Advise on 6 Year Old Showering by Himself!

My son is 3yrs old and he showers alone. He has all his toys with him. I let him play for a while, get the laundry folded thankfully, and then i wash him up . I go to the end of the tub and just get him all sudzy and likes to watch the bubbles wash off. After he's clean he stays in for a bit longer playing around and i was able to fold a whole basket of clothes and put them away!!! imagine that?? ha,ha

My son is only 3, so what do I know... except that once in awhile instead of giving him a bath (I hear from my lower back, too!), I put on my bathing suit and jump in the shower with him. Fun for him, and I can teach him how to clean all over without him knowing its teaching time. Of course, then I have to dry off and dress and get my own "real" shower later, but it all seems to work out.

I helped my kids wash their hair until about age 8, but starting age 4 I wash their hair and back and just supervise the rest, in shower or tub. I give them a soapy wash cloth, and when little tell them which parts to wash and in which order, then as they are older I just remind them. I think at 6 you can let him start on his own, check on him and help with hair/back, and remind him where to wash. My son began to enjoys showers at the age of 2 and likes to alternate between tub and shower. My older ones have been mostly shower since about age 8. My kids have dry skin, so we only have them bathe every other night.

Dear C.,

I think this may be a good job for daddy on the weekend. Have dad take them into the shower and show them the proper way to wash themselves. As long as they don't mind the water splashing in their eyes, and you are close by I think they are old enough to shower themselves. I would just make sure when they shampoo their hair they get all of the soap out. Just do a spot check and they should be fine. If they are not out playing in the mud really now dirty can they be if they are showering daily? I would give it a try and if you don't think the little ones are getting clean enough then take it from there. Good luck!!

Hi C.,
At 6, he should be able to wash himself in the shower. My kids washed themselves (other than their hair) starting at age 3. I'm big on independence. At 6, I would stay at the door as they got in and out of the shower for safety, and I would check my daughter's hair for proper rinsing - my son was on his own in the shower/tub. Your son may not be as clean as you'd wash him, but he's in the shower, he is going to get clean and it's time for him to take responsbility for his own body - mommy can't wash him forever. Six year olds in winter really arent' that dirty, and hopefully by the time he's a stinky, hormonal middle schooler, he'll have his hygiene perfected :)

My 7yo has been showering herself for over a year now. I start my kids taking a shower as soon as they can stand securely in the tub. I showered them before that with me. My 2yo just this year learned what a tub was. She loves it and now it is something we do for fun but she too gets a shower. I try to get her to "wash" herself and I help. Her hair I do (she hates it and screams the whole time) but I get it done FAST!!! I personally think that if I don't allow my kids to do for themselves (with supervision) and make mistakes then they will be dependant for the wrong reasons. I had to get my daughter back into the shower on more than one occasion for soap still in her hair but she learned and is good at it now. Our house is small enough that I can hear her (she loves to sing) as she showers and I will peek in but I don't do it for her unless she asks or is sick.

One idea to get him to do everything: Crayola makes a shower crayon. Write on the shower wall the things he needs to do. when he gets done he can wash it away.

Just a thought!!! A.

Our boys (22 months and 3 years old) shower by themselves while I am in the bathroom doing something. We have no problems .

our two year old showers by himself. he's very smart about it, he's been showering with us since he could stand well, and he calls us with help getting out. You could tell him that if he cleans his whole self thoroughly he can have the rest of the time to shower by himself. Good luck..... Alex

As long as he cant slip in the bathtub, he is old enough to shower by himself. He is also old enough to have some privacy. Turn the shower on for him so the temp is right and then leave him alone, with the bathroom door open. Unless he has played in mud all day the running water should get him clean enough. He will learn.
The other 2 should be able to take a bath together and pretty much soak clean except for their hair. There really should be no need for you to scrub any of them.

