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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that it is ok for DD to drink bath water

29 replies

breatheslowly · 16/11/2011 18:54

DM and I don't agree on this one, so I thought it would be reasonable to put it to the MN jury.

DD likes to drink bath water from her bath toys (cup style, not fetid water from the inside of rubber ducks). The bath water is just water plus DD dirt/wee, I don't add any bubble bath or soap and take her out as soon as I have shampooed her hair, so she doesn't drink shampoo. She is 14 months. I think this is fine, DM on the other hand thinks it is wrong and I should discourage her. I like the fact that she can drink from an open cup without me having to worry about her spilling it and generally think that the more she drinks the better.

So am I just a scummy mummy?

OP posts:
GraciousLife · 16/11/2011 18:58

YABU. Why would you let your child drink her own wee? GROSS.

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 16/11/2011 18:58

It's fine, most kids drink bath water.

betterwhenthesunshines · 16/11/2011 19:00

Tiny amount of 14 month old wee diluted in a whole bath of water is not going to do any harm. Don't all children do this?

I don't like my DCs having their toothbrushes in the bathwater, which is totally illogical as they are always drinking it / sucking it from flannels

blackoutthesun · 16/11/2011 19:01

hasn't every child done that?

my dd likes to eat the bubbles

AFuckingKnackeredWoman · 16/11/2011 19:01

Ive never heard of a child dying from sipping bath water YANBU

ouryve · 16/11/2011 19:02

We have this discussion with DS1, frequently - it's not just wee (ewww), it's had his bum and stinky feet in it.

MangoMonster · 16/11/2011 19:02

I personally wouldn't let DS, poo and stuff plus chemicals...

GwendolineMaryLacey · 16/11/2011 19:03

It's not something I'd actively encourage but I wouldn't freak out if she did. I think every child, including DD has done it. The wee:water ratio is probably not very high.

WowOoo · 16/11/2011 19:03

It's never done either ds any harm. Cannot stop ds2 from doing it. Even providing a plastic cup of fresh water - he pours it out and tops it with the bath water. Yuk.

mamamoonmim · 16/11/2011 19:05

I think you should give your child a drink before bathtime so she's not thirsty.

Or fill the cup with fresh water for her to practise drinking.

The bath could easily have bit of bathcleaner residue left in it, as well as wee and feces fragments.

JjandtheBeanplusPud · 16/11/2011 19:05

I was told here to let dd learn to use an open cup in the bath.

Non issue imo

Yanbu

NatashaBee · 16/11/2011 19:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoupDragon · 16/11/2011 19:07

I don't think you should encourage it, no, but I wouldn't freak out.

IneedAbetterNickname · 16/11/2011 19:07

YANBU! I did it, as did both my DC. We are all still alive, and we had bubbles in the water!

nerfmum · 16/11/2011 19:08

all kids do it, but yes it is gross. I'm sure the hot water tank is not good for drinking from, let alone dirt from body. Pour fresh clean water into her cup, play with a tea set-you can keep tea pot with fresh water safe.

Feminine · 16/11/2011 19:09

No...really? YANBU.

Grin at you ouryve why would you worry about germs from your own sons bum and stinky? feet going near him?

My kids when still in nappies ( now, and when still small) were cleaned with wipes too...I doubt there would be much poo left Confused

They don't drink much ...well mine didn't /don't.

gastrognome · 16/11/2011 19:19

My DD used to do this, and in fact still does from time to time (she's 3). Doesn't bother me particularly, though I can't say I actively encourage it. She also likes to lick the bath plug despite all my attempts to stop her from doing so.

maybenow · 16/11/2011 19:21

we dont' drink from the hot tap at all as our hot water sits in an immersion tank... so i wouldn't here.

youtalkintome · 16/11/2011 19:26

My dc did, it didn't matter how many times i tried to stop them they still did it. Let me just check, yep they both look ok. I would probably make a crap effort to stop them around MIL just to save the argument though.

whoopeecushion · 16/11/2011 19:26

It is OK to drink bathwater on the odd occasion. Both mine have done this and it didn't worry me.

HOWEVER - it is not OK to do it regularly. You need to tell her not to do it when she does it because you are the grown up who should know better! Water from the hot tap is not drinking water, coupled with the fact that the water is washing around her bum prior to being consumed!

Original poster
breatheslowly · 16/11/2011 19:27

Hmm, this looks like it might be a hung jury.

OP posts:
jalopy · 16/11/2011 19:27

In many homes, the cold water supply to the bath is not usually from the mains pipe but from a storage tank in the loft. The quality of it would be questionable.

Having said that, most kids have swallowed bath water. I wouldn't encourage drinking cupfuls of it though.

HerdOfTinyElephants · 16/11/2011 19:28

I tried to stop DS drinking bath water and never managed to have the slightest impact on him. With the DDs I didn't even try -- they grow out of it soon enough and DS and DD1 are disgustingly healthy.

busybusybust · 16/11/2011 19:35

Oh, come on - it's only a bit of bath water!!!! Kids in Third World countries would be so lucky to drink this!

Have you heard of building up an immune system? It's a really good idea!!!!!

So, no, OP YANBU - carry on - and expect to bring up a very healthy child!

(Although peeing in it is OK, my elder daughter used to poo too! - queue me geting them out PDQ!)t

greensnail · 16/11/2011 19:46

Mine do this constantly, they love having tea parties in the bath. Doesn't seem to have done any harm so far. Dd1 noticed I was tipping my cup away this evening without drinking though so I had to explain to her why I don't really want todrink water x she's been washing in.