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Original poster

Leaving them in the bath while you go to another room..........

117 replies

swiperfox · 09/05/2005 11:19

Just bathed dd who is 3.5. Leaving the bathroom for anything fills me with fear - you always hear the stories about 'but i was only gone for a second' However ds was screaming (11 months) so i had to run out to give him his bottle and put him into his chair.
I made dd sing 'twinkle twinkle' as loud as she could until i came back lol that way i could always hear her and if she stopped i could run!

What age do you start leaving them for a second but know they'll generally be ok?

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misdee · 09/05/2005 11:21

i also make my dd's sing if i need to leave for a moment. they are5 and 2.5yrs old.

Louise1980 · 09/05/2005 11:24

Mine are almost 3 and 4.5 and they make soi much noise in the bath that I leave them while I do things like putting washing away make beds etc.

I dont however leave them in one at a time for more than a few seconds. It depends how mature the child is when he/she is in the bath. I can leave ds2 and trust him to just play with toys, ds1 on the other hand will add more water and 'swim' under the water which concernes me.

coldtea · 09/05/2005 11:25

I must be a terrible mother. I leave ds(5 next month) & dd(21 months) in the bath while i go & tidy downstairs. I'm only gone 5 mins & i can hear them playing. Am i the only one?

suzywong · 09/05/2005 11:25

agree with louise1980
this is a bungalow and me and dh are here at bathtime so can hear everything and race to the bathroom..... famous last words though

Hulababy · 09/05/2005 11:27

DD is 3y 1, amd today was the first time I have left her in the bathalone - for about 3 minutes or so. The telephone rang and as we are doing all the house stuff right now (very stressful as it is!) I knew it might be important. Living room is over hall way to bathroom, and I could hear her the whole time . Didn't feel comfortable for any longer though.

Louise1980 · 09/05/2005 11:28

I couldnt go downstairs. And depending on the topic of conversation sometimes I have to go back in to see what is going on.

I once caught ds1 holding ds2 under the water saying "Find Nemo, find Nemo!"

coldtea · 09/05/2005 11:30

Both of my children are terrifed of going under water so they don't play under water games. This thread is making me think though.....

lima · 09/05/2005 11:30

I stay in the room with mine - more to stop them fighting or slopping shedloads of water out of the bath onto the floor.

they are 6 and 3

I leave the 6 yr old on his own though, whilst I dry and dress the 3 yr old

SPARKLER1 · 09/05/2005 11:31

louise. My dds are 5 and 3 - the longest I have left them in the bath is a few seconds to run out to the airing cupboard to grab some towels. I think I must be a nervous wreck.

Carla · 09/05/2005 11:36

When H first started doing the bathing, I was horrified to find he'd leave them in the bath whilst plucking his ears in the bedroom. Now they're 5 and 6, I think I'd hear if either of them were in trouble. Certainly they'd both be aware if the other was in any danger.

RTKangaMummy · 09/05/2005 11:36

Why go downstairs to tidy up while they are in bath?

Why not wait until they are in bed or do it before bathtime?

I am rather frightened of what could happen

suzywong · 09/05/2005 11:36

PMSL@ find Nemo!

Louise1980 · 09/05/2005 11:38

Thats why I only do it if they are in togeteher.

That said, one day when I was ill and the youngest was with my mam ds1 whos 4 filled it and bathed himself! I was mortified! He'd been watching a video while I lay on bed with a migrane!!!

WideWebWitch · 09/05/2005 11:48

I can't remember but I think I used to leave ds alone at about 4 but would never go out of earshot or off the same floor of the house, he would chat to himself so I could hear him and I would only be in the next room. I wouldn't leave him (7yo) with dd, who's 18mos though, nor would I leave the side of the bath even if she's in it, she's too wobbly still and could go under in a heartbeat.

handlemecarefully · 09/05/2005 11:58

coldtea,

I think 21 months is a little early...only because I had gone swimming with my 2 year old and she tripped up and fell face first in the water in the toddler pool (where the water is only waist height). Given that she can easily reach the bottom in that pool I had expected her to right herself and pull herself to her feet. However she just panicked and thrashed around with her face submerged and I had to help her up...

Gobbledigook · 09/05/2005 12:02

Eldest ds's are 4 and 2.5 - I leave them in the bath to go and get their PJs from the bedroom, to get towels out of the cupboard or to put something away but only for a matter of seconds and only upstairs - wouldn't go downstairs to leave them. They are really noisy so as long as I can hear both of them it's OK. Don't tend to leave them nowadays though as I put ds3 in at the same time and he's only 8 months so obviously I'm not going to wander off!

Prufrock · 09/05/2005 12:05

I wouldn't go downstairs leaving my 3 year old, but do regularly leave her in the bath whilst I dress ds on the bathroom floor and then feed him in his room directly across the hallway.

coldtea · 09/05/2005 12:10

I agree 21 months is early & i wouldn't have ds alone at this age. Ds will be 5 next month & is very sensible & mature. I can hear their noise if i'm downstairs & if there is ever a lull i run upstairs. I do trust him to tell me if there is a problem & i understand accidents can happen in an instant. I am surprised i am the only one though.

Gwenick · 09/05/2005 12:14

coldtead - you're not the only one - DS1 is 4 1/2yrs (but very mature) and DS2 is nearly 18 months........our bathroom is downstairs and DH does sometimes leave them briefly to answer the phone, ask me something in the kitchen (next to the bathroom),............I think a lot depends on the child........I wouldn't have left DS1 in the bath on his own for more than a second until he was about 3 or 4yrs old - but DS2 I think will be ok for short burst earlier.

RTKangaMummy · 09/05/2005 12:17

Coldtea

You probably are not the only one just others are not admitting it.

but IMHO

why put them in the bath then go downstairs to tidy up?

Why does it need to be done then?

It does just take a split second for a child to slip

SPARKLER1 · 09/05/2005 12:19

RTKM - I'm with you all the way there. It's scary to think what could happen. It's just not worth the risk is it. Even if you know your child accidents still happen.

Kelly1978 · 09/05/2005 12:21

I leave mine to it. They are 2 and 4, (birthday in June so nearly 3 and 5). We live in a flat, and they are very noisy so I can hear them wherever I am. If they go quiet for a min I check them. They love playing in the bath so I wash them and leave them to it, they clear up, get out and dry off when they are ready.
I wouldn't leave them on another floor or out of earshot though.

SoupDragon · 09/05/2005 12:24

DSs are 6 and 4 and we leave them. We're rarely not on the same floor though (occasionally nip downstairs for something). Both are used to going underwater so wouldn't freak out if they slipped and both are sensible enough to scream blue murder should something happen to the other one. I always go back if it goes quiet...

emmatmg · 09/05/2005 12:24

I leave all 3 in the bath together to get towells, or put washing away.

But one 6yr old, 1 almost 4 yr old and a 20 month old take up alot of room in there so the chances of any of them having room to lie down/fall in the bath are ZILCH.

I always get Ds3 out first, dry and dress him, then Ds2 and then Ds1. I've never left ds3 in the bath with ds2 for longer than a few seconds to grab a towel.
I'll only leave them all togther.

Mum2girls · 09/05/2005 12:25

Mine are 2 and 4 and like someone else said , make so much noise, I do leave them, maybe to run upstairs and get their clothes ready for the next day, or to tidy up the kitchen (which is next door to the bathroom. I try to keep them chatting or singing while I'm gone and I pop my head around the door every couple of minutes.