https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 08 Jun 2026 06:50:02 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1863288 Mon, 15 Sep 2014 14:24:30 +0000 snickers 1863288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would not leave a 5 year old in the bath alone. I know all children (and adults!) are different, but I would not be comfortable with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1863205 Mon, 15 Sep 2014 13:50:23 +0000 alphagam84 1863205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862722 Mon, 15 Sep 2014 09:37:33 +0000 .twist. 1862722@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Both of our boys have been taking baths by themselves since abot 5 years old.</p> <p>ETA: I mean, I will put it this way, by 5th grade your child will be 10 years old. That's almost a pre-teen. He doesn't even want us IN the bathroom let alone staying in there to supervise. LOL. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862717 Mon, 15 Sep 2014 09:35:26 +0000 LuLu Mom 1862717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862715 Mon, 15 Sep 2014 09:34:27 +0000 LuLu Mom 1862715@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My niece is in first grade and she "needs her privacy" and will no longer bathe with her sister and needs to have the door shut. I think it depends on the child, but I think around 1st grade seems right to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862504 Mon, 15 Sep 2014 06:26:52 +0000 looch 1862504@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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!</p> <p>At this rate, I'll be in the bathroom with him until middle school, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862376 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 21:00:39 +0000 Mae 1862376@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think kindergarten or 1st grade? Sometimes my mom would leave me alone before that but I remember my mom would make me sing while she was gone until she got back do she could hear me and know I was ok while she was out of the room </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862373 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 20:57:51 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 1862373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dandelion: I think I started taking showers around 5...I switched back &amp; forth between baths &amp; 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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862372 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 20:57:28 +0000 T-Mom 1862372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD just turned 6 and she takes a sitting down shower in the tub by herself. The drain is open and there is pretty much no chance of drowning, although i do call in to check on her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862265 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 19:05:29 +0000 Andrea 1862265@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrbee: it is so much easier to rinse hair in the shower, too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862262 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 19:03:28 +0000 mrbee 1862262@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: So smart, I think we'll switch to showers soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862259 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 19:01:39 +0000 Andrea 1862259@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862254 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:57:16 +0000 mrbee 1862254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dandelion: Showers seem a lot safer for kids! Definitely something to think about...</p> <p>@MrsHansen82: Yah I definitely agree that the risk is low. Just wondering when the risk falls to a negligible level... haven't found any data on that online yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862248 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:50:24 +0000 turquoisemama 1862248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862241 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:46:38 +0000 Dandelion 1862241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>D has been taking showers by himself in the shower since kindergarten. He's had swimming lessons and knows all the water safety rules. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862235 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:39:07 +0000 ShootingStar 1862235@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862230 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:36:50 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1862230@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For me it was definitely by 2nd grade, maybe first. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862225 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:33:02 +0000 mrbee 1862225@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Meridian: Just wondering what age kids stop being at risk for drowning in the tub!</p> <p>For me, I have an identical twin brother so growing up, we would take baths together while my mom was in and out of the bathroom. There was a period in between being supervised and bathing alone, where it was me and my brother in the tub. I forget exactly when that ended though... it's all a blur at this point! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862217 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:23:57 +0000 lovehoneybee 1862217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I dunno, but when my niece would have been mortified to be supervised in the shower or bath in 4th or 5th grade. 1st grade I don't think she'd have minded so much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862214 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:22:19 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1862214@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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. </p> <p>I know for sure I took baths by myself by second grade. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862208 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:14:06 +0000 JennyD 1862208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is 2 1/2 and I run the water, then leave the bathroom and let her play while I put away clothes across or down the hall. I've been doing this for more than a year now. She usually sings and splashes and I check on her every 2-3 minutes. I either call out to her or poke my head in. I never close the door and I never go downstairs longer than to grab something. </p> <p>Then I wash her. </p> <p>I think it's a gradual process depending on the kid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862207 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:07:30 +0000 cyndistar3 1862207@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862205 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:05:43 +0000 woodentulip 1862205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I started to shave my legs (needlessly, but I did for some reason) in 5th grade. My parents would have died if they knew. So I know that sometime before then I started to shower, and before then I must have done solo baths.<br /> I agree with others that 10 seems really old. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862203 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:03:10 +0000 Meridian 1862203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862200 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:00:15 +0000 Sapphiresun 1862200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm pretty sure I took showers by myself by the time I was like 4. My sister lets her son bath alone at 4 too. She checks on him and stays nearby with the bathroom door open but doesn't sit there only arms reach away anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862197 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:58:47 +0000 mrbee 1862197@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I was just reading online about a bunch of 4 year olds that had drowned while unsupervised... there were some stories of older kids drowning too!</p> <p>My son sings/talks to himself while he's in the tub, so I can step into the hallway and know that he's ok... but I would worry if I left him unattended and couldn't hear him singing/talking! Maybe I'm worrying too much here... I just have been reading too many stories about children drowning while unattended! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862193 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:56:53 +0000 pui 1862193@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm pretty sure I took baths by myself by 1st grade. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862188 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:53:50 +0000 Anagram 1862188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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.</p> <p>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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-old-should-kids-be-before-they-take-baths-by-themselves#post-1862181 Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:49:10 +0000 mrbee 1862181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was just reading online about this stuff, and kids have managed to hurt themselves and/or drown well into elementary school! Scary, scary stuff.</p> <p>I can't remember how old I was when I started taking baths by myself. I think I was in 3rd or 4th grade, but honestly it's all a blur!</p> <p>Anyone know what the magic age is when can you safely leave your child unsupervised in the tub... 4th grade? 5th grade? </p>