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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do you leave your toddler to shower?

95 replies

GreenVoyage · 23/03/2018 08:48

I'm not working until later and need a shower beforehand. DD is 20 months and not in nursery until I drop her off at lunch time.

I take her upstairs with me and lock the babygate. My bedroom door is shut tight and DD is in her room with a door stop on top to stop trapped fingers. DD will either sit on her beanbag with a tablet or play with her toy kitchen. The bathroom door is open the whole time and she pops in and out to see me.

AIBU to do this? My friend is horrified! I think DD is perfectly safe. I don't believe that all single parents only ever shower when their DCs are asleep.

OP posts:
Aria2015 · 23/03/2018 12:47

I leave my lo to shower. Have the baby gate shut and let him play in his room. I shower with the bathroom door wide open. It's not an issue, he normally can't go a minute without coming into the bathroom to gawp at me anyway lol!

TakeMeToTheFresh · 23/03/2018 12:47

bobs I shower twice a day so that wouldn't work for me. And how does this Mum know her kids will always be asleep whilst in the shower? Even a marvellous sleeper can wake up for any reason

DrWhy · 23/03/2018 21:10

@Mrscog - your DS2 sounds rather like my DS... best not to let him out of my sight for more than 30 seconds!

Mrscog · 23/03/2018 21:22

@Drwhy 😁 and I thought my DS1 was hard work! Oh how little I knew! I just know DS2 is going to be the one who wants a motorbike!!

ItsNachoCheese · 23/03/2018 21:24

Ds either comes in the shower with me or i have mine when he is sleeping

Mathbat · 23/03/2018 21:33

What on earth does you friend think those of us with twins do? Drag two babies into the bathroom every time? Hmm Mine go in their cots with some toys and I shower with the bathroom door open. I’ve done it this way since they were tiny.

Oysterbabe · 23/03/2018 21:41

I do this every day. She normally just stands and watches me though, barking instructions.

PenelopeChipShop · 23/03/2018 21:44

Your friend is ridiculous. I’m a LP, if I don’t want to smell then yes I have to ‘leave’ my toddler in order to wash myself and be in a reasonable condition to attend work so I can support her and her big brother. I let them both watch tv while I get ready, then it goes off for breakfast. Ok the big one can watch her I guess but I did the same with him! Sometimes you need a digital babysitter order to wash!

RaindropsAndSparkles · 23/03/2018 21:51

From the day my babies were brought home thwy were put in cot while I showered. They were safe. I was clean. It also helped them to fall asleep on theor own.

When DS was 18/20 months I cd shower during Teletubbies. House was safe.

workwankery · 23/03/2018 21:52

DS screamed and screamed whenever he was put down as a baby so I perfected the 4 minute shower and have just kept that up. Makes getting ready for work very fast!

Tartsamazeballs · 23/03/2018 22:42

Stargate closed, doors to my room, the separate loo and the messy spare room closed, bathroom door and her door open.

She's got toys, the run (literally) of the hall and can poke her head round the shower curtain. She's fine and it's a good bit of independence. Ive been doing it since she was crawling. Before that she sat in a bouncy chair in the hallway with the door open (tiny bathroom)

Frazzled2207 · 23/03/2018 23:09

That's what I did. I was probably quite quick in those circumstances but I always had my shower.

Unfortunately I rarely got peace though because my ds would normally want to watch Confused

Frazzled2207 · 23/03/2018 23:13

I think harder with two kids though, mine are now 4 and 2 and really need to be within earshot the whole time because they have a tendency to start fighting....

pastabest · 23/03/2018 23:29

I wish. DD 14 months is quite happy to be left on her own for a bit but LOVES getting in the shower so it's rare I get to have one by myself these days.

She also showers 'on her own' if given the opportunity (I hover within arm grabbing distance)

pasbeaucoupdegendarme · 23/03/2018 23:32

I misread the title too and was imagining a little independent toddler rather sadly sorting him/herself out with shower gel 😂

But yes, my toddler has free reign of the upstairs while I shower.

whiteraven010185 · 25/03/2018 18:13

I live on a ground floor, I make sure doors all locked, leave open bathroom door and have a shower. My nearly 4 year old knows to come into bathroom if she needs me.... She's more often than not quite happy just to watch Cbeebies.

liquidrevolution · 25/03/2018 19:14

I would love to be able to do that and did when DD was a similar age. Now my DD likes to stand and watch me shower. Odd child. Confused

1stWorldProblems · 25/03/2018 22:01

I shared my bath (it's one of those large 80's corner baths) with both of mine as they dropped their sleeps by 18 months.

sahknowme · 25/03/2018 22:48

My boy (13 month old) goes in his playpen, or stays in his cot while I shower. It's not perfect, but then there are times when it's the only option.

Xmasbaby11 · 25/03/2018 22:56

Sounds fine! Wish mine would have done that - dd hated being in a room alone and would have kicked off. A tablet wouldn't have held her attention for long until she was about 4. And she didn't nap from 1yo so it wouldn't have occurred to me to try to shower when i was looking after her!

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