Is this bath time situation acceptability?

[5footmama]

You live in a bungalow.
The bathroom is off the main hall.
Opposite the living room.

You have a just turned 6 year old and a 2yr5month old in the bath, playing and washing.

You are in the living room.

Both doors are open.

AIBU to think this is not acceptable?

Can't believe how many people think it's OK to leave young children unsupervised in water??? It literally takes a couple of seconds for something bad to happen. Can you imagine having to explain to the paramedics that you left your child unattended in the bath, and the accident could have been totally avoided if you were in there?? There have been many cases of children drowning in very shallow water because the parents thought it would be fine to turn their back for a couple of minutes.

Absolutely not. Imagine what it would do the 6yo if something went wrong.

P. S Everyone should go back and read what @PlanDeRaccordement wrote.

Not a fucking chance.

DD is a mature 6 and still, no fucking way.

6 year old, 2 year old no!!

So why does your mother think this is acceptable OP, and what are you planning to do about stopping it if you think it's unacceptable (as do I BTW)?

Think that's ok as long as you are within earshot and you are frequently checking.

6 year old fine but not a 2 year old

only takes an inch of water to drown in

My mum turned her back on my brother and sister in the bath for a minute when they were 2.5 and 4.5 when she went to get towels out of the cupboard, when she turned back to them DB was face down and turning blue. Fortunately he was fine but mum has never recovered from the fright.

It wasn't long ago when I read in the news (not in the UK) that a 2 yr old had drowned at a yard whilst he had been out of his mother's sight for few minutes. In that time he had found a shallow water container and drowned.

I think its fine as long as you aren't far away and can hear them at all times, mine are 8 and 6 now but when they were a bit smaller I used to go nextdoor into the bedroom to fold laundry while they were playing in the bath. They make enough noise to wake the dead, if it ever went quiet for a second I was only a few steps away with all the doors open.

I wouldn't, personally.

No. Stay with them and enjoy this time. They are too young to be left alone.

I think the ‘grabbing a towel’ comments referred to popping to the living room in the scenario described. The example @PlanDeRaccordement gave had a woman going downstairs and searching for a particular towel for several minutes.
A 2 year old should not be left in the bath with or without a sibling. Your mother is completely wrong for doing this and would make me question her abilities as a care giver. Presumably she’s only doing the odd bath time. Just watch them FFS.

I knew a family, years ago - younger child drowned in garden pond while with older child. Older child blamed themselves, never recovered, mental health problems all their life, still being looked after by mother in their 40s. 1 life lost the other three ruined.
It happened in minutes.

Not safe!

Think that's ok as long as you are within earshot and you are frequently checking.

Checking doesn't stop children drowning! It just means you find out that they have drowned sooner.

I'm really stunned by how many can't seem to stay in the same room for 10 -20 minutes however long a bath is?

Is it really that difficult to just stay in there with them and talk to them and play?

The towel and pj thing is just daft. You know you need towels and pjs because you give them a bath every evening but somehow you wait until they are in the water to go to these things? Why?

A smart person would do these things first. Get the towel, pjs, whatever first and bring them in, then put them in the water and ffs stay in there for 10 to 20 minutes.

I wouldn’t leave children of that age unattended in the bath, it isn’t worth the risk. There is no pottering/laundry folding that can’t wait. Safety first

@TheEndIsBillNighy At what age can they bath independently @GaaaaarlicBread**
Every child is different and has different independence but an 8 year old I’d say could be left for a few minutes whilst Mother tidies the landing etc but at 6 years years old and with a toddler is not acceptable. I slipped under the bath water at the age of 6 having a seizure and looking my mother was in the room as she never left us. We did in fact get a shower after that as it scared my mum so much.
6 yr old is too young let alone with a toddler. But in this instance , the children aren’t under their mothers care they’re at their grandparents and that is not acceptable at all no matter what age the child is .

I'm really stunned by how many can't seem to stay in the same room for 10 -20 minutes however long a bath is?

Is it really that difficult to just stay in there with them and talk to them and play?

To me it's just not that different to leaving them in the living room for 30 seconds while I get a drink, or in the garden for 30 seconds while I fetch a toy, or whatever similar situation you want to think up. Kids can have tragic accidents anywhere, if you're only leaving them momentarily, the risk is tiny.

Anyway, presumably that's why many people are saying they do it sometimes. Not sure about the OP's case because she hasn't really said how long her mum is leaving them. The fact that she's made this thread implies it's probably for more than 30 seconds.

To me it's just not that different to leaving them in the living room for 30 seconds while I get a drink, or in the garden for 30 seconds while I fetch a toy, or whatever similar situation you want to think up. Kids can have tragic accidents anywhere, if you're only leaving them momentarily, the risk is tiny

Dear God...this is just ridiculous. It's called RISK ASSESSMENT. So, a child could have a fatal accident in a living room...that doesn't mean you'd leave them unattended by a swimming pool. Different scenarios have different levels of risk. Honestly, if you struggle to understand that, I'd be terribly worried.

Dear God...this is just ridiculous. It's called RISK ASSESSMENT. So, a child could have a fatal accident in a living room...that doesn't mean you'd leave them unattended by a swimming pool. Different scenarios have different levels of risk. Honestly, if you struggle to understand that, I'd be terribly worried

Eh? Who's talking about a swimming pool? My children could have a fatal accident in my living room, or in the bath. Sometimes I leave them momentarily in both those situations because in both situations the risk is tiny.

@formerbabe I totally agree with you. Yes a child could have an accident anywhere but that's no excuse to heighten the chances!!??!! The mind absolutely boggles at some people's rationale.