Solo bathing?

[Hannathy]

I put 6 because he could handle the washing and stuff and didn't like me in there but I turned the shower on and checked the temperature. At 7 I still check the temp. but then leave. I usually stay upstairs or only run downstairs for a few minutes and then come back up in case he calls.

 

[Disneyrsh]

.

 

[puffkin]

I put 7 though I was probably about 6 or so when I started showering. My mom would wait in the bathroom and help me shampoo my hair (long at the time) but I would do everything else. Around 7 I was able to do it all by myself. My brother (twin) was able to do it all at 6 but obviously he didn't have the hair issues. My DS is just a baby, so the verdict is still out on him

 

[Mrs.Toad]

That's the problem with mine too! She keeps a clean washcloth in her hands, just in case a drop of water should dare to go anywhere in the vicinity of her eye/eyebrow/forehead area, and then she screams, EYES! EYES!!! as if I didn't know they are there.

My dd was like that, too, when I washed her hair, but now that she's doing it herself, and it her own fault if water/shampoo gets in her eyes, she doesn't seem to mind it so much. Kind of like how they scream when you comb their hair, but not when they do it themselves.

She was 7 when she started bathing on her own, and for a little while, I had to go in and check that she got all the shampoo rinsed out. But now (at 8) she does real well on her own. She still prefers to take baths over showers. Personally, if they need help washing hair, I'd make them stay in the tub. Sounds way too messy to try to help them when they're in the shower and you're not.

 

[JVL1018]

My son is almost 5 and can wash & shampoo by himself.
My daughter is almost 7 and because she has long hair, she never gets all the shampoo and conditioner, so I have to make sure she's rinsed.

 

[Bob Slydell]

DS started taking a shower by himself (with occasional help from me) somewhere around 4 1/2 or so. It's nice to have a separate shower and tub in our master bathroom, so I can wash DS2 in the tub while keeping an eye on DS1 in the shower.

 

[Sandy V.]

I think mine were about 7 or 8 before I could trust them to get all of the shampoo out of their hair. They could handle the rest of it quite a few years earlier, though.

Having them be able to take their own showers/baths is a major milestone in parenting as far as I'm concerned. At least it was for us.

And those with shower-resistent kids, I hear ya! My DS16 is pretty good about it, but occasionally we have to remind him that applying Axe body spray in copious amounts is NOT a substitute for a shower! In fact, the smell of bad cologne and sweat combined is just gross!!

 

[babytrees]

I put other because my girls could handle it if they wanted (okay the 14 year old has been doing it for awhile)....but they also don't always get all the shampoo out and are both trying to get used to short hair. They have thick hair...we all do. I am trying to wean the 10 year old off my putting the shampoo/conditioner in and checking to make sure it's out.....blecH!!

 

[Tinkin]

she screams, EYES! EYES!!! as if I didn't know they are there.

Mine did the same thing!!


Thanks to all of the scented body washes for kids my DD (now 8) has been taking care of cleaning her body, by herself, since she was 4 - 5.

Her hair was another story, she has very thick hair and most of the time it is long. She started taking care of it, on her own, between 6 & 7, she wasn't happy about it, but she started. I supervised in the beginning because she had trouble getting out all of the conditioner but then we switched her to a leave in conditioner awhile back and it's working out well.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

DS is almost 2 1/2 and he INSISTS on doing it all himself. Even though he can scarcely get his leg up over the side of the tub (because he's not tall enough for that yet), he wants to do it himself. He gets all flappy with me if I try to help him. I don't leave the room, but I do sit on the other side of the bathroom, so that if anything happens I'm right there.

Same with washing himself. He'll let me put soap on it,but after that it's all flapping with the hands and saying "me do! me do! me do!". So I let him. He does let me do his back though, because he knows he can't do it himself. He also washes his hair (or tries to. ) all by himself. He'll let me step in at the end to rinse, but other than that he wants to do it all by himself.

