Bathtime Alone?

MrsRegis

We supervise DS at bathtime.We never leave the room.He'll be three soon and seems capable of playing in the tub by himself....but he seems way too young at the same time. Thoughts? 

At what age do you start letting your child bathe alone in the tub? 

Kristen&Doyle

I believe the preschool drowning info I heard the other day at a swim class information meeting was they need to be supervised till about 5 years old.  I watch Colton from a distance.  It's kind of hard to sit in the bathroom with him splashing around if I want to read a book or something, but I still have direct view of him while he is playing in there. 

Taytee

We have since Emily is born, so already for us. It happened kind of gradually - needed to go downstairs to get the paci or ran out of diapers upstairs etc.  Abby makes a lot of noise and splashing bathing and I'm never further away than I can hear her. We keep the water at a level that barely covers her legs and the soap/shampoo is not kept near the tub. I'm more afraid of her trying to get out of the tub and slipping (hitting head on tile etc) than her drowing at this age. So I've taught her to call for me when she's ready to get out and she knows not to attempt it without me there.

Obviously it's just to play alone, she can't actually clean properly herself without our help.

So in my opinion, when your child can understand to stay in the tub until you help them out or they are capable of exiting safely on their own.

ETA: We never just leave her in there for 15 minutes or anything, just that I feel OK at this age exiting briefly and coming back in. We rotate between her showing in our bathroom and her taking a bath in hers. I clean that bathroom while she's in there or give myself a little mani/pedi if Emily is content.

lrb

We're a bit like Taytee.  I worry more about Jake standing up, slipping and hitting his head than I do of him drowning.  I will leave the room to go get stuff (like pj's) and as long as I can hear him I don't exactly rush back in.  He is very loud in there but the minute he starts to get quiet, I'll ask him a question or yell to him to get him to reply. I've never left him alone for say more than 5 minutes at a time, but I'll leave the room multiple times during one bath.  If we bathe him in my bathroom, I'll sit on my bed to watch tv, surf the internet, fold laundry, etc where I can see him out of the corner or my eye.

 

ali-1411

Taytee...I had to read your post several times to figure out you meant Abby.  I thought you were leaving Emily in the tub alone since she was born....

I started to leave Jakob when he was about 3, just to do something quick then come back.  I could hear him the whole time.  When he was 4, I'd actually leave him in there to play for 10-15 minutes and then go wash his hair.

Abrooks

Similar to Taytee and lrb - we don't ever leave DD completely, but I'll go to her room (next to the bathroom) to grab jammies or put clothes up or get a new towel, etc.  I might even run to the kitchen or something - but it's always for no more than a couple minutes and where I can hear DD.  Often I'll talk to her from the other room if she's started playing quietly. 

Not sure when we'll let her be by herself completey - but probably not for a while. 

batsteph

I'm still too paranoid to leave D alone while he's in the tub.  This is not helped by the fact that last week a woman who lives in our county left her 4yo alone in the tub for a few minutes and returned to find him drowned.  Don't know the full story, of course, but just hearing about it was enough to keep me full-time next to the tub for a while longer.

carlinlp

batsteph:

I'm still too paranoid to leave D alone while he's in the tub.  This is not helped by the fact that last week a woman who lives in our county left her 4yo alone in the tub for a few minutes and returned to find him drowned.  Don't know the full story, of course, but just hearing about it was enough to keep me full-time next to the tub for a while longer.

I know of a photographer that this happened to.  Also a 3 and 5 year old in the tub together, the mom stepped out to go get jammies, the 3 year old almost drowned and they spent months in the hospital with him in a vegetative state.  Horrible...so sad.   I can't read her blog and not cry my eyes out.  She takes full responsibility for it and man, I just can't imagine living with that on my heart. 

We are also a never leave arms reach family (for the little ones).