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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Bathing WITH kids - opinions needed

35 replies

MrsWood · 14/09/2005 12:57

At what stage is no longer appropriate to bath WITH your kids - our dd (2.2) loves when one of us is in the bath with her so we occassionaly get in with her, but my dh and I are worried in case she starts asking too many questions - or worse, telling people about it which may lead to a wrong conclusion etc. I've asked my dh to wear swim shorts when he's in the bath with her but then she wants to do the same etc. so he avoids bathing with her now. When I go in with her, she just points and says "boobies" and "pee pee" and that's that, but quite often she wants daddy to go in and we just mummble something about daddy already having had a bath. She's not too fussed but may get a little confussed as to why daddy doesn't want to bath with her anymore... It'll be so much easier when she has a brother or sister to play alongside her in the bath...

OP posts:

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ScummyMummy · 14/09/2005 15:34

My sons will still get in the bath with me occasionally and they are 6. I think the bathing shorts are a bad plan; either they both feel comfortable or they don't. Fwiw, I think it's much healthier for children to catch occasional glimpses of adult bodies of both sexes than for one or both to be verbotten. I never saw my dad naked and once aged about 10 at a friend's house accidentally ran into a room where my friend's dad was getting changed. I stood mesmerised in disgust by his genital area, which didn't go down very well! I think if I'd been used to such sights it might have been less of a terrible moment...

staceym11 · 14/09/2005 15:44

there is no harm at any age with your daughter getting in the bath with you. thats what mother hood is about doing things they enjoy with them! if she asks questions answer them, and if anybody has a problem tell them to mind their own, there will come a stage where she doesnt want to bathe with you anymore and wont let you see her body (generally as it starts to change) and thats obv when it will stop, till then i see no problem with it, dont be uncomfortable, you are doing nothing wrong, naked bodies are just part of life!

(sorry if iv repeated didnt have time to read all the posts!)

suedonim · 14/09/2005 15:54

I still bath with dd2, who'd 9. Dh doesn't like sharing his bath with anyone so he makes sure everyone's in bed at his bath time. Ds1, who'd 30, burst in on me on the loo a while back to ask me something. I tried to point out I was otherwise occupied but he didn't take the least bit of notice, his Q was much more important! Ds2, meanwhile, almost faints at the sight of an ankle, he's v coy about bodies/bodily functions etc.

Shades1 · 14/09/2005 16:09

our DS's are 3.6 and 5.4 years and will dive in the bath with either DH or me, if we manage to be in first - the boys usually go in together before we get anywhere near the bath.

The only time the bathroom door gets locked is if I'm on the loo at TOTM - also get changed and no problem if DS's walk in - they don't even bat an eyelid - i think they will become shy about nakedness before I do

Is there an age when my boys should stop bathing together ?

Passionflower · 14/09/2005 16:47

A really sad thing this IMO. We wander round in the buff quite a bit I want my daughters to grow up confident about their bodies, not crippled by embarressment.

If people are worried by a bit of nudity that's their problem. If social services are going round investigating parents for bathing with their kids they've got their priorities badly wrong!

freckles87 · 09/09/2009 00:23

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freckles87 · 09/09/2009 00:25

This reply has been deleted

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CharCharGabor · 09/09/2009 00:31

You have to pay for that you know.

fortyplus · 09/09/2009 00:56

I phoned a friend the other day and her husband said she couldn't come to the phone as she was in the bath with her daughter... who is in Yr5!

Children stop these activities of their own accord when they start to become self-conscious of their bodies. This will vary from one child to another and there's no 'right' age, but 2.2 is way too young to start giving your child a complex about naked bodies.

I think the swim shorts idea is very sad, tbh.

Toss aside those hang-ups!

meandjoe · 09/09/2009 09:30

we both still bath with our ds who is 2 and imagine we will do until he's much older and stops asking us to 'get in baff now please!!!!'. I still used to bath with my mum and Dad til I was about 7 I think. I really don't think anyone would get the wrong idea if you tell them, don't worry!

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