My sister has always striped her baby girl down while her husband gets into the shower...... then she hands baby girl to Daddy, who showers the baby and then hands her back to Momma while he finishes his own shower. It works for them and they've done it since she was a newborn. She's two now and loves her tubby bath instead, but will still sometimes be handed to her Momma in the shower now, where she stands and showers with Mom. It works for them. I remember as a teenager, babysitting, arriving at the house, when their little four-year-old stepped out of the bathroom with one towel around her body, under her arms and another towel on wrapped (just like and adult would do) on her head! When she opened the door, billows of steam wafted out at the ceiling and amazed by this sight, I said: "Is she old enough to be taking a shower all by herself?!" Her parents laughed and said she was indeed! :)

Once they were not babies any more (over 3) my own sons preferred baths over showers, so I let them, but they were on their own once I got the tub cleaned and filled part way. I was always within earshot and they always had a great time in the tub! I miss those days of hearing laughter between brothers coming from the bathroom during bath time. I did check on them a lot too and even went in to read to them from time to time as well. Once they each hit 13 it was only showers. Then I enjoyed listening to my older son sing in the shower! He was great! Had no idea I was listening at the closed door of course! LOL! Good luck.
D.

C.,

All 3 of my kids (1 girl - 2 boys) have showered themselves since they were about 5 yrs old. I've turned the shower on to the right temperature ..showed them where the soap and shampoo were and just supervised them in washing. Sometimes I would peek in to see if they were showering properly - but I would tell them to turn around so that their buttocks were facing me (everyone's butt is basically the same..lol) and other times I would just tell them through the shower curtain which areas to concentrate on. I would put the 'dab' of shampoo in their hands and supervise them washing their hair (so that they didn't get it in their eyes and to make sure they were washing their entire head).

I taught them to raise their head under the shower looking up to the ceiling so that the water/soap wouldn't get in their eyes.

If you have a handheld shower attachment... this works very well with rinsing themselves as they can control somewhat where the water goes.

My youngest is now 8 yrs old - and I no longer have to supervise him showering.

good luck!!!

Hi C.,

You might want to try buying a kiddie shower. Since the shower can adjust to your sons height that might make it easier for him. My nephew use to love the kiddie shower, he would was over and over. I assisted him the 1st time ( what a mess)and he did it everytime after.

Link for kiddie shower below.

http://www.leapsandbounds.com/catalog/product.jsp?product...

I have 4 kids between myself and boyfriend, Im a stay at home momma and the kids are 3,3,4 and 8.I inform them on how to take a shower give the wash cloth to them show them how to put soap on it and then the motions on how to wash their body,especially the secret areas as we say as this is the most sweaty areas on the body.My kids all take showers by them selves and it is a relief for me as I know about the back pain,I have three boys and a girl - KEILEN 3, CALEB 4,KARA 3 and AUSTIN 8,who is the oldest.

Lots of times it's easier for a child to learn by watching. Have daddy take a shower with them on the evenings when he doesn't work.

At public showers (campgrounds, pools, etc), I would keep on my bathing suit and go into the shower with my girls and help them; with boys this may be a bit more challenging.

I put up a sign with step by step instructions.
1) get hair really wet
2) wash hair with shampoo
3) put in conditioner but don't rinse yet!
4) wash all of your body (dont forget privates, butt, and pits)
5) rinse hair out
6) play! No splashing outside of tub!
7) turn water off
8) dry body on bathmat!
9) go get dressed!
Its simplified and easy to understand. My son was around 5-6 when he began showering alone. Its easy too when you want to know how far along they are I just yell in "What number are you on?" to get an idea if they are goofing around or actually doind what they are supposed to. I also (the first few times he was alone) stood out on our back deck and opened the window in the shower. That way I could keep an eye on what he was doing and how he was doing it, to make sure he got clean, while still giving him some privacy. This may not be an option if you dont have a window, but you could always peek in the curtain to see how things are coming along. Good luck!

C.,

I always let my kids take showers by themselves. They love it. When I go in to turn off the water I ask them if they washed everything and they say "mommy, I cleaned here, here and here. I said good job. My oldest son takes way too long in the shower. Don't ask me what he does in there lol!