He's a very independant little booger, I'll give him that.

TOV

 

[belle_of_the_ball]

i was 6 when i started....but it was all because i saw my cousin wash her self.......and i wanted to do it too.


i always found looking up to someone and always wanting to be like them really helped me break bad habbits. My mom told me when i was in pre-school....belle reads books by her self.....ive been reading by my self ever since.

I do the same thing with the kids I teach. I know who they look up to and based on that I can help them build positive independant work skills!

 

[Cindy's Mom]

We use what we call the "hair washing hat". Its one of those rubber sun visor with the adjustable strap on the back, sort of like a belt. I put it on them kids, over their heads to their neck, then push up all the hair, and voila, no soap or water in their eyes. with DD5 I first put her hair in a pony tail, put the hat on and then take off the rubber band. her and DD4 have been doing this for a year. I LOVE THE HAIR WASHING HAT. We travel with them too. They are usually promotional ones, so we grab them when ever we see them.

 

[disykat]

My boys were both 8 before they were totally independent about that stuff. Prior to that they did most of it, but I had to do a lot of reminding, spot checking, sending them back for another rinse, etc.

OK, to be honest, I still have to remind my 11 year old about his ears.

 

[ryanally]

DS 6 has just started taking showers himself this summer. DH or I coach from outside the curtain and read or put laundry away in the kids bedrooms on either side of the bathroom. I think if we didn't coach, he'd play in there all night and never get to the soaping!!

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

My DS16 is pretty good about it, but occasionally we have to remind him that applying Axe body spray in copious amounts is NOT a substitute for a shower! In fact, the smell of bad cologne and sweat combined is just gross!!

Why are all guys like that? My DBrother was at my mom's house one day and he smelled of sweat, cologne and something else. I asked him what it was and he said he'd taken a "lazy man's shower". I asked him what that was and he said you do the following, in this order:
1. Get nekkid and spray yourself ALL OVER with Febreze.
2:Spray yourself with AXE or other cologne
3at dry and dress.

Eeew.

Did I mention he's 23?

TOV

 

[camreesmom]

Why are all guys like that? My DBrother was at my mom's house one day and he smelled of sweat, cologne and something else. I asked him what it was and he said he'd taken a "lazy man's shower". I asked him what that was and he said you do the following, in this order:
1. Get nekkid and spray yourself ALL OVER with Febreze.
2:Spray yourself with AXE or other cologne
3at dry and dress.

Eeew.

Did I mention he's 23?

TOV

Eeew is right! I would think it would be just as quick for a guy to jump in the shower and get clean for real. I'm lucky because twin sons who are almost 15 take a shower without being told. Now that wasn't the case when they were about 7 or 8. It was a major ordeal every night to get them to bathe. No, he goes first, no, he goes first. Now Dstepson12 is the one that acts like he will melt if he has to wash the dirt (and stink) off.

DD7 will gladly take a shower 3 times a day if she can do it in our bathroom with the separate shower so we just let her. She can do the whole thing by herself and does a pretty good job. DD10 on the other hand has more hair than 3 people combined so I still have to wash and conditioner her hair at least once a week. The rest of the week, I figure she can do it by herself even if it is not perfect.

 

[lindakmonty]

ds5 is very independent and he runs his own water, washes himself, and washes his hair. I'll check on him to see if he needs anything and if he's ok...but he just sings along and plays I bought him the pump style as well! Works great!

 

[mamacatnv]

I had to go with other. DD just turned 8 and although she washes herself very well and has for about 2 years, the hair is another issue. She knocks on the shower wall when she is clean and I come do her hair. Sometimes she takes a bath and sometimes she takes a shower.

Her hair gets very dry in the summer so I put conditioner on it and put it in a shower cap, then she bathes and we then shampoo and condition when she is done.

DS was doing it himself at about 5.5 now 16 and a 2-3 times per day shower'r. I love it, the house smells clean and manly when I get home!