When should I stop bathing my son and daughter together? What signs can I watch for that would indicate that they should be separate? Also, what are the average ages in the US and other countries and cultures?
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2How big is the bath? Will that be a factor before anything else!– Ed HealCommented Sep 8, 2015 at 18:15
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5At what age should sisters stop bathing together? What about dark and light-haired kids? As long as the kids have fun and do not have a problem, for all I care they can do this until they are old and wrinkly and too frail to take a bath. At some points the kids will want some privacy, though. If they are allowed to have this, there's no nothing to consider for you. Just let them do as they please.– sbiCommented Sep 11, 2015 at 17:00
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8 Answers
That's actually for the kids to decide I think. As long as they're having fun and generally not objecting or letting you know they'd rather bathe alone, I think it's perfectly fine.
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12I agree with @Zsub. Also, surely the size of the children and the bath will dictate! Commented Apr 7, 2011 at 21:49
When the children are uncomfortable with it. They will let you know when they don't want to bathe with their sibling anymore.
Why should noticing something is different be a problem? If your child noticed her sibling had different color hair on his head, would you put a hat over it to hide it? A girl can know a penis is different from a vagina, (and vice versa) long before she's uncomfortable seeing one.
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3I just wish people would teach their kids (at some age) the difference between a vulva and a vagina. Not that you don't know, but in reality the parts you've named aren't really well-matched opposites. Commented Aug 13, 2015 at 7:15
It really depends on two main factors.
- The children's comfort level with bathing with others. I stopped bathing with my siblings around age 7, because I became aware of the idea of privacy and I felt it was important.
- YOUR comfort level with it. The kids won't be developmentally harmed by bathing separately. My son (age 6) now bathes without his sisters. Why? Because I was uncomfortable with him exploring how good touching "down there" feels in a bath with his sisters.
However, it is also vitally important to not make a big deal about it. I just told my son, "Well, I can tell you've grown up a lot. Time to bathe alone." He was unhappy at first and asked me why. The answer I gave was simply, "It's part of growing up." I did NOT mention my discomfort over his behavior. That was a conversation at another time. Ok, that was many conversations at many other times.
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5Make sure your discomfort is something you want your child to have, too. Exploring other children's genitals is, at least at this age, entirely innocent and may even be healthy.– RaphaelCommented Aug 13, 2015 at 9:23
When my daughter and son started to realize the difference between male and female is when I decided it was time for them to not bathe together. That is when they started to learn of the basics of sexuality and the difference been male and female.
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1Yeah, when my daughter asked why her younger brother's privates were sticking out, I decided that was my clue to stop. She was just past four years old. Commented May 12, 2011 at 21:51
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9@Nick DeVore I don't think such a question cues to lack of comfort. I know it's a hard question to answer, but to me it's important to teach children about the differences in gender in a way that doesn't demonise "privates" Commented Jun 10, 2011 at 14:49
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14@Nick I think you lost an opportunity for sex education to be an integrated part of the fabric of your child's life. Withholding information that a child is curious about can create a void that drives the child to learn things on his own that if he had had satisfied earlier he would have been content with. Commented Jun 12, 2011 at 0:52
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6Let me put all at ease and assure you I did in fact answer her question and am comfortable doing so. And when she see him getting his diaper changed, and she asks, I answer too. However, I felt that since I have the choice of not peaking her curiosity when they bathe together, I opted to do it separate. Commented Jun 12, 2011 at 14:09
Generally, I would say when one of the children reaches puberty, they are too old to bathe together without their swimming trunks on.
answered Oct 31, 2011 at 0:20
I don't believe it's up the the children to make this decision. I believe that an 8 year old boy should not be bathing with his 4 year old sister. I think at that age they need to learn about privacy and respect for the other. I understand that it's much faster to do them together but it's not always the best. By 8 years old he could be introduced to the shower and getting more independent about his hygiene.
Our kids stopped when the girl was 7 and the boys were 5 and 3. The reason was more because they wouldn't all fit comfortably any more than anything else. The boys actually could have continued bathing together for a while, but the 3 year old splashed so aggressively that big brother wanted to bathe alone in peace.
In a normal bathtub, I think "when they don't fit" is a pretty good answer.
My children are 6 and 3 and know the difference between each others genitals. They still bathe together with no problem. They actually prefer it because they don't like being in the bathroom alone in fear of monsters lol teach them that there is a difference and that its a "no touch" zone for everyone except their self and there should be no real problem. That's when I'll maybe make them stop.. When my 6 year old reaches 9
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1My daughter is 6 and my son is 3. If it were opposite i would make them stop sooner– zahidaCommented Nov 28, 2015 at 17:14