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Original poster

At what ages do kids stop endlessly fucking about at bathtime/bedtime??

62 replies

BotBotticelli · 14/08/2021 23:40

I have 6 and almost 9yo boys. The pissing about at the end of the day is off the scale. Will this ever end?!?

OP posts:
54321nought · 14/08/2021 23:41

when you stop letting them

Idiotathome79 · 14/08/2021 23:41

When they move out 😂

SummerTimeIsLovely · 14/08/2021 23:41

🤣

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9 year olds
Ohhelppp · 14/08/2021 23:42

I hear you, OP. Bedtime is my worst part of the day. It’s miserable.

spongedod · 14/08/2021 23:42

They could probably be showering independently by now. Certainly the 9 year old.

coodawoodashooda · 14/08/2021 23:43

I have that. I go on and on and on and on about it all day. It stops it for a while.

Mintjulia · 14/08/2021 23:44

With mine, he went from larking about & flooding the bathroom to demanding I knocked Grin in the space for about a week. He was 12

ChevreChase · 14/08/2021 23:49

It takes DS11 40 mins from going upstairs to lights out, and that's on the non-shower nights. It takes me about ten minutes to do my own face, loo, and teeth - I have no idea how he fills the time. It is maddening. Lovely evenings end in irritation due to the constant faffing!

TyneTeas · 14/08/2021 23:50

I have an older teen.

Can't get them into the shower, then can't get them outHmm

midsummabreak · 15/08/2021 00:01

It’s all normal, let them enjoy taking their time in la la bath-time land , soon enough they will be adults not knowing how to enjoy the moment.
They may be stringing the time out as they are having trouble letting go from their busy day and/or it could be helping with winding down from the day.

FoofOfTheWalkingDead · 15/08/2021 00:06

DH is sitting here faffing about on YouTube after we agreed to go up to bed. He's 51🤣

FoofOfTheWalkingDead · 15/08/2021 00:08

No, really. My DS ts 10 and goes up on his own now. No faffing when I'm not there!

BluebellsGreenbells · 15/08/2021 00:09

DH still faffs.

Teens faff…. Not sure they actually go to sleep before sunrise some days.

midsummabreak · 15/08/2021 00:10

Sorry not helping
If you want to minimise time, could you try putting the timer on the oven and say when timer rings it’s time to hop into bed?
Do they read library books/ kids magazines in bed or something to wind down after ?

OutOfTrousers · 15/08/2021 06:21

when you stop letting them
I’m afraid I think the answer is this also.
Give them a clear timetable and consequence (10 minutes in the shower, then set an alarm)
If they mess around too much, make them get ready for bed before you eat, call them in earlier etc.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 15/08/2021 06:23

Agree

PluggingAway · 15/08/2021 06:27

My DH is nearly 40 and still dicks about for ages when we're locking up and heading to bed.

There is no hope.

MindyStClaire · 15/08/2021 06:37

I opened this thread hoping the answer was going to be 4 or 5

RowanAlong · 15/08/2021 06:53

Haha! Time to move to a morning shower instead?

SummerTimeIsLovely · 15/08/2021 07:01

Having a shower is possibly waking them up? Switch the routine to brushing teeth etc, and reading in bed/ you read to them. Make it a calm time.
Our boys were reminiscing the other day about being read to about that age (they’re now 19 and 23).
If what you’re doing isn’t working then change it.
Agree about it being lovely that they’re happy and enjoying life.

Won’t be long till they’re staying up longer than you/ coming in overnight and waking you up. Enjoy this bit. X

AllotmentTime · 15/08/2021 08:00

Waaahhhh, I opened this hoping for answers. 5 and 8 year olds here.

If I’m present, then it’s shouting and nagging and horrible. If I’m not, then it’s bickering and messy and no one’s teeth are brushed properly. 😩

OutOfTrousers · 15/08/2021 11:37

then it’s bickering and messy and no one’s teeth are brushed properly.
Our dentist recommends that parents should brush and floss DC's teeth until they are 10. If they're messing around, then brush one set of teeth whilst the other showers and then swap.

AllotmentTime · 18/08/2021 21:58

If they're messing around, then brush one set of teeth whilst the other showers and then swap.

Well yes, we do. That’s the shouting/nagging/horrible option 🤣
Usually the DC are either trying to play with each other or wind each other up, while I shout at one of them to get on with showering and the other to stand the fuck still while I brush their teeth.

Not that I don’t appreciate the suggestion, but… yeah 😩😂

ExtremelyDisorganised · 18/08/2021 22:12

Could you supervise teeth downstairs then leave them to go upstairs and get on with it with a cut off time when they face the consequences if they're not in bed and quiet. I don't think there's anything wrong with quiet faffing, I do it myself and so does DH (we go to bed at very random times and not usually at the same time) but if they are winding each other up, shouting etc then they need to go up separately with the older waiting till the younger is in bed.

OutOfTrousers · 19/08/2021 07:14

What consequences do they have if they mess around?

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