. I get emails from them every week for the age my son is that week.
   
   Nell - they really are quite top heavy. That's a good way to describe it. When they're sitting down and somehow start to fall backward in the tub, and then try to twist themselves around, they end up with their faces in the water. Scary!

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6. 60

   Bev Scottposted 13 years ago

   I bathed my kids until they were about five or six. My daughter is three years older and I bathed them together until she was six and he was three. They enjoyed playing in the tub together. I would never have dreamed of leaving he room for a second when they were less than a year!

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7. 0

   mtsi1098posted 13 years ago

   The baths started immediately after the target shooting from the toilet...I figured that if he can hit a target in the toilet water he could bath himself

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8. 84

   camloposted 13 years ago

   My mother once left the bathroom very briefly with my one-year-old brother in the bath and three-year-old me standing near the bath.
   When she returned, she found me holding my brother's head under the water ...
   Not a good idea to leave small children alone in that situation. My brother's still alive, by the way, and I haven't tried to kill anyone since ...

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