At what age is considered safe to leave a child unattended in the bath

[megiemoppit]

When I say unattended, I mean, leaving the room to get PJ's, or go to the toilet, or grab the portable phone if it rings.
Still pretty much being in the bathroom most of the time, but leaving for up to a minute or two at a time.

I have an irrational fear of one of my children drowning!
Thanks

[Rach75]

ummm jack has been having baths alone now for i suppose this time last year so 3 mths shy of 2 he was, I am always in a ndout checking or calling out to him but because he will sometimes sit for 1 - 1 1/2hrs in the tub I get stuff done, (please no one judge me for this)

[ausgirl]

I don't know that there is a 'recognised' safe age - it's a personal thing. The thing to consider is not whether your child is safe sitting in the tub alone, but what might occur to make them no longer safe - ie might they stand up, slip and bump their head, might they turn the hot tap on, etc.
I have a personal drowning thing - not a fear as such but a real waryness - like I would never have a pool.

[Karina]

My daughter has been having baths on her own for a little while now - maybe a few months? She just splashes around and I'm only a few metres away in the next room so I can hear her. I usually help her wash herself, then she has a bit of play time in the bath with her cups and other bath toys and she calls me when she is ready to come out. I pop in to make sure she is ok.

ETA: she is 2 years old. She started having baths on her own just after she turned 2.

[sneakysparkle]

I think I started running out briefly when she was about 18mths. I still wont go downstairs while shes in the bath (its upstairs) so really Im never further than a few metres away.

[megiemoppit]

Wow! 1 1/2 hours! Doesn't he get cold?

I do leave the room, but I am always calling out to him, and making sure I get an answer. I am just so scared about drownings, as J is too confident in the water, and will put his head under.

Ji s nearly 3, and I have prob been leaving the room for a while, but it hasnever sat well with me.

[Nelle]

Yeah I think it really depends on common sense and circumstances - for example, we have a small house, so I hear the moment the splashing stops, and I pop my head in. I wouldn't go outside while the kids were in the bath, but I might send an email, grab a cuppa, do a quick tidy - anything where I can hear them and pop my head in every few minutes.

Meg, our kids can be in the bath for awhile too, the bathroom is small and has a ducted heating vent, plus gets the west sun, so our bathroom is the warmest room in the house!

Everyone's circumstances are different - if my kids put their heads underwater, or could turn on taps, or were quiet in the bath, I might do things differently. I don't think it's wrong for you to be super cautious though, it sounds smart to me.

[maz]

Originally Posted by Rach75

ummm jack has been having baths alone now for i suppose this time last year so 3 mths shy of 2 he was, I am always in a ndout checking or calling out to him but because he will sometimes sit for 1 - 1 1/2hrs in the tub I get stuff done, (please no one judge me for this)

he'd be all nice and wrinkly when he would come out then too..ah I love wrinkles on little kids like Benjamin Button hon

We dont bath much here..... I quickly ducked out once get a towel from the cupboard right next to the bathroom when N was little and nearly drowned (he climbed out of the seat) so I now much prefer showers

[Marlene]

I honestly can't even remember how long it was before I would leave my others unattended but Jack is 14 months now and I wouldn't even consider it at the moment. Our towel cupboard is right next to the bathroom door and I won't even walk out the door to get a towel, lol. Drowning in the bath is one of my major fears regarding the kids.

[megiemoppit]

Yeah - J likes to shower too, but I have trouble keeping him to the recommended 4 mins! He doesn't want to get out!!

[clare076]

Personally I think any amount of time you are gone and leave a child unattended in a bath is potentially too long. Its not just drowning to consider, there are often products in a bath room that kids can get hold of, slipping and hitting their heads, turning hot taps on. etc. I burnt myself last week by accidently turning the hot on instead of the cold. The thing is you dont know what your child is capable of doing until they do it for the first time. So although you think your child cant turn on a tap, one day they will be able too.
DS has also slipped and hit his head on the edge of the bath, while I was in the room. Luckily I grabbed him and broke his fall but it could have been a lot worse.
I dont think I would leave my child unattended until they were at least 10. But personal choice.
I think people also feel "safer" leaving their children unsupervised in showers but it can happen. We had 2 children drown in the shower over here last year.

[Sammiejane]

DSS was not left unattended until he was 3 maybe 4 (when he was with us)
As we did nt have him full time it was easier to concentrate all your time and attention and so it was something that we didnt do.
MJ is almost 16mths and it is harder with her as we are together all day...I stay in the bathroom with her, however I will duck out to grab a towel if i have forgotten to grab it. But we have a small house and i wouldnt actually go and 'do' something while she was bathing...

I use the time that she is in the bath to clean and tidy the bathroom... or i bring in washing to fold or i wash my face and put on a face mask twice a week... OR DH has a bath with her and i get to do the tiding!!! But most of the time we play together...

ETA - MJ cannot touch the taps, when we reno'ed we made sure that they were located too high for a toddler to touch.

Claire at the age of 10 there is NO WAY that DSS was comfortable having us in there with him. By 6 he wanted to play totally alone in the bath - not because he was embarressed, just he enjoyed playing alone (thats sounds rude doesnt it - i dont mean it in that way thou ) I know what you are saying about the safety, but i think 10 is not reasonable given that children do start to like their privacy... i wouldnt go out of the house thou when he was bathing - we are always in earshot - even now and he is almost 12

[Inertia]

I still don't leave Harry alone BUT Its not about age, its about maturity and water sense.

Harry jumps around in the bath and slips a lot. He needs me there to catch him so he doesnt hit his head and end up under the water. If he didnt partake in risky behaviour then he would probably be fine for brief moments.

ETA: It might also have something to do with Sams near drowning. I sit outside the door when he is bathing now too.

[megiemoppit]

Yeah - No risk of scalding here. Even if the hot tap is turned on, we have a control, and the bathroom is set at 42. There is a slip risk though....

[missymoo84]

its a personal decision I think. A lot of things factor on it. How far your going, how long, how responsible your child is in the bath (do they stand up, are they likely to touch the taps etc), how big your house is, do they constantly make noise... many many factors.

I have been leaving the older boys alone in the bath since they were 2. Probably a bit before. I will leave Ashton alone for a moment to grab a towel but that's all, the towel cupboard is just outside the bathroom door. I wouldn't leave Ashton alone with the older boys because they tend to splash a bit much which frightens him a little (so he might stand up or slip backwards).

I can run a bath for the other 2 and leave them alone in there until they are ready to get out without a worry, there is 2, if something happened one would yell to me and they are old enough and responsible enough to know not to touch the taps or stand up and muck around.

[ausgirl]

Heck - I was about 12 when I decided I needed to spin around and around in the bathroom. End result, got dizzy, fell and smacked head on tub, 3or4 stitches in between eyes. Dad came in when he heard the bang - me naked eeeek, off to hossy, Mum fainted when doc put his thumb in to see how deep it was.

So, I guess kids are still stupid, no matter what the age!

[~Sally~]

I think it's a very personal choice and depends on the layout of your house and the child itself. It also depends on how much water you have in the bath...

Brendan freaks out if there is anymore than an inch of water in his bath, our bathroom is right off the kitchen.... so I am comfortable leaving him in there while I cook tea/wash dishes, ect ect.

I am not comfortable leaving him in there while we sit in the loungeroom, even though we are only a few metres from the door of the bathroom, it's just a bit far if he happen to slip over or something.

Brendan is 2yrs 4months, but it also a very clumsy boy...

[christy]

I'm happy leaving Matilda who is 5.... lol with her sister who is 2 1/2. But when Matilda gets out of the bath, than one of us heads in with Jovie until she is ready.