DH leaving toddlers alone in the bath

[Hundredsplendedsums]

DC are nearly 4 and 2. DH usually does their bathtime as we have another baby.

The last few nights I’ve noticed him put them in the bath then come downstairs, yesterday it was to look for his iPad and today it was to vacuum the floor! I got really annoyed and said I would not leave them alone, he said I was overreacting and that I ‘do it all the time’ (I definitely do not and would not leave them unattended in the bath).

IANBU am I?!

That's exactly the result he is hoping for here.

He gets off the nightly bath, putting work on his wife who has a baby on her hands too.

No! He does it right or nobody gets a bath, and he sleeps on the couch until he admits he was wrong and takes his responsibility seriously

Sho him this thread so we can tell him what an ABSOLUTELY IRRESPONSIBLE PRICK he is

Not even that, I’m afraid. Children have drowned in seconds, while a parent “just went to get a towel.”

You must never leave the bathroom while they are in the bath.

This is absolutely fucking mental. Is he like, a bit thick?

Yes indeed.

This is a man who thinks he can leave the donkey work of family life to his wife.

Mine are 4 next month and 5.5 and I’m just at the point where I’ll put clothes away on the same floor with all doors open. A 2 year old is madness.

By no means am I a Tory but I’ve always felt haunted about what happened to Jeremy Hunt’s sister.

Absolutely baffles the shit out of me how parents leave children in the bath for any amount of time with all of the information we all now know about drownings.
What a shit Dad.
You’re going to have to do baths from now on.

I'm horrified by that and also the fact that he says you're overreacting. He has no idea!

Time him. Then ask him how long he things it takes to drown.
He's being negligent.

Wow, you couldn’t just have empathy for the death of his sister without pointing out you wouldn’t dream of voting Conservative?!

😳

Fucking hell. My dc just turned 11 and 8. It’s only been in the last year or so that I have felt comfortable leaving 8yo in the bath if I have forgotten something downstairs. Even then I wouldn’t be downstairs long. YANBU at all

Sorry, was posting at speed - you’re right, of course. Just used to how this website can be. Entirely unnecessary.

Actually feel dreadful for that now. Sorry. Too late to edit.

This is an absolute no. My DD slipped under the water while in the bath at around 2.5 when I was right there. I will never forget the fright on her face as she tried unsuccessful to get right back up and started choking. Thankfully I was a second away getting shampoo from the under sink cupboard. It was horrible. I still think about what would have happened had I been out of the room briefly.

Your husbands an idiot.

My niece left her two little girls (1 and 3) in the bath while she did some chores around the house. She has now only got one little girl.

Please tell your husband from me that he’s a FUCKING IDIOT!

Yes this is exceedingly dangerous, you have to remove them immediately if they do this so they learn standing/jumping = end of bath.

I would tell the HV and hope for her or social services contact him so he understands this is absolutely not acceptable, not by your parenting standards but by law it is neglectful.
Tell his mum as well if you think she would be as furious.

I fucking hate men like this, so bloody happy to put their children at risk.

Does he have any idea how dangerous this is? I occasionally step
out to e.g. grab a towel for DD who is three. DSD was seven or eight before I would leave her for more than 2 mins without checking on her. He needs a reality check.

Oh my god. This is horrific. Those poor children. X

At a very best case scenario he is doing this to force you to always do the baths.

Everyone knows drowning is silent and can happen to kids that young in seconds.

The fact he is fine with this risk is bone chilling.

I actually wouldn’t trust this man with my children again

Is your husband a complete idiot?

No no no. I always sit with 6 and 3 yo DC in the bath. 3yo once slipped while and I’d grabbed her in less than a second but her whole head had gone under water and her face was just terrified. She was so slippery.. no way would my 6yo been able to get her up like I did. I had been a bit blasé about nipping out for a towel etc but never again! 4 and 2 is just neglect

You are absolutely right. The oldest was nearly 4 when her sister died in the bath next to her. Old enough to remember it happening and old enough to remember the paramedics trying desperately to save her little sister.

Only the older one knows what happened when her sister drowned as her mum wasn’t there. What if it was something she had done (knocked her over?) and she blames herself. Too awful to think about.