At what age would you leave your DC in the bath while you got the other one dressed in the room next door?

[BrownPaperandString]

I'm asking because we have a 3.5 year old and a 2 year old and DH thinks nothing of taking the little one out of the bath in to the bedroom next door to dry him and get him ready for bed, leaving the 3.5 year old alone.

I'm horrified - am I being overly cautious and if not, what can I say to him to change his mind? He's not interested in hearing my point of view...

I've seen threads like this before and everyone is always horrified at children being left in the bath alone (with a parent within earshot), but both dh and I do it and have done since dd was around 3.

I wouldn't leave an under 5 yr old in the bath but I am particularly cautious about stuff like that. I don't think it's a terrible thing to do so maybe just teall him that it's not your way of doing things and leave it at that.

As long as they are chatting to you etc then I dont see a problem.

Our ds is 3, and christ we would know if anything had happened to him as he never shuts up when he is in the bath - I could hear him in the garden!

Around 3, but mine constantly chat or sing so I can hear them all the time. Accidents can happen in seconds.

I let 3.8yr DS play in the bath while I sort out laundry / dress DD. But I do tend to talk to him all the bloomin' time so I know he's ok and my house is tiny so I'm not more than a few feet away.

i think it's fine!

I leave our 3 year old in the bath while I dry ds in next room, I'm usually only 5 or so mins, Get back before the water is drained usually, she tidies up the toys and bottles while waiting quite happily

I've done it since DS1 was about 2.6 - 3 ish, can't remember exactly.

I do keep him talking though.

Funnily I was thinking about this today too. DS is 2 and DD is 5. I was thinking how I'd happily leave her now on her own and was wondering if that was inappropriate. I feel relieved now. However, even at 5 she is still clumsy and prone to do stupid things, so I'd want to be in ear shot.

oh ok

I think mine was 3 and a half when I started leaving her in the bath by herself, I would stay upstairs though so I could hear her.

A couple of times I rushed in when I heard too much splashing but she was always fine. Now DD is 5 and I leave her in the bath when I am downstairs but within earshot.

I occasionally leave my DD (2.10) alone in the bath for a couple of minutes but she has to sing while I'm out of the room (usually if I've forgotten her precious red towel). There's nothing like having the theme tune to Balamory shouted at full volume to reassure me that all is well (and she doesn't know the words so just shouts "Ba-la-mory, Ba-la-mory, doo be doo be doo" over and over again).

I leave 2 year old in bath alone all the time. Not worried about it. Our house is very cheaply built small and it is easy to hear splashing, chatting, etc. (mind you, I also do a very shallow bath. Yes, I know that you can drown in .5 cm of water, but she isn't as likely to slip over in a shallow bath)

I'm probably a bit over cautious but I didn't leave dd in the bath on her own until she was nearly 6, and then only with me in the next room with the doors open.

I popped downstairs for the first time tonight (she's 6.5 now), and I made her sing while I was gone so I could hear her.

My 4 year old is pretty sensible so I feel ok about popping out and leaving her in the bath, and have done for maybe a year.
The deal is she sings while I am out of the room. If I can hear her she isn't drowning.

Depending on the child, I'd feel okay from about the age of 3.

At 3 and a half, my son had a seven hour bath, so I just popped up every 10 or 15 minutes to check on him. (He got out to wee, I brought him food, I topped up the hot at one point.)

DS is just over 3, DD is 10 months.
I will leave DS in while I get DD sorted in the doorway (prefer to do it on carpeted landing rather than tile)
Will also leave him (not her obv) if I pop out to get towel/face cloth as well but only ever for less than 10 seconds. HOwever he is not sensible and one of ohis favourite games is blowing bubbles in the water - I don't leave him at all if he happens to be playing that!

a seven hour bath...why???

Since dp died i have a routine of putting them both in the bath,then getting dd out and sorted while ds stays in.I leave the doors open and stuff of course.He is 6.5

finishing was he not a prune at the end?

Sorry, seven hours?! What happened there?!

My son is 6 and a half and i have only recently gone to the next room to get a towel i am very cautious ,sadly we lost a young child in our family due to being left in the bath.