Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To put my threenager in the bath fully clothed?

61 replies

AveAtqueVale · 02/10/2017 18:58

He was utterly covered in chocolate ice cream, and refusing to get undressed. He did get several warnings. I think he thought his strategy was bulletproof, so was most unimpressed and flummoxed to be plonked in the bath anyway, but within two minutes had asked for help taking his wet clothes off and was happily playing.

DH says it was mean and ott. I think it was preferable to:
A) spending the next half hour negotiating, pleading and wheedling as we all get more tired and overwrought.
B) pinning him down and stripping him while he screamed blue murder and fought me every step of the way.
C) letting him go to bed with chocolate ice cream dried in his hair.

DH is now sitting with him no doubt commiserating about my cruel regime. But AIBU?

OP posts:
NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 02/10/2017 19:00

Nah YANBU

Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do

elfycat · 02/10/2017 19:02

Occasionally 'shock and awe' is the way to go.

Notevilstepmother · 02/10/2017 19:03

Seems reasonable to me. He needs to know that you are in charge and you will follow through on your warnings.

Putting him in the bath fully clothed is hardly cruelty and violence is it?!

TuckMyWin · 02/10/2017 19:04

I did this with my 2 year old. Only ever had to do it once, and I don't see the problem - it's not like they were left in a cold bath shivering, their clothes got a bit wet, then taken off!

nocake · 02/10/2017 19:05

That seems perfectly reasonable. I'd have done the same.

CardsforKittens · 02/10/2017 19:06

I totally misread your title and thought you put three teenagers in the bath fully clothed! I was going to ask for hints and tips. Smile
YANBU.

AtSea1979 · 02/10/2017 19:06

YANBU, it clearly worked. It's not something I'd ever do. I'd no doubt wrestle him out of clothes and yell. Your way seemed less stressful in a way.

catsofa · 02/10/2017 19:08

I've done it. I think it was spag bol that mine was covered in.

Jellycatspyjamas · 02/10/2017 19:09

Yep, I'd do that too - sometimes it's not worth the fighting.

pigeondujour · 02/10/2017 19:09

Sounds quite cute to me.

Aquamarine1029 · 02/10/2017 19:10

I did it. My kids were 2 and 4 and covered in mud. I put both of them into the shower at the same time to hose them and their clothes off.

Gatehouse77 · 02/10/2017 19:10

I've done it.

He wasn't even dirty.

I did for my own amusement Grin.

He found it funny too Smile

Waspyhell · 02/10/2017 19:11

I think my 3 year old would laugh her head off if I did this!!

RueDeWakening · 02/10/2017 19:11

YANBU. We did exactly the same to our 4 yo last night Grin

Joeymaynardslimegreendress · 02/10/2017 19:12

I thought it was your teenager! Was pondering how you picked him up Wink

Nope good idea abs tell your dh he's an idiot and to pour you a glass

Glumglowworm · 02/10/2017 19:13

Yanbu

It was more painless for both of you than continuing to argue. It's not like you left him in cold wet clothes for hours, you put him in a bath and helped get his clothes off as soon as he was happy to let you. It wouldn't even occur to me that it was anything other than a mildly funny anecdote, certainly not something to get angry with DP over!

Sirzy · 02/10/2017 19:14

Makes sense to me

And I hope your DH isn’t doing a “isnt Mummy mean” routine. All that does is undermine you.

silkpyjamasallday · 02/10/2017 19:18

I also read the title as teenager BlushGrin I think your solution to the problem was perfect OP. Let your DH do the attempt at 'negotiating' next time and he'll soon realise why you did what you did.

Brown76 · 02/10/2017 19:18

YADNBU and I've done it

MimsyBorogroves · 02/10/2017 19:19

I've done it too, at a similar age.

It's one of DS's earliest memories Grin

Ttbb · 02/10/2017 19:20

I first read that as teenager, needless to say I was vHmm

BlackeyedSusan · 02/10/2017 19:23

dh can get him in the bath next time. and clean up the chocolate fingerprints from everywhere else.

you may find that once will be enough to convince him that you are not kidding when you say what is going to happen.

onalongsabbatical · 02/10/2017 19:23

On the contrary, you are inspired and you should start your own website giving down-to-earth parenting advice and tips.
How about calling it Mumswet?
Sorry, that was TERRIBLE! Grin

DarthMaiden · 02/10/2017 19:24

I’ve done that before.

I agree it’s better than engaging in an increasingly frustrating Mexican standoff.

Sometimes young kids need to know you mean business and aren’t entering into a negotiation about a task that clearly needs to be done.

What did your DH expect you to do? Bribe him to get in the bath or waste an hour persuading him to get in the bath like a load of ineffectual parents who half heartedly tell their kids to stop screaming/get off the flowers/stop running around a restaurant/jumping on a friends sofa etc which doesn’t happen because the kids haven’t learned whose in charge and they need to do as they are told or face the consequence.

Tatiebee · 02/10/2017 19:25

YANBU, I've done it before with my then 4 year old who was refusing to get undressed for bath time. After the initial shock he did laugh although he's never refused again!