Showering with Toddler

[Isabelle728]

I have never taken a shower before while my 2 year old is awake, I ALWAYS do this when he naps or goes to bed, however today I need to shower before his nap because I need to go out while he naps today to run errands (my mum will be sitting in with him while he naps). Is it really bad for me to take a quick 5 minute shower while little one stays up? He will be occupied with tv. I have no stairs as I live in a bungalow and no hazards are around. The bathroom is also right next to the lounge. I feel guilty doing this but I'm desperate to use the time I have while he is asleep to do what I need to do today! I live in a completely new area so I'm not confident enough to bring him with me.

Yes? How is it any different to popping them in a cot for a few mins? Maybe it's because we have a 3 storey house, but I don't particularly like leaving a toddler with full rein of the house unsupervised, even with stairgates. Mine has never been a climber so wouldn't try to escape / climb out. She'd just play with whatever toys we left in there.

How on earth can this always be predicted to the nearest ten minutes? It’s a toddler we are talking about, not an egg timer.

Regular routines = beasts of predictability. Not rocket science.

I can tell you what time my preschooler and toddler will both wake up before they've gone to bed the night before, in the same way I can tell you when they're going to be hungry for lunch or snacks or dinner.

This is why we used to have playpens

Well good for you. Mine also has a great routine thanks, that means he generally wakes up within a 30 minute window save for illness, leaks or teething, which to be honest is fine- he’s a human being, not a programmable robot. I don’t expect to wake up to a preempted minute.

They aren’t all the same though, might be good to remember that.

All I can tell you about mine is that I'll have to drag them out of bed after 7 most school days, and that they'll be bounding into us at 6:30 at the weekend. And we are very very routined even now they're older.

Ah fab so you would be able to get up before you little one too? Good for you. What was your original point again? 😂

That all children aren’t the same? That they aren’t all predictable? Is that a tricky concept?

So to be up before your kids you'd have to get up before those times. Aren't routines great!

How bizarre. I regularly set my kids up with toys in the bathroom so they can either play or get in the shower. A two year old in my house would get into all sorts of mischief left alone. But then we don't allow screens so they make their own fun!

Oh great we’ve got some holier than thou posters rolling out the usual tropes 🙄🤣

take a day off.

The point is that no not all parents can reliably tell you when their children will get up, and that's not a failing of routine or knowledge about their children.

Posters on Mumsnet can't fathom people living lives that differ from their own.

Our bathroom is far too small for my child to sit and play on the floor. It's effectively a cupboard with a large shower in it. I don't give him iPads or phones.

Instead he showers with me when he needs it, but because I shower every day and he doesn't, I just make sure the living room is safe and everything else is locked off. The bathroom is down the (short) hallway from the living room. All he can access is the living room and hall and everything else is locked. For a ten minute shower he plays happily by himself and the door is open so that I can hear him. He's 3 and I've done this since he was 2ish.

Playpen, cot or - if tv occupies them and you have an adjustable high chair - you could pop them in the chair with straps on watching tv

@Somehowgirl Posters on Mumsnet can't fathom people living lives that differ from their own.
Our bathroom is far too small for my child to sit and play on the floor. It's effectively a cupboard with a large shower in it. I don't give him iPads or phones.

To be blunt that’s part of the deal when you ask total strangers for advice. They are not going to know the ins and outs of someone’s life or home layout, some advice or comments will be irrelevant. That seems pretty obvious.

I’d never leave a toddler unattended in a high chair! To me that’s much worse than leaving them unattended but free while showering

Glad you're clean!

My 17 month old comes into the bathroom with us and watches or plays with the laundry/whatever he can get his hands on. It's not a big deal.

@Noodlesnotstrudels Yes? How is it any different to popping them in a cot for a few mins?

I don’t know any 2 year olds still sleeping in a cot or being contained in one during the day!

Advice and comments being irrelevant is one thing. Sheer judginess, sniping, and arguing with other people about how can they possibly structure their lives a certain way... not so much.

Playpen or cot is one thing (although I disagree with it personally at 2 years old)

But do not strap them into a high chair. Absolutely not.

Ah well I guess you learn something new every day then.

My sons 2.5 and sleeps in a cot still

There's nothing wrong with a 2 year old sleeping in a cot

@teatoast8

There's nothing wrong with a 2 year old sleeping in a cot

You completely misunderstand me. The post isn't about them sleeping.

My child is over 3 years old and still sleeps in a cot.

It's worse leaving them to roam free imo