When is it safe for a toddler to be in the bath alone?

[sugaryouth1]

My toddler is 2 and a half. Slightly over. I've always sat with her in the bathroom while she has a wash. I've started pottering about upstairs while she's in the bath. I'm always on the same level in the house as her. Our house is tiny so I'm literally at most 3 steps away from the bathroom. In the last month she never stops talking. And I mean never stops talking so I can hear her in the bath. If she goes quiet I poke my head round.

All I'm doing is occasionally putting washing away. Getting her pyjamas out.

I would never go downstairs.

Is this safe? I'm a first time mum and I do have anxiety. My husband has said it's fine and I shouldn't worry. But I am. Part of my therapy and medication is to help me do things I'm not comfortable with and I'm not sure whether I'm uncomfortable with this as a part of my anxiety.

She's still too young to be left alone.

Definitely not safe, far too young.

A toddler, honest I'm not overly cautious but never is the only acceptable answer.

Drowning is silent and can happen in such a small amount of water so its just not worth the risk. The laundry can wait.

I've been under the perinatal mental health team and they told me it was safe so I'm going to stop doing it now. How annoying and odd. They told me it was fine because I could hear her and I needed to stop letting my anxiety rule things and this was a good first step. I won't do it anymore. I do enjoy sitting with her and having a chat anyway

I wouldn't leave the room personally. My Father did this with me when I was 2. My Mother realised and came to check on me and I was underwater with no sound or warning. It really isn't worth the risk. Any tasks can wait.

Ooof, I would say too young I'm afraid. I don't think pre-school age is appropriate

Children can drown in 5cm of water. It's not something to mess around with

I'm not overly anxious but I wouldn't leave my 3.5 year old. It would be so easy for him to reach out to grab something and slip. I don't think this is an example of letting anxiety rule your life at all but a sensible precaution.

Yes thats what i do, as long as i could hear DD talking/playing i would potter about, and poke my head in every 30 seconds or so

Well I have 4 and ye constantly popping my head in as put washing away etc. Hot water is turned off once there in so they can't accidentally turn tap hot. So it's probably what you personally judge to be right tbh

I've been under the perinatal mental health team and they told me it was safe so I'm going to stop doing it now.

That's worrying and incredibly foolish of them. It's far from safe. Children can drown so quickly and silently. They shouldn't be telling you to ignore basic common sense safety precautions.

@mynameiscalypso I'll be the first to admit my mental health and my anxiety aren't the best. And I can get anxious over anything..see my other post about my toddler getting a bruise which sent me into a panic attack..but I actually said to my therapist that this just seems like common sense to not leave them in water alone. And she insisted I needed to Try it. I'm not doing it anymore.

I had a rather cavalier attitude with my kids at times but I would never leave a tiddler alone in the barhroom. You can get her pj's out before she goes in the bath. Putting washing away can wait.

Lots of people probably do this and trying to remember back I think I did at some point to grab a towel or because I’d accidentally left their PJs in their room. But it’s not over anxious to stay with a toddler. Once they start school being within earshot and popping in and out is probably fine and once they are KS2 (7/8yrs) I’d think mostly having the bath independently with help at the start and finish is fine.

I meant to say, with my toddlers I probably did on occasion when I’d left something but would dash to it & back,and wouldn’t recommend it.

Oh and tbh if the water is that high your lil one can lay face down and not sit up then obviously alter it clearly far to much in. No reason for a walking,talking,sitting toddler to be ok in the right amount of water in the bath. No different to each house room always having small risks in it No matter what's done to secure it against lil ones

By definition, a toddler should never be alone around water

My eldest was LOUD so I knew as long as I could hear him talking / singing to himself he was ok 😬 I had a similar tiny house situation and would potter around upstairs. Yes, drowning is silent but that's the point - if you can hear your child talking then clearly they're not drowning.

When they're no longer a toddler 🤷🏻‍♀️

I didn't leave the room until many years older, I did a search and this article www.parents.com/health/hygiene/an-age-by-age-guide-to-your-kids-hygiene/ is about right imo. It says 8.

Your MH team are not qualified to give child rearing/safety advice. I am sorry you had shit advice.

I used to potter about when my son was in the bath at that age but he was always making noise. If he ever stopped chatting, I'd go back in the room to check on him.

This says age 8 for letting them bathe alone, not for leaving the room. Different things.

Feel like such an idiot. I knew I wasn't being overly anxious

For a toddler the only reasonable answer to this is never. Far too dangerous.

Get out everything you need before running/putting them into the bath. Stay with them. I think from about 6 or 7 was when I started to do a little of what you describe. Then as they progressed through junior school they gradually became able to use the shower themselves, but even then I was never far away at first.

A friend gave me a tip when I first had dd, teach them to always sing in the bath, if I needed to leave the room I’d get which ever ones being bathed to sing, if they go quiet I’m back in the room like a shot. The only time they stopped is because they are playing. I still do this with my almost 6yo, someone is always on the same floor and she sings away if left alone.

I'm shocked a therapist is giving child rearing advice.