Hellobee Boards

Whoa...I would say way sooner than 3rd grade. I think 3rd graders have a pretty well developed sense of privacy at that age. I think 1st grade is a good time where they can bathe alone, with parebts setting water level and helping to rinse at the end.

I took baths alone from age 4 and up. And when I was 6, I tooks baths with my little sister and had to shampoo her hair. We essentially alone in the bath-my mom would be cleaning up dinner at that point.

I have no idea and never thought about it, but 4th or 5th grade seems really old! Are you specifically asking about taking longer baths in the tubs, or showering too?

I let my lo bathe on her own at 4 checking on her periodically and then washing her hair and what not when she is done playing.

I remember bathing with my brother and there's a 4yr age difference between us, so that means my mom was still doing baths when I was 4-5 years old.

I know for sure I took baths by myself by second grade.

I'm not sure what the right age is. I do remember that at some point my mom had me supervisor my younger brother's bath. He's 5.5 years younger and I'd guess he was maybe 3ish at the time. So she felt comfortable at that age leaving him with an 8 year old. So I guess some time between 3 and 8 is when my parents deemed it ok to bathe solo.

@mrbee: I'd say there's a risk for anyone drowning if they slip or hit their head or something, but I think with parents who are present and aware of the situation, checking in from time to time, the risk is probably very low as soon as the child knows how to scream for help and as long as they are old enough to understand rules about bath time safety.

DD takes showers and does almost everything by herself at this point. I am sure I could just leave her to do it by herself by the time she is 5 in 6 months! I think that is a good, safe age to shower by herself. She only showers for a few minutes anyway!

@mrbee: it is so much easier to rinse hair in the shower, too!

@Dandelion: I think I started taking showers around 5...I switched back & forth between baths & showers. I think I was maybe 6 ish when I was left alone in the tub, but I don't really know. I don't remember ever needing to ask for privacy.

I hadn't thought about this, but I think it's going to be tough to switch my son to showers, he's fanatical about keeping water out of his face, so I can only imagine the scene in a shower with water spraying everywhere, lol!

At this rate, I'll be in the bathroom with him until middle school, lol.

@woodentulip: My mom caught me shaving my legs in 4th grade, she was so mad She then bought me an electric razor so I couldn't cut myself.

@woodentulip: I started shaving around then too using mom's razor in the shower! haha. I think I probably started bath alone and unsupervised around 2nd grade. I still did bathe with my mom every now and again when I was 7 or 8 though (I think). I remember tracing my spelling words onto her back for practice while she tried to guess the word I was spelling. Might seem weird to some people but I never felt uncomfortable.