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.

At that age I either switched the TV on for privacy or let him play in the bathroom with his toys while I showered.

Fair enough. Tbf sometimes I've left him in it with toys whilst in bath

@teatoast8

It's worse leaving them to roam free imo

You really need to reconsider your notions of safety for toddlers.

A 2 year old is fine for 5 or 10 minutes playing in a room that is toddler proofed and as safe as you can make it, with other doors locked to them and the bathroom door open while a parent showers. They are not "roaming free". You don't need to be glued to a 2 year old every second of the day.

Strapping them into a high chair to go have a shower however is ridiculously dangerous

Yes that’s exactly what I meant, an unattended contained toddler in a high chair is likely to try and tip/overbalance. That’s a cracked head. Mine would also scream bloody murder. He hasn’t been in a high chair for a long time.

Oh, mine has just turned 3 though and is more than happy to sleep in his (generously sized) cot with the sides still up. There’s absolutely nothing odd about that.

Our high chair adjusted to low chair. Much safer than sitting on a sofa

I don't leave my son in high chair though. He only goes in it to eat

I don't leave my son unattended in it well only to nip to the loo. He's never tried to tip out of his. Always sits happily in it

At two years old?

@teatoast8

But you suggested it as a way for OP to leave their toddler so they can go for a shower. This is dreadful advice and so dangerous.

Don't leave your toddler strapped in a high chair to go to the toilet. It doesn't matter that they haven't (yet) tipped out of it. Just let them do whatever they're doing nearby and go to the toilet.

So showering takes less time than cooking. Where is your DC when you are cooking OP?

I really haven't and its not all the time and it's perfectly fine.

Just because I said to its worse to leave them to roam free doesn't mean to leave them strapped in high chair. Obviously I do allow to roam free. Anyway not getting in to an argument

@teatoast8

When a poster said leaving them strapped in a high chair to shower was a dangerous thing to do you said:

It's worse leaving them to roam free imo

It really isn't. As I said before, setting them up with a safe room to play in and everything else locked off then showering with the door open for 5 minutes is not the same as letting them roam free. And it is far safer than strapping them in a high chair to go to the toilet or shower.

No wonder so many people moan that their kids can’t do any independent playing! Baby cots and being locked in playpens at 2 and 3 years old.
Strapping a 2 year old into a high chair to go for a wee!?

Mine goes into his (toddler-bed sized) cot to sleep… I don’t expect that to be an opportunity for independent play.

strapping a small child into a high chair to go for a wee is absolutely mad though.

I always took my toddler in with me. He'd sit/stand on the non slip mat and play with his bath toys. And he got a wash at the same time.
Got him used to having water on his face too- we never had any issues with hair washing or face in the water for swimming either!