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Parenting

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Original poster

at what age can you leave them unattended in the bath?

74 replies

grumplestilskin · 07/09/2011 19:56

when is it okay to pop in and out and just keep an eye rather than always be in there with them and never leave them along in the bath for a second?
thanks

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Nagoo · 07/09/2011 20:02

when they sing the whole time and never stop talking.

girliefriend · 07/09/2011 20:05

I reckon when they are 3 - 4yo depending on the child and obviously always being in ear shot.

Original poster

grumplestilskin · 07/09/2011 20:06

Glad you said that Nagoo , I do nip out to grab bed things when my LO is singing his head off to me so I know he's okay at all times.. don't wanna out his age yet because I'm interested to see what others might say as the threshold

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Bangtastic · 07/09/2011 20:23

DD is 2.3, our house is quite small and we have a bath downstairs as well as upstairs so I pop her in the one downstairs most times. I'll sometimes pop out to do a very quick tidy up without her following me and untidying everything. But I can constantly hear her playing, chatting, splashing, and ask her every couple of minutes if she is okay and she replies. Never leave her for longer tan say 5 minutes without popping my head in or sitting down with her.

pamplemousserose · 07/09/2011 20:25

2.3 is too young. Drowning can be silent, she only needs to slip.

festi · 07/09/2011 20:27

my dd was 2.something however my neice is over that and a bit unsteady and not terribly vocal so she wouldnt be able to be left.

I would agree when they sing shout and chatter and you they are very stabble sitting and can be trusted not to try to climb out.

Nagoo · 07/09/2011 20:28

they can't sing and drown at the same time. That's my theory.

I agree that 2.3 is too young to be checking every couple of mins. Something could happen in less than 1 min.

pamplemousserose · 07/09/2011 20:32

scary stuff

mrsravelstein · 07/09/2011 20:34

if you've got more than 1dc, the reality is you end up leaving them alone in the bath, even if only for a minute or two, pretty early. dd is 19 months old and i have been pootling in and out of the bathroom with ds1/2 since she was probably about 9 months old.

pamplemousserose · 07/09/2011 20:39

Rubbish. There is no need to leave a baby in the bath on their own, even if you are on your own with the kids. If I've forgotten something I've got them out in a towel the put them back in again.

Nagoo · 07/09/2011 20:40

No, you don't. You leave the big one in the bath and do all the things you need to with the small one and then put the small one in the cot. Why would you ever leave a baby in the bath!

I am genuinely shocked.

aghast is the word.

festi · 07/09/2011 20:55

9 months? now that is too young

DecapitatedLegoman · 07/09/2011 21:01

DS is 4 and I've only in the last year been happy to pop out for a towel or something - I'd never, say, go and fold laundry in the bedroom even though it's just next door. He knows not to play with the taps but what if he decided to turn the hot tap on? You really can't wander off to do something elsewhere. You just can't. As for leaving my one year old, forget it. 9 months is insanity.

Sugarkane · 07/09/2011 21:16

I have more than 1 dc and never left either of them in the bath alone eldest is 3, it only takes seconds why would you risk it? The advice given by the above poster and leaving a 9 month old is very wrong imo.

Sugarkane · 07/09/2011 21:17

about leaving*

Firawla · 07/09/2011 21:28

at leaving 9 months in the bath!! i have 3 too but its not an excuse or reason to leave babies so young unattended!
i will let my 3 yr old, as people mentioned i get him to sing or he chats to himself quite loudly so can hear he is okay, and wouldnt leave him for long or to go and tidy up but just to grab something from the next room or take ds2 out to the next room, as theres hardly room to move in our bathroom so cant keep them both in there while they're getting out the bath.
my 20 months i still wouldnt be happy to leave, he is more the quiet type so its worrying to even nip out the room if you wont be able to hear them.
and no way would i leave them both in together, even for a minute as they will prob try and drown each other!!!

ChippingIn · 07/09/2011 21:28

Always ends up in a bun fight

winnybella · 07/09/2011 21:32

The point is that you can drown in 30 seconds or less and it's easy to miss half a minute of silence if you're tidying etc.

Leaving a 9mo baby in a bath is a fucking neglect and I say it as a generally very relaxed parent.

LawrieMarlow · 07/09/2011 21:35

I am pretty relaxed too but no way would I have left a 9 month old on their own.

Mine are 5 and 7 now and can't remember when they started to be left on their own but a while ago.

WorzselMummage · 07/09/2011 21:41

9months!

That is far, far to young.

I've only just started leaving my ds in the bath and he's nearly 3 and in there with his 6 year old sister... I usually only sit on the stairs with my iPad too.

Mrsravelstein, you're mad. Please stop leaving your baby unattended in the bath.

dribbleface · 08/09/2011 09:22

pop out literally for 30 seconds to grab towel or something now DS is 3 1/2 but only when i can hear him and i know what sort of mood he is in.

Octaviapink · 08/09/2011 10:32

I used to leave DD alone in her bath when she was about 2 - when she was bathed in the sink and literally couldn't drown because she had to sit cross-legged and couldn't go anywhere. Now she's 2.4 and baths in the bath I wouldn't leave her out of eyeshot and I wouldn't go ANYWHERE leaving 9mo DS in the bath!

winnybella · 08/09/2011 12:58

Couldn't she fall out of the sink, Octavia?

naturalbaby · 08/09/2011 13:07

around 18months i think i started sitting in the doorway folding clothes, putting stuff away rather than get soaked myself.

crepes · 08/09/2011 13:18

i have recently started leaving my 5.4 yr old with my 2.9 yr old in the bath together for about 10 minutes after all the washing has been done so they can play together. the 2 year old sits in one of these aquapods

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