bathing alone ?

At what age did your kids start bathing alone?
I had this discussion about this a while back with someone who's kids are grown up now. She was telling me how so-and-so was still giving his daughter a bath in kindergarden and how inappropriate it was. She didn't say he was doing anything, just the fact that he was there period. She said at that age, kids are old enough to bathe themselves without supervision, and uses her granddaughter as proof.
Personally, I disagree. Maybe I'm skewed because my son has developmental delays. But I just can't picture most 5 year olds being mature enough for this. At least with zero supervision.
My boys are 4 and 6 and very much need supervision. They wash their bodies, but we have to dispense the soap and wash their hair. I've been working on teaching them the hair for while, but still they get one spot on the top and forget the rest. And occasionally they still try and get crazy in the tub. It doesn't happen often, but still. I'm not having my boys getting burned, breaking a tooth, a concussion or worse because I didn't sit there for 10 minutes.
She thinks my boys are just slow and I need to hurry up and teach them to be more independent. I don't see a need for a rush. Kids will be ready when they're ready. I don't think there should necessarily be a set age.
Even if my kids are just that immature, the concept seems strange to me. I mean, if you wouldn't let them alone in a pool at that age, why a tub? Tubs are a lot more slippery!
What do you guys think?
I had this discussion about this a while back with someone who's kids are grown up now. She was telling me how so-and-so was still giving his daughter a bath in kindergarden and how inappropriate it was. She didn't say he was doing anything, just the fact that he was there period. She said at that age, kids are old enough to bathe themselves without supervision, and uses her granddaughter as proof.
Personally, I disagree. Maybe I'm skewed because my son has developmental delays. But I just can't picture most 5 year olds being mature enough for this. At least with zero supervision.
My boys are 4 and 6 and very much need supervision. They wash their bodies, but we have to dispense the soap and wash their hair. I've been working on teaching them the hair for while, but still they get one spot on the top and forget the rest. And occasionally they still try and get crazy in the tub. It doesn't happen often, but still. I'm not having my boys getting burned, breaking a tooth, a concussion or worse because I didn't sit there for 10 minutes.
She thinks my boys are just slow and I need to hurry up and teach them to be more independent. I don't see a need for a rush. Kids will be ready when they're ready. I don't think there should necessarily be a set age.
Even if my kids are just that immature, the concept seems strange to me. I mean, if you wouldn't let them alone in a pool at that age, why a tub? Tubs are a lot more slippery!
What do you guys think?
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Comments
Are your boys still bathing together? I wouldn't allow unsupervised group bathing. That sounds like a recipe for disaster...too much fooling around.
I give DD a bath, dry her off and let her have "naked time"
DS is 3...I then get him into the tub, I wash his hair and body and then let him have play-time while I am getting his sister ready...I am right there in the next room, so I can peek in and hear all that he is doing.
We are working on washing right now. Once he gets the hang of that we will work on hair. I am hoping by kindergarden he will be fine on his own (I have 3 years though). I do not think it is wrong if he still needs help at that time...we just focus on independant living skills with him (eating with silverware, dressing himself ect) as those are harder for him to grasp the concept of.
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Mine is 5 1/2 and he still needs supervision for the same reasons.
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Honestly, I have to wonder about people like that. It's like the people who act like it's sexual abuse to co-sleep with your child. Sorry, but if you think there is ANYTHING sexual about a parent sharing a bed or supervising a bath with their child, you're the one with the issues, not me.
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