This might be a strange question. When do kids start showering themselves?

scrappingcat · February 2014

DS will be 5 in April and he is nowhere near ready to take a bath/shower on his own. He really hates showers in general. I don't monitor his every move any longer and will run out to grab a towel or fold some clothes while he's in the tub but would not leave him the entire time by himself. When do kids usually start doing this task on their own?

Spin313 · February 2014

DS is nearly six. He is capable of washing himself, but hates washing his hair and getting water in his face. I don't see him showering/bathing alone anytime soon.

rsd12 · February 2014

Probably since my oldest was 6 (he is 8 now) but he is having a difficult time since he has to wear plugs in his ears so we help him rinse his hair now . But otherwise he can do it all. So funny since my current 6 yr old is not ready yet to do it quite on his own yet ; ) hopefully by summer! He needs to rinse his hair better... My youngest (4) needs the most help making sure everything is clean.

I find it easier to throw 2 in the bath and let the older one shower by himself!

neverblushed · February 2014

Actually, it's not a strange question at all. It comes up from time to time on this board.

I think this can vary widely from kid to kid, but that most kids probably begin showering themselves somewhere between 5 and 7.

I also stopped supervising baths the whole time at some point. I know, I know, technically you're not supposed to do this, but I knew when my kids were sensible about the dangers of slipping, etc.

For me, showering solo came down to a few things:

--the child had a sense of how to get in and out of the tub safely without slipping.

--the child wasn't hesitant to put his or her face and head under the shower water until all the suds was rinsed out.

--the child had demonstrated he/she knew how to wash and rinse thoroughly, put back all the shampoo and soap bottles, etc.

I started by teaching them how to shower at the pool, beach, and campground -- where you're really just rinsing your bathing suit. Then I stood in the bathroom with them while they showered, then let them go on their own.

scrappingcat · February 2014

Thanks for the info! neverblushed thanks for providing the list. I don't see this happening any time soon but was thinking about it the other day because he would also happily play in the tub long after the water has turned ice cold!

mommyginab · February 2014

I guess it depends on the child. I have 3 boys, and usually around 5 or 6 I started let them bathe themselves. Then around 7 if they chose in would let them shower.

KL777 · February 2014

I'm pretty sure DS started at 5.

JuneRunner14 · March 2014

DS can go it at 5. He overuses shampoo but he is a good washer upon my inspection.

ImJessesGirl · April 2014

My DD was 6 years old when I taught her how to shower instead of bathe.

janinekrause · April 2014

I still bathe my 5 year old with my 2 year old. She hates showers. I wash her most of the time, but she is fully capable so I am pushing her to do it more and she is starting to do it on her own. Just used to it I guess. They enjoy bath time together so for now, I will continue to do it.

jellybean529 · April 2014

My DD will be 6 next month. She prefers baths to showers, which is fine, but she acts totally helpless so I just added "bathe yourself" to her reward chart. We'll see if it helps

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