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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

What do you do with DC whilst you're in the shower?

30 replies

PPT · 12/03/2013 10:09

I have a 3 yo DS- is he old enough to play by himself while I have a super quick shower?

According to my DS- no. Seeing as he climbed on top of the kitchen counter this morning, and grabbed and then tipped out an entire bag of sugar all over the playroom and kitchen.

I just can't relax whilst I'm having a shower... what do you do?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

McPheetStink · 12/03/2013 10:10

Stairgate on his door

In there to play

Job done

mummy2benji · 12/03/2013 10:24

4yo ds is old enough to occupy himself and be safe although he wandered into the bathroom while I was having a quick shower the other morning, proceeded to start doing a poo on the loo (no privacy!) and then announced "Mummy, I didn't know you have hair on your bottom. How silly!" (Front bottom, just to clarify - I do not have a hairy ass.) Dd2 is 4 1/2 months and I wait until she's having a nap in her little chair. I shower with the door open so I can hear if there are blood-curling screams that require me to run down the stairs trailing water everywhere.

MerryMingeWhingesAgain · 12/03/2013 10:26

At 3 mine could either trash play in the bathroom, or play elsewhere upstairs in earshot with stairgate shut. Mostly they would strip off and join in whether I wanted them to or not.

notso · 12/03/2013 10:31

My current choices are;
get up at 5:30 and shower before DH goes to work - too knackering
ask DD to keep an eye on the other three while I shower - decends into chaos
take two youngest into shower with me -decends into chaos
Do school run skanky and shower when I get back;
leaving two youngest watching TV - potential injury of 11 month old/destruction of property by 2yo
wait until two youngest nap at 10.30 - risky if we have unexpected visitors and no good for toddler mornings.

Tee2072 · 12/03/2013 10:33

Turn on TV. Shower. My son is 3.9.

If you can't rely o him to do that, then stairgate on a totally child proof room.

Or...stay stinky.

seeker · 12/03/2013 10:35

In the shower with you? Two birds with one stone.

Original poster

PPT · 12/03/2013 11:10

Think we'll opt for him staying upstairs for me. Was a literal white wash with all the sugar all over the place!

OP posts:

birdofthenorth · 12/03/2013 13:31

I'm so glad someone has asked this question! DD is 2.6, DH works away midweek, and she has never been happy being left while I shower so I either get up insanely early (5:50 or so to guarantee being up before her), or stink, or come home and shower on my lunch hour! Don't like doing it at night as I'm knackered and the noise often wakes her anyway. DS is expected next month and I am dreading being even skankier!!

Jergens · 12/03/2013 13:43

I can only manage at night once both kids in bed.

MrTumblesCrackWhore · 12/03/2013 13:57

Ds1 (3) sometimes happily watches TV and dd2 (1), my shadow, comes in the shower with me as she loves it so much, or else she pootles around upstairs unleashing boxes of toys for me to trip over when I get out. That's a good day.

Ds1 and dd2 both whinge and cry incessantly because they're hungry/thirsty/need the toilet/HAVE to put on my makeup and perfume/sit on my dressing table chair/throw cars or books at my head/hit each other.
That's a bad day and it usually involves being late and lots of shouting.

On days where I know I shouldn't even try to shower as the whinging has started early, I dunk my fringe under the shower head, quickly blow dry that , have a quick wash, find some clean pants but yesterday 's outfit (my ability to put a new one together is severely reduced when 2 dcs are crowding my brain space). I still ALWAYS manage to wrestle my eyeliner and blusher off them though.

currentbuns · 12/03/2013 14:02

If I'm having a shower, I'll just hand my 3 year old the iPad to fiddle with. Job done.

forevergreek · 12/03/2013 14:15

Both in bathroom. They play with the basket of bath toys, then we all go to bedroom and they look at books on bed whilst whoever had the shower changed.

As small babies they went in bouncey chair in bathroom

Goingdownthegarden · 12/03/2013 21:32

I´ve had the same as forevergreek - toys in the bathroom with ds watching me in shower. I took comments about my anatomy as being useful learning. Both my dc are fascinated by nipples: "why do dad and ds have nipples if men can´t give babies milk from them?". Now ds is just four, I set him off playing with lego in his bedroom and can usually have quite a relaxed shower with the bathroom door open and turning off the shower-water periodically so I can hear what he´s up to. Chatting about lego or nagging "Mummy, when will you be finished?": ok. Silence means I really have to get out of the shower and dressed in under 2 seconds.
We haven´t had an equivalent of your sugar experience ... yet ...!

brettgirl2 · 12/03/2013 21:42

You will know when he is old enough. Mine was fine from about 3 and a half (although little sis is a problem )

notso · 12/03/2013 22:23

of those with a bathroom big enough for 2 DC and a basket of toys!

Meglet · 12/03/2013 22:26

I shower when mine (6 & 4) are in bed in the evening.

Sometimes I will risk a quick early shower but they have to be tired, fed and in pj's watching cbeebies for me to attempt it. Even then I end up having to holler down the stairs at them.

LadyMetroland · 12/03/2013 22:32

I often shower while dcs (2 & 3.5) are in the bath - the shower has glass door and is opposite the bath so I can see them at all times.

Other options are having them upstairs with me - they can roam around bedrooms but we have stairgate in corridor so they can't reach stairs.

Final option is to have one when they're in bed

Skiffle · 12/03/2013 22:35

Television, with 21mo DD2 in the playpen.

notso · 12/03/2013 22:36

Evening showers don't do it for me, DH and I are quite active at night so need to freshen up in the morning!

ceeveebee · 12/03/2013 22:59

I either shower at 630am before DTs wake up and before DH leaves for work at 7am. Or if I'm feeling lazy I wait until after they've had a drink of milk and then leave them playing in the nursery with a stair gate on the door. Or if even lazier I don't bother with a shower (on days I am not going to work).

pookamoo · 12/03/2013 23:06

Either take them in with me, or DD2 goes in the cot with lots of books and DD1 just plays. She's 4 though, and has to stay upstairs with the stairgate closed.

HorryIsUpduffed · 12/03/2013 23:17

DS1 ignores me completely if I'm lucky and plays in his room. I keep him on the same floor, though, and keep the stair gate shut (he can open it but waits to be told he may). He is 4.8.

DS2 comes in with me and plays at the tap end. Means I can't shave my legs during the week, only if DH is around. DS2 is 1.11.

When DS1 was 2.9 and DS2 was newborn I had very few showers. My skin was beautiful, although I daresay a slight sour milk odour clung to me

FadBook · 12/03/2013 23:23

I have had dd (19 months) in the bathroom with me from day 1. I have to shower once a day otherwise I would be the stinky lady with BO that people talk about and I can't not shower in the morning

Now she's older, she does potter about more on her own. We also moved house recently and now have an ensuite so I just shut our bedroom door and she'd got full run of our bedroom but still comes in to the bathroom to show me every toy/cream/beads that she's found!

FergusSingsTheBlues · 12/03/2013 23:25

I tell my son where im going, why, and ask him to watch ceebeebies. He's just under three so he gets it.

Bumpsadaisie · 13/03/2013 13:07

My DD has been doing her own thing since she was about 2. But then she is a cautious child.

DS is 16 months and bangs on the shower door while I shower.

The best option is to wake before him and shower then.

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