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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

can't get 16mo to sit in bath seat

29 replies

WhiteWineAndJaffaCakes · 07/02/2009 19:18

I've been using a bath seat for my 16mo dd but she can get out of it and the last few nights she's insisted on standing up in it. I'm sure this isn't safe so tonight I abandoned the seat and just put her in a really shallow amount of water. She loved it but she crawled after a toy duck, slipped, and managed to inhale water - she was fine but not a happy bunny and it scared the c**p out of me.

So advice then - do non-slip bath mats work? Should I go back to the seat even though she won't sit it in? Or any other suggestions?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

NoBiggyValentineItsBollox · 07/02/2009 19:20

Yes, get a mat.

deaconblue · 07/02/2009 19:20

she's too big/old for a seat. We have a long non slip bath mat and they never slip on it. mothercare - it is blue with bobbles on whihc leave a comedy imprint on ds' bum cheeks! As long as you are next to the bath, though, a bit of slipping even in deep water is no big deal.

Isaidno · 07/02/2009 19:20

I think she's a bit old for a seat.
She only slipped because she is not used to the freedom.
Chill, keep an eye on her and let her play.

She was fine - you said so yourself!

2pt4kids · 07/02/2009 19:21

Yes it'd be a nightmare without a mat

FAQinglovely · 07/02/2009 19:22

get a mat, she's too old for a bath seat!

theyoungvisiter · 07/02/2009 19:22

non-slip bath mats absolutely work - you need 2 though for an ordinary size bath.

Ikea do them for the princely sum of, oo about £2 so you can get several and chuck them when they go mildewy (which they invariably do eventually)

Yurtgirl · 07/02/2009 19:22

Boots do a fab mat, longer than the standard ones, which is handy for two sharing

Or any mat will do, a longer one does cover a lot more of the slippery bath though, I loved ours so much I got a replacement eventually!

DanJARMouse · 07/02/2009 19:24

Too old for a seat.

My DS is 14mnths and actually has never had a seat, once he was sitting and pulling himself up he just had shallow baths.

He loves to splash around and "swim" and as long as an adult is constantly supervising, should be no need for any heart attacks!

Original poster

WhiteWineAndJaffaCakes · 07/02/2009 19:24

Thanks - most of the time I'm really relaxed about her hurting herself but anything to do with water makes me panic slightly. Too many scare stories of toddlers drowing in half an inch of water.

I'll get a mat and try to calm down!

OP posts:

ohdearwhatamess · 07/02/2009 19:28

Far too old for a seat, imo. Get a decent bath mat and she'll be fine.

Both mine have been out of seats as soon as they could sit up reliably (4/5 months).

lazyemma · 07/02/2009 19:28

As long as you're there with her, she won't come to any harm. Drowning accidents happen when children are left unattended.

theyoungvisiter · 07/02/2009 19:30

I think drowning is only a risk if they are left unattended - which you shouldn't do anyway at that age, mat or no mat.

Twims · 07/02/2009 19:31

Youngest has never had a seat just a bath mat, we fill it to a good depth - up to her tummy, and when she stands up she's told no and sat down again.

Seona1973 · 07/02/2009 19:47

my lo's stopped using the seats once they were able to stand by themselves. We use one of these bath mats as they are extra long.

TheProvincialLady · 07/02/2009 19:49

A seat wouldn't save your DD from drowning - it's being left unattended that is risky. We don't even have a mat but DS knows that if he stands up, the bath is over. That has worked well for us.

olivo · 07/02/2009 20:04

when my dd was this age, we had little 'bath splats' that sucker onto the floor of the bath. ours were from woolies but tommy tippee do some frog and duck ones in the supermarket.

pippylongstockings · 07/02/2009 20:14

yes we have funny bath stickers all over our old enamal bath - maybe a bath mat wolud protect their bum better from the cold!

I never had one of those bath seats - having boys it always looked uncomfortable. You are with her the whole time she is having a bath so she really won't drown.....

Original poster

WhiteWineAndJaffaCakes · 10/02/2009 17:38

Oooh this is going horribly wrong! I bought a bath mat but my dd was obviously so traumatised by the experience (and not fine after all) that she now screams the place down when she's anywhere near the bath.

I just about managed to get her in it today with me in it as well and holding her so she wasn't actually in the water. She clung to me with her bottom lip practically trembling.

Any tips for curing phobias?

OP posts:

NeedCoffee · 10/02/2009 19:00

WWAJC-try getting in with her to help her phobia, fwiw dd2 has never had a mat or seat, shes quite confident in the water, even though shes slipped a couple of times when shes stood up to grab toys.

muppetgirl · 10/02/2009 19:01

Hi!

Could you just have her in the bathroom with you when you next need to clean? Shut the door and have some toys and see what she does. No big deal, mummy's just cleaning so no water and no trauma type thing.

Can you get a tub of water in your kitchen (flooring permitted ) get some of bath toys in it and let her play with you joining in. Water fun, mummy there, no trauma.

I think then you're making no big deal just empahsising that the bathroom isn't that scarey and water can be quite fun...

When you next try the bath I would only put the tiniest bit of water in to keep her warm so she isn't overwhelmed, maybe no bubbles so she can see the bottom?

muppetgirl · 10/02/2009 19:02

Oh and MIL uses a towel as a non slip help as lo can then move (bum shuffle in ds's case) to get about but doesn't slip or hurt bum.

gagarin · 10/02/2009 19:04

"but anything to do with water makes me panic slightly"

She knows! I bet she spotted your panic - prob the look on your face when it happened - so now you best make lots of splashes together and play like muppet suggests.

Leo9 · 10/02/2009 19:55

Try DH/DP sitting in the bath with her - I found that DS as a baby was much happier bathing with dad doing it, I think they sense the extra strength and security possibly? Though DS loved baths best when Dad was actually in it with him so I'd try that first and see if she would get used to it that way.

nasr · 10/02/2009 21:27

i've found bathbooks a great way to get my dd 14 months to sit when in the bath, we use a bathmat with rubber ducks all over it. Ducks are her favourite thing. she also like to help choose her bath toys and put them in the bath while it is running.

If it is you fear that she has sensed could you try getting dh/dp do do the bathtime thing, or a family member. Or even have one of your lo's friends or cousin join in bathtime so that ur lo can see bathtime is fun?

hope things improve for you.

FloriaTosca · 10/02/2009 22:57

I think Muppet has given great advise, especially the playing with water in a different room...and I'd sit her in the bath without any water to play with her bath toys ...(and if it takes longer than you would like, in the mean time give her a bath in the sink to break the association.)

Oh and Ikea do a long bath mat for a fiver.

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