Bathtime

I'm wondering at what age parents start leaving their kids alone in the bath tub for short periods of time. Do any of you leave your kids in the tub for a few minutes or longer? How did you know your kids were ready, and that you were too? At what age will you leave your kids for more than a few seconds or minutes?

 

My girls will be 3 in January and I have not left them in the tub yet. With my older boys I left them TOGETHER at I would say 2,4 and 6 but they were always together in the tub. With these two being the same age I am to afraid, The other would not know what to do or even that there was a problem if her sister went under and stayed under. Until they are old enough to realize that and know how to help I won't leave them. As a matter of a fact 99.99% of the time they shower with me!

 

I leave my 3 1/2 yr old singleton alone for about 2 minutes tops, while I put a clean diaper, pjs and lotion up one of the twins. While she's alone in there, I try to talk to her (it's just next to the nursery - I'm maybe 15 feet from her in the tub) so I can hear her talking the entire time.

My twins are 15 mo and obviously not ready yet. But even when they are older, I don't know that I would leave them alone together in the tub...they could wrestle/push/etc. But then again, I typically don't bathe them together. Those few minutes are their 1:1 time with me or DH.

 

I'm alone most of the time (my husband travels 90% of the year for work), so I have had to sometimes in the past. Like the previous poster, however, I talked to the other one the entire time I was dressing the other one (when they were younger). Now that they dress themselves, I rarely have to leave one alone but if someone *does* need help, then I have them come into the bathroom.

 

I do for very short periods of time. All our bedrooms are down the hall from the bath, so I will put laundry awhile while they play. I can see them every 30 seconds or so as I walk to different bedrooms to put away clothes.

When I'm doing bathtime alone, I pull the plug, take one out and dry him/her off and put him/her in the bedroom. By the time I come back for the other twin, the water has drained away.

 

I bath all three of mine together and leave them alone for short periods but I'm in hearing distance. I'm not sure I would do it if my 4 year old wasn't there - she yells out if there is any undesirable behaviour.

 

Mine are 2 years and 8 months and I don't leave them alone. I'm always there with them. I don't know what age i will leave them alone, maybe around 4 or 5. Even then, it won't be for the whole bath and it will be short periods.

 

In the last couple of months I've popped out of the bathroom to get things a few times. But only for a short time and I either talk to them or make sure I can hear both singing. I'm sure they'd be absolutely fine if I went for longer, but am haunted by a story I heard here a few years back where one of a woman's twins drowned when she went to answer a phone / open a door (it was a comment on the story here rather than a ts member). They were about 3 too I think. I'm not sure at which age I'll leave them to bathe alone completely.

 

In the last couple of months I've popped out of the bathroom to get things a few times. But only for a short time and I either talk to them or make sure I can hear both singing. I'm sure they'd be absolutely fine if I went for longer, but am haunted by a story I heard here a few years back where one of a woman's twins drowned when she went to answer a phone / open a door (it was a comment on the story here rather than a ts member). They were about 3 too I think. I'm not sure at which age I'll leave them to bathe alone completely.

 

The kids bathroom is between their bedrooms, so I will sometimes put laundry away in their rooms or change sheets while they are playing, but I typically talk to them and pop my head into the bathroom every 30 seconds or so.

 

Aside from running into their room for 3 seconds to get more washcloths or PJS (their room is right next to the bathroom), I don't leave them alone. I don't know when I will start to leave them alone.

 

I leave my girls alone now. They turned 4 in July and I've been leaving them alone for about 4 or 5 months. I am never out of ear shot, but I am not there the whole time. If they seem quiet, I go in and check.

 

I was fine with leaving Nadia in the tub for a few minutes while I got something at age 3, but I was still mostly in the bathroom. At 4, she was fine playing for long periods in the tub by herself. Now, at 5, she showers almost independently.

I haven't been comfortable with leaving K&K in the tub yet, not even for a minute.

 

I recently started leaving them together in the tub after they were 4 1/2 years old. I usually tend to be very conservative with these things, but I figured if one of them was in trouble, the other will yell out to me. I'm within earshot, so I can hear them splashing in the tub and don't leave them alone for more than a few minutes at a time. I don't know if this should matter, but they've also taken swimming lessons for the past year and can swim without adult help. (I figure they know how to hold their breath under water.)

 

I would guess that I might let them play alone with me in the next room when they are about 5 or so... definitely not anytime soon!

 

Ditto to this. I might run to their room which is right next door to grab something, but am never gone for more than a few seconds.

 

I use the master bath for the babies, so I will leave for a few seconds to go into my bedroom, but other than that, I hover in the bathroom.
Helen