When Did You Let Your Child Take a Shower or Bath on Their Own?

5 or 6, but they bathe in a bathroom that is in eye/earshot of me (in the dining room or kitchen.) They have to keep the bathroom door open so that I can hear them until I feel comfortable with it being closed (for my older son that was about age 7 or 8.)

I went to school with someone who had a tragedy involving 2 kids (ages 1 and 5) left in a tub while she went to answer the phone, so I have always been ultra-cautious about the bath.

My baby book safety rules say not until 5. On the other hand, some of those books are only good for propping your feet at the end of the day :)

My son was about 7 or 8 when he started bathing solo. I always made sure the water was not too hot, and only a little bubble bath was used. And until he was this old, a lot of times he didn't think of washing the dirt off much. A lot of times as he got older I'd sit near by and read to him while he washed himself. Why so old? Well, let me put it this way, when I was 5, I got a hold of my Moms safety razor and shaved off my sisters eyebrows. Because a younger child might not have to sense to wash thoroughly, not flood the bathroom, or fill the room up with bubble bath suds. If a child slips, falls, hits his head, they could drown, even at five, and waiting till you heard silence is NOT fast enough to respond to it and soapy water in the lungs is NOT good at all. A little prevention is worth a ton of mess (or water damage) or injury. The most dangerous rooms of the house are kitchen and bathroom. I'd much rather err on the side of safety.

My older kids started taking baths by themselves when they were about 5 or 6, though I was always nearby though not in the room. At 7 or 8 I let them wash them selves but always did their hair. Now at 10, they are on their own with showers (and they get harrassed for not doing a good job on their necks and ears and hair, etc). I think it does depend on the child but I would say stick close by until they are older, you never know what can happen.

BTW, a former coworker fell in the tub from bubble bath residue and got knocked out in the shower. He was 28 so also make sure the tub is not slippery from previous showers or baths.

My son was allowed around 3 or 3.5 with me outside the door. He sings when he's in the tub so I can always tell if everything is okay. I agree with the stay within earshot that Jennifer P recommends. My son is now 11 and he still likes to have me sit in the bathroom with him while he bathes. We used this time to talk about our days and I used to always tell him stories about when he was a baby. Every once in awhile he asks for the stories still...
S.

Not sure yet - my son is 3.5 and I will run out of the bathroom for a minute to answer the phone or grab something, but still keep an eye and/or ear out for him while I'm gone. I suspect everyone involved will need to be at least 5 before I allow that.

I let my twins bathe on their own (with me within earshot but not in the room) at age 4. They are 4.5 now.

I let them stand up and take showers at around 2.5/3 because they went thru a phobia of the bathtub and that was the only way they would get clean.

My rule is to stay within earshot and if I hear silence to ask if they are ok. But with them together, that doesn't happen much because they are so noisy. With one....maybe you can get them to sing in the shower if you feel they are old enough to be in there alone.

8 or so to shower on their own - although I reserve the right to wash their hair when it looks dirty too soon. I also add disclaimer that it depends on the kid. Somea re capable at age 5 or 6. My 9 year old still needs a checklist to make sure everything gets washed

I like Bonnie C's post. My son is 6. I usually put him in the tub in our bedrooms bathroom. Then I don't go any further than the bedroom. Making sure to pop in on him several times so that I know he's o.k. So many things can happen in a bathroom that take only minutes to have devastating effects. So personally I don't feel he's responsible enough to know how careful he should be. Also, he cares nothing about getting clean. *Bathtime = Playtime* He will stay in the tub for hours if I let him, and not once will he pick up a washcloth or soap. If I insist, he kinda half way washes himself and then goes right back to playing.

I guess the appropriate age is a personal choice. It's what you feel comfortable with, and how mature your child is. For me, my son at 6 is not quite ready yet.