Now that my boys are a bit older (ages 8, 6 and 5), I’m relieved that I don’t find it necessary to administer the nighttime baths as frequently. I allow all three of them shower. Separately. Don’t get me wrong – my little 5 year old isn’t an expert scrubber (or shampoo-er) by any means, but hey, it’s summer! And my poor knees and back are welcoming the relief after almost 8 long years of stooping over a bathtub and scrubbing heads, shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes).
And now that they all shower, when they do ask for a bath and I actually allow it, I’m skeeved out that they are sitting in their own filth. But for some reason, this factoid never bothered me a year ago.
At what age did your child(ren) switch to showering alone?
My youngest daughter started showering at 6 and my oldest at 8.5. They have been showering for 2 years now. I can’t say that they do a fantastic job. They often leave large globs of soap in their hair. Both are still somewhat afraid of getting water in their eyes and avoid standing directly under the shower head. Oh well, in time they will figure it out. It’s important for them to take responsibility in keep themselves clean. It’s an important skill to master if you plan to send your children to overnight camp. They both came home from camp absolutely absolutely filthy; I shudder to think how much worse it would have been had they not known how to shower.
Both my girls loooooove to shower (ages 7 & nearly 10). They will stand for ages in the shower playing imaginary games, and my little one even asks to clean it (BONUS!) while she’s in there.
They do still like to have baths (and prefer them together, with lots of toys, still!) but it NEVER occurred to me to be grossed out by them sitting in their own filth. I guess they’re just not that filthy? Or I don’t notice it that much? I mean, they do get out there and play lots, but they’re not exactly rolling in the pigpen and getting covered in mud from head to toe, so I guess as long as the water’s not brown, I ain’t bothered 😉
But as for independent shower & shampoo, I’d say both my girls were well able to handle it on their own around age 7.
My almost 11 year-old is a shower keener. Even more so now that he got Axe body wash and deodorant (hey, marketing works). But my 7.5 year old daughter loves her tubs. She plays and splashes (everywhere) and lounges and eventually washes. She will do a shower in a pinch but definitely prefers to soak.
If my kids get a rinse off every other day, I’m QUITE happy. I guess I should do more than dipping them in the pool.
I WISH my kids would want to shower. They love bathing, and it totally grosses me out.