OT: what age to stop baths?

[rlduvall]

My DS8 hates taking showers. I wish he would get over that because it would be so much easier and faster . . . BUT, in time. I have always been one of those Mothers that just detests bath time. Is that horrible or what? I'm Type A and need to be constantly doing something and it makes me a nervous wreck being still. I think I need counseling - lol.

 

[thepeach80]

It does not freak me out that they are of different genders taking a bath. What bothers me is the germ factor. I work with little children and the things that they do in a course of a day is just beyond me. For health reasons I would have the children take baths alone. As of now they are just swapping dirt.

That's some of the reason my kids don't take baths at all, even taking a bath alone seems you're still just sitting in the dirt? My kids share most of their nastiness all day long, sharing nastiness in a tub would be the cleanest thing they shared.

Anyways, the more I read the weirder I feel b/c my kids always take showers, 4 and almost 3. They've taken showers since they've been able to sit well w/ me while I took mine. AJ and Evan almost never shower alone and they will sometimes still shower w/ me as well ( not both of them though, there's not enough room). Ilana is the exception in that she is the first one to HATE the water, and so she's the dirtiest too b/c she gives me such fits while trying to clean her! I feel terrible sometimes.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I will not change my mind about chidlren taking baths together. Especially since I know little children sometimes not all the time use the bathroom in the tub. I guess I think about thinks like the spreading of EColi. (I read something on the CDC website regarding this.) But to each their own. If you are thinking about the pool. I do not use public pools for the same reason.

Not flaming but just curious-
When you go on vacation to say WDW you don't use the pools or let your kids use the pools either?


Oh- to the OP - my kids have been taking showers since they are infants (with an adult of course when they are infants). I am a bit obssesive about the whole tub thing. If they take a bath (together or not) I must scrub the bath right before they get in and clean the whole thing. Even if it was cleaned that morning. Once someone showers in it I feel it is dirty. Then after they are done playing around in the tub I give them a shower because a tub full of dirty kids becomes a tub full of dirty water. Baths are a treat for them and I will do it more so in the winter only because if they are bored I will let them take a bath in the afternoon. They play and then I wash them with the shower. As far as bathing together, well I figure they will tell me when they don't want company.

 

[StephMK]

My DS8 hates taking showers. I wish he would get over that because it would be so much easier and faster . . . BUT, in time. I have always been one of those Mothers that just detests bath time. Is that horrible or what? I'm Type A and need to be constantly doing something and it makes me a nervous wreck being still. I think I need counseling - lol.

I love to sit still but detest bath time too. I never have enjoyed it & luckily DH & I split the duties. They will shower alone if I make them but prefer when their dad goes w/them - they are like him, none of them like to be alone!

 

[JoyG]

OP- I would say once the oldest one started noticing that the other's parts are different, I would have separated them.

As for communal baths, my boys all share the same bath. Three in a tub at once. The twins also used to share binkys when they were babies. Not by my choice, but if one baby saw it in another's mouth, he would just reach over there and yank it out for himself. So we're not too afraid of germs over here.

If I was the one that had to bathe those three every night, they would have been taking showers a long time ago. Thankfully, it's DH's job to do the nightly baths...and he can keep on bathing them as long as he wants.

 

[WantToGoNow]

I have a ds6 and dd3 - we stopped about a year ago. Dd got very curious about my son's parts - and would reached out to grab ahold. My ds thought it was hilarious but dh didn't. He started taking showers then and she still get's bathed - separately.

 

[Ladyw/theTramp]

My DS8 hates taking showers. I wish he would get over that because it would be so much easier and faster . . . BUT, in time. I have always been one of those Mothers that just detests bath time. Is that horrible or what? I'm Type A and need to be constantly doing something and it makes me a nervous wreck being still. I think I need counseling - lol.

Hey, that made me laugh! I used to take my cleaning supplies in the bathroom during bathtime when they were little and that was my time to scrub the sinks and the floors and the mirrors... etc..

I also used that time to paint my toenails!!! I would sit on the edge of the tub and soak my feet while they were playing, then polish them up! It was the only way I could give them time to dry without the kids bothering me when they were little!!!

 

[mericletwins]

I have a DD8, DS8 and DS7. They have been taking showers for the most part since they were about 18 months. That was more because it was much easier for me. Our shower was downstairs in our old house and the tub was upstairs. They have always showered/bathed together. I don't see anything weird about it. In fact at a younger age, I wouldn't have let them be apart. I didn't have two hours to devote to bathing. They are siblings and we don't make a big deal about it. Just this summer they are starting to express and interest in showering apart, which is fine. I think that the time to stop being together is when one of the kids doesn't want to be together.