What do you do with DC when you go to the bathroom?

[Lilysmom06]

Seriously!!!

I posted a thread in another forum about Exersaucer/Jumperoo, and in many of the replies members stated they would not leave their DC in one of them while they left the room.

Now, I do not leave her unattended for very long, but sometimes I need to go to the bathroom!!!!! :) If she is content in her exersaucer, I leave her there while I go.

Am I the only one who does this? Our house is small, and I leave the door open (sorry if TMI), so I can hear her. I never thought that it was endangering her to do so. My DD is 7 months if that makes any difference.

Thank you in advance for answering!

Kathy

[Marisa6826]

In their crib, or exersaucer or swing. Now, I just gate them off in the den with Noggin on. :P

I honestly was more concerned about where I left them when the girls were younger - I was afraid the older might do something to her younger sister.

At 7m old, I would leave her in the exersaucer. At long as you're not using your bathroom as a, uh, library, I think you'll be fine. :)

-m

[kozachka]

You are not the only one, trust me. You can also leave her in a crib or playard. I would not leave a child in Jumperoo, for some reason it seems more of a hazard to me but that again we've never owned one.

What I found tricky is using the bathroom when DS got older and insisting on going together with me. He either tried to get into all kind of stuff or 'get a closer look' at what I am doing.

[Lilysmom06]

>You are not the only one, trust me. You can also leave her in
>a crib or playard. I would not leave a child in Jumperoo, for
>some reason it seems more of a hazard to me but that again
>we've never owned one.
>
>What I found tricky is using the bathroom when DS got older
>and insisting on going together with me. He either tried to
>get into all kind of stuff or 'get a closer look' at what I am
>doing.

Oh, that is so funny.

[Drag0nflygirl]

The bouncy chair went to live in the bathroom. I also left her in the saucer.

Nancy

[Mommy Of A Little Angel]

DD is 8 months and she LOVES it when we put her in her exersaucer right in front of the bathroom door. She entertains mommmy while I go to the bathroom. I don't know why she finds it so funny, but she thinks it's a laugh riot. I like to keep her in my line of sight, so I usually will do this. I have not gotten to the point where I can just leave her in the living room with her toys. She is way too mobile and likes to pull up on everything to do this. I say, if your DD is in the exersaucer, she'll be fine!

[ShanaMama]

I have been meaning to ask this question for ages!! I have never taken DD in with me, nor do I ever plan to. I feel like I deserve my privacy, too, hard as it may be.
IME, most ppl who object to jumpers have never owned one. For some reason, many people (including the Fields, IIRC) feel that it's unsafe. I never had that concern. If you are sure it's anchored correctly, I'd leave her in it. DD used to love hers.
It was as she got older that we had a problem... when she started to understand that I exist even when I leave the room. I remember months of desperately doing my business as fast a possible while she screamed outside the door. I couldn't think of any better option.
Now that she's 19 months, we pretty much have a routine. I tell her I'm going to the bathroom & she picks a couple of books or toys to bring with her. She sits right outside the door & pretty much keeps herself busy. SOmetimes she knocks on the door or puts her fingers underneath- I can see them, which cracks her up. We do keep up a running conversation the entire time.
We live in a small apartment, so I just close all the bedroom doors & the rooms she can get into are pretty much childproofed.

[o_mom]

You get to go to the bathroom alone?!?!?

[jenjenfirenjen]

wow, am i the only one who lets my kids go in with me? sure privacy would be nice but on the other hand, i think one reason my toddler pt'ed relatively early was his exposure to mama and daddy going potty.

i don't have an exersaucer or jumper or PNP so can't really speak to the OP's question. sorry.

[KrisM]

I bring them with me. DS would sit on his potty. DD won't sit on it, so she just crawls around.

[maestramommy]

There is a mom in my group who used to put her ds in the exersaucer so she could go downstairs to get the laundry. You do what you have to.

From the time Dora started crawling, I left the bathroom door open so she could see me and come in.

I probably wouldn't leave a child in a Jumperoo. For some reason that toy seems a little too dynamic to leave unattended. But the Exersaucer seems to be the safest place after a playpen.

[julieakc]

I generally just left DS wherever he was...be that on the floor playing with toys, in the playpen, or in the exersaucer. Of course, DS is developmentally delayed due to low muschle tone which meant up until close to a year he would be precisely where I left him. :) Then he started rolling everywhere, but I would still leave him to go potty. I guess for me, by the time the real mobility started there was enough awareness on his part for me to just say "mommy has to go potty, I'll be back in a minute" and he was fine with this. Sometimes he would/does follow me, or come looking for me (I never shut the door).

For showers and getting dressed I took him with me...bouncy seat lived in the bathroom for this purpose.

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

can't remember the last time i went to the bathroom at home alone. The kids are always in and out.
Laundry is tricky. I usually wait to do that until dh comes home b/c our washer dryer is in the basement. But like the pp said. you do what you've got to do.
jen

[g-mama]

At that age, in the exersaucer or swing or bouncy seat. Sometimