How old before you left child in bath unsupervised?

[Gruffalosandbuffalos]

Just that really. How old were your children before you felt you could leave them in the bath while you put clothes away in the next room?

I'm about to give our almost-4yo a bath and I will pootle about upstairs and around the bathroom tidying her bedroom AGAIN while she's in there. She's very chatty, if she went quiet I'd be in there in maybe 5 steps. Usually my 7yo bathes with her and then I sit on a bed with an ear out for them.

@cricketmum84 with you on that one ;-)

Mine are 5 and 3 and I leave them for a couple of minutes at a time, not more because they'd flood the bathroom and they start shouting for me.
Even if they were both sensible, I wouldn't leave them for more than 5-10 minutes at the most.

8 and even now at 8 I'm upstairs and shouting him every couple of minutes.

There's a difference between letting them fully bathe themselves - half an hour/an hour - to popping out for 5/10 mins.

I think 4+ is okay for the popping out.
7+ full bath alone.

About 8 I think.

Mine are 5 and 3 and I wouldnt dare leave them alone in the water but i know thats because of what happened to ex dp's cousins child.

She literally went to tend to the next room to another child who shouted her and her 3 year old drowned in the bath,

I think your all very brave, i could not risk it

I can't believe 8 and 10 year olds!!! I would have been horrified at the lack of privacy. I was growing breasts and pubic hair at 9/10. What do you think is going to happen to a child of that age?

3.5 here, I stay upstairs and we chat the whole time if she didn't reply to me (which she has done when she's been busy playing) I'm in there like a shot.

Slip, bang head, drown 🤷‍♀️ Also my DD struggles to wash her hair so I was doing that any way. She wasn’t horrified by the lack of privacy, she enjoyed the chat. I don’t teach my children to be embarrassed by nakedness.

7

4 - although I kept an ear out and yelled if I didn't hear splashing for a moment.

youngest is now 6, and he does enjoy a bit of a wallow, with an ipad balanced on the toilet so he can watch youtube. Child very much taking after his mother there!

But a ten year old won't be standing in the bath like a toddler would. They would be laying down like an adult would.

About 6, bathroom was on same level as living room and he likes to have a soak. I wouldn’t have left an under two, that’s just wilfully risking death. It’s not like a 2yo is going to sit there for hours and have exfoliation, deep cleanse, deep conditioning treatment, they are in and out. If you can’t sacrifice 10 minutes to see your kids don’t drown I don’t think you’re in a position to suggest people are avoiding life

Son, probably about 3. DD is different as she has a childhood epilepsy so we can't let her bathe unsupervised although her fits are very rare and may never happen again. If she goes 3 years without a fit she will be out of the woods, but I do feel bad for her that we (well, I really) have to watch as she's 11.5 now and I'm sure would like to have privacy to bathe, which we can sort of manage by having her in our en suite and sitting outside the door talking to her.

1. He was always splashing and giggling so if hed have stopped I would have run in. Never needed to.

Same here @puds11. DD loves a gossip about her day while she is having a soak and will lay with a face mask on chatting away 😂 she doesn't feel embarrassed and I always make sure I give her some privacy getting in and out and hold a towel up for her.

No way would I ever feel comfortable leaving a child under 8 to bathe alone.

@legalseagull yes true, however they still need to stand up to get out of the bath. And if they have short legs like my DD and a high sided bath it's not always easy. Especially with soap suds or bath bombs in the water.

I can't quite believe people leave 1 year olds alone in the bath. Would they in a paddling pool?!

@legalseagull mine would get in and out to use the toilet / get something to put in the bath. She’s small, bath is slippy, it wasn’t worth the risk for me.

Oops meant 2 there. 🤦‍♀️

I literally only leave my almost 4 year old for 30 seconds or so to pop out and get a towel etc but I make her sing to me the whole time I'm gone so I know she's ok. I could get to her in seconds if she stopped. I would never leave her in the bath unattended!

I was thinking it was more an age 7/8 thing although even at that age they could slip and bump their heads.

Maybe I'll just stay in until they're old enough to tell me to get the hell out

I was quite paranoid. Probably 7 or 8 and even then I’d stay upstairs pottering near the bathroom and with the door open.

Mine are 4 & 6. I generally potter about upstairs while they're in the bath, popping in and out of the bathroom. Our house isn't huge and I can hear/see them from all the bedrooms.

I still help them wash themselves properly and do their hair.

@Tfoot75 you’re joking, right?