How do you shower when home alone with an older baby?

[lurcherlover]

When DS was tiny, showering was easy - I had his bouncy chair in the bathroom and he was perfectly happy to it in it and play with the toys on it while I showered. But now he's 9 months and has outgrown it and I don't know what to do with him...he isn't crawling, but is desperately trying to, so I don't want to leave him just sitting on the bathroom floor - although he sits very well, his crawling attempts make him liable to topple over, and it's a tiled floor. Even if I sit him on his changing mat his head would still hit the tiles. If I leave him on his own in his cot with some toys he cries. I can't wait for nap times as they're not early enough in the day. Any suggestions please?

well, that didn't work. Try again...www.safetots.co.uk/p1391/-BabyDan-Extra-Tall-Streamline-Baby-and-Pet-Gate/product_info.html?&utm_source=google-feed&utm_medium=sem&utm_campaign=google-feedhere

Lurcherlover re PND suggestion there was no offence intended, I just don't understand how much trouble you are having with this, even the not being able to tie you dog up anywhere at all in the house just seems bizarre to me, and I really don't get why the particular time of having a shower is so important as for me it simply doen't matter at all, but plenty of people do get where you are coming from so I am going to shut up you will be delighted to hear !!

I'd get up just before him and have a shower. Not 5:30 as you specify. If baby wakes at 6am then on first stiring- get up, get in the shower, collect baby from cot on the way back to your bedroom, feed baby, get dressed while baby lies on your bed/plays on the floor.

Simples.

Or is it just me?

Yes it seems early to be showering but hey, you are getting up anyway!

Oh gosh, not read all the pages so might have missed the boat.... I shower the night before (when DD is in bed) or pop her in the cot with a DVD or cbeebies on the laptop (left way beyond her reaching distance!)

I do understand how the OP feels. I was always lucky enough to either have DH or older DS around when I needed to shower, so I never even thought about how I'd manage on my own. Then the 2 of them went on hols together and I was stumped! I'd never had to leave him in his cot and it just didn't feel right to me. Of course I worked it out, because I had to. It's a matter of deciding how you'll work it out. Have you considered getting a playpen or something for upstairs? The issue of leaving your child safely, especially if you can't chuck the dog outside, is only going to get worse.

We have a very small bathroom and our Ikea highchair straddles the loo.

Before DS was crawling I used his baby bath as a playpen. After that he just played on the floor. When he was pulling to standing I moved dangerous things out of the way and gave him his ball pit balls, which he loved throwing into the bath. I like my showers hot. :)

I haven't read all replies but DS is a trouble magnet who despite being able to play happily by himself, seems to panic if he suspects I might not be at his immediate beck and call if he so wishes.

So I sympathise with the shower issue and my current solution is to have him bouncing around in the bath with me while I shower. His bath toys are in there and it works for us at the moment!

Apologies if this has already been suggested.

In the cot with DS/DD. (I had twins, come on you lot, buck up.) Close the doors (their bedroom and your bathroom) and you won't hear the screaming once the shower is on. My DD/DD have survived!