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Parenting

Bath time with 15 month old

15 replies

SuperDuperTrooper · 25/03/2013 18:41

My DH is usually on his own with 15 month old DS for bath time due to my working hours. He has been getting stressed out with it recently as DS constantly wants to stand and wriggle about. DH has been insistent that DS sits for safety reasons but he's not having any of it! I said last night that it seems unrealistic to expect him to sit down for any length of time as he is a very physical boy. When he is awake he is non stop and never sits still unless he is being read to. Do you think he should just let DS wriggle and stand as it seems to be a wrestling match every bath time or is DH doing the right thing in trying to instil a type of behaviour at bath time?

OP posts:

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FaceLikeAPickledOnion · 25/03/2013 18:56

We had a bath seat with suckers for ds1, ds2 however sounds like your ds, we cannot keep him still. Bath seat is absolutely useless for him (he's 14 months) he stands in the bath, wriggles, is up and down, sometimes falls, but he's ok and always closely supervised.

Let your ds play and have fun getting clean. It doesn't have to be a battle.

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ghosteditor · 25/03/2013 19:05

We have an extremely active, very strong 14mo DD. ever since she could pull to standing she has wanted to do it all the time, including in the bath. We've been very firm and always repeated, 'sit down in the bath' accompanied by a 'sit down' sign. It took a couple of months of firm repetition but she hardly ever tries now and responds immediately.

For us it's on a par with teaching her to stop (work in progress) and get down from things feet first, safely (very successful very quickly - she's a climber). In short, I'm with your DH

Keep the instruction firm and repetitive and it'll sink in

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sarahloula · 25/03/2013 19:07

My nearly 2 yr old dd invariably stands in the bath, will sit down eventually. I just wash her whilst she stands and plays.

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Iggly · 25/03/2013 19:08

My 15 month old stands - I just keep a hand on her.

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ghosteditor · 25/03/2013 19:10

Wow I'm a big meanie then! My DD was pulling up from 6mo so had quite a few nasty slips in the bath - it was essential for us. But maybe at your son's age it's ok just to be vigilant :)

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mamapants · 25/03/2013 19:18

I have given up trying to get my 8 month old to sit. Just isn't going to happen :-)

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clabsyqueen · 25/03/2013 21:17

My DD 18 months has been standing in the bath since she could pull up (ages ago) I'm there all the time watching. Now that she is very confident on her feet and experienced in the bath she knows to stay on the non-slip mat so never ever slips. I think it would make bath time much less fun to have a sit down rule.

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AnOeufUniversallyEggnowledged · 25/03/2013 21:21

Our 19 month old is also active and, given half a chance, likes to walk up and down in the bath (weirdo!) I usually let him so long as I've got tight hold of a hand, but I also find that if I give him something to do (bubbles to blow, a jug and a cup to pour water between, those crayons that you can draw in the bath with...) then he usually sits still(ish). We've also started experimenting with showers, but he'll only really have one if I go in with him.

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Sheshelob · 25/03/2013 21:26

We have a rule with our 16 month old - standing means you want to get out. He started standing a lot so we asked him if he wanted to get out. If he stayed standing, we took him out and explained why. After a few days of 2 minute baths he suddenly decided standing was less interesting.

We shall see how long it lasts...

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Iggly · 26/03/2013 08:37

Harsh with not allowing standing! Both of mine stand, we keep a hand on them. Not had any falls etc. It just means we are more alert. But they like to stand.

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ceeveebee · 26/03/2013 09:06

We have bath seats for our 16 mo twins - on the occasions when I've had to bath without the seats (at other people's houses) they just both stand up and it's not possible for me to keep a hand on both and also wash them. But for some reason they are happy to stay seated if they are in their seats

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Sheshelob · 26/03/2013 23:21

iggy Might seem harsh written down like that, I suppose, but it really isn't. You do what you can manage. You help them stand. I teach mine not to. Whatever works.

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justabigdisco · 26/03/2013 23:25

Our 15mo stands more than she sits in the bath. It's fine. Sometimes she slips over, but no harm done, and it makes it easier to wash her bum.

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sjupes · 26/03/2013 23:39

Ds stands so much he ends up falling about so we just shower him most of the time. He loves the shower :)

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SuperDuperTrooper · 27/03/2013 11:40

Thanks for the replies. DH bathed him last night and allowed DS to stand up when he wanted to. I think bath time was a far more relaxed affair for them both, which is how its supposed to be, as it wasn't a continuous wrestling match. Think it may be the way forward until DS is old enough to understand danger and then perhaps start trying to keep him seated more.