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Original poster

How old before you left child in bath unsupervised?

218 replies

Gruffalosandbuffalos · 20/01/2020 17:35

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?

OP posts:
sparklewhynot · 03/12/2020 15:16

I've left mine now for a while and the youngest is 8. But even when you think they're older, accidents can still happen. Like a previous poster, my then 7yo slipped when getting herself out and hit her head on the bath handle (god knows how). She walked into my bedroom as if nothing had happened, but she had an open wound at the side of her eye which she hadn't noticed as rather oddly, it didn't bleed. We had to go have it glued, and now she has a scar at the side of her eye. At a guess I'd say age 5 I started leaving them, but only to be in the next room, never downstairs.

Toddlerteaplease · 03/12/2020 15:17

Struggling to think of a scenario where she could accidentally drown without making a sound

Drowning is silent. You probably wouldn't hear anything. I've look after several
Children with severe brain injuries from drowning when unsupervised. It

teenagetantrums · 03/12/2020 15:20

Mine were about about 3or 4but we lived in a flat so l was never far away. I can't believe people still bath kids at age of 9 or 10... surely they want privacy at that age.

LolaLollypop · 03/12/2020 15:23

From about 2 and a half. But I am in a flat so I’m constantly walking past the bathroom even when I’m not in it. And DD is always super noisy when she plays. She’s 3 now.
I wouldn’t leave her if I was in a house and couldn’t hear her. I’d probably stay upstairs and keep popping in like I do now.

ImnotCarolineHirons · 04/12/2020 21:09

Struggling to think of a scenario where she could accidentally drown without making a sound

Drowning is silent. You probably wouldn't hear anything.

Yes exactly. It's not like TV where people scream for help and dramatically thrash. That's what happened to the child I referred to in my post. Just slid under ... and stayed there. No noise, no splash, and not even in a deep bath.
Please be aware it can take just a minute to happen and the consequences can be lifelong.

OverTheRainbow88 · 04/12/2020 21:13

I’m Shocked at people Saying around 3 and I’m
No helicopter mum.

I stay with my 4 year old, nothing
Is more important that him not accidentally drowning.

gottakeeponmovin · 04/12/2020 21:21

8 - no way would i have left them at four and I'm a pretty relaxed mother

fussygalore118 · 04/12/2020 21:32

I've just started leaving almost 7 year old.

I'm a bit Shock at those leaving 3 year old.. . and what the fuck is a sensible 3 year old? I mean come on... christ one slip that's all it takes.

TreaterAnita · 04/12/2020 21:43

@Stuckandsadintheupsidedown

I'm getting chills reading some of these Sad 3 is way too young. Secondary drowning is a thing as Well, which I think many people are a little ignorant about. I also worry that these tiny children have such free access to very hot water, it takes seconds for these things to happen.
Actually secondary drowning is fairly controversial and probably very rare.

Don’t disagree though that 3 is too young and at 4/5/6 you should be keeping very close by. Baths are by their very nature not safe spaces.

piscis · 05/12/2020 22:27

3 year old, but not for more than 30 seconds or a minute tops if I can hear her playing and I am next to the bathroom. Just to pick up her pyjamas, or something that needs doing.

LivingDeadGirlUK · 05/12/2020 22:49

I watch my 3.5 year old, he cant be trusted not to stand up, try to climb out, or play with the taps. Its not exactly a chore, I put a podcast on if he is playing happily.

inappropriateraspberry · 05/12/2020 22:53

I leave my 2 year old. We're in a bungalow and the doors are close together. I can hear him whilst in the kitchen, plus my 5 year old likes to check on him!
Obviously I do check on him myself as well!

OverTheRainbow88 · 06/12/2020 09:35

@inappropriateraspberry

I would call that neglectful and totally irresponsible

inappropriateraspberry · 06/12/2020 09:56

@OverTheRainbow88
Why? It's no different to others in here going in bedrooms, it just happens that the bathroom is next the kitchen/lounge. It's all one level and I pass the bathroom door to go to the bedrooms for PJs etc.
And when I say 2 year old, he's actually 2 and 9 months, but I don't normally count ages like that.

OverTheRainbow88 · 06/12/2020 10:42

Because your child is 2, they shouldn’t be left for a moment unattended in a bath tub.

Why risk it? Seems mad

AnaisNun · 06/12/2020 10:50

DS is 4- for the last year or so I might run downstairs to grab a towel or something, but id be gone for 20 seconds (tiny house) max. I still sit with him and chat/ we sometimes FaceTime his dad (separated)/ play... it’s 20-30 minutes 4 or 5 times a week... I really can’t begrudge the time to make sure he’s not, you know, dead.

Grimbot · 06/12/2020 11:49

I occasionally leave my 3.5 year old in the bath alone recently but it is a downstairs bathroom and I can see him easily if I leave the door open and only do it if I’m talking to him the whole time. Usually don’t as he’s usually in with ds2 who is nearly 2 and definitely wouldn’t leave the room when he’s in there.

Theotherrudolph · 06/12/2020 12:43

Our bathroom is downstairs, opposite the stairs. From about 2 I started sitting about four paces away on the bottom step with the door open (I could still see them) rather than kneeling on the floor actually within arms reach. From about 6 I might go into another room for a minute or two while keeping an ear out. But I don’t go upstairs or answer the phone or cook or do anything very distracting while they’re in there even now. Apart from the drowning thing there’s also the issue of the flooding they’d create.

Heatherjayne1972 · 06/12/2020 12:52

4 maybe but I’d stay in the next room with all the doors open.

WankPuffins · 06/12/2020 13:08

Ds was about 8. He was an in and out bather though. And we lived in a tiny flat then, the bathroom was right next door to the living room so I'd just chat to him. Quick wash and that was it.

Dd is 7 in feb. She's got very long hair and needs help washing it but then I leave her to it to scrub. I do sit on the loo and chat to her though as she likes it. She's v quick too though, neither of mine ever played in the bath.

overoptimism · 06/12/2020 13:14

4 with a video link.

overoptimism · 06/12/2020 13:19

I've seen two children who were plenty big enough to sit up and right themselves get stuck under water. Both were twisted so they didn't quite have enough room against the sides of the bath and obviously a panicked child does the same thing again but harder, rather than adjusting their position. Given that drowning happens silently in seconds, and this problem is more likely to happen to a slightly older child, I actually wasn't sure about leaving my child at four. We compromised by having a conversation as I did the washing up so we were constantly talking.

Lazypuppy · 06/12/2020 13:24

My dd is 3 and i've done it for a few months, but she has to be chatting away to me or her toys so i can hear her, i'm only out maybe 30 seconds at a time then i poke my head back in

PlanDeRaccordement · 06/12/2020 13:27

8 which was when we switched from a bath to a shower.

overoptimism · 06/12/2020 20:46

i'm only out maybe 30 seconds at a time

See, that's long enough. I'm saying that so people will know. The idea that 30 seconds is a period of time in which a child will be safe is false.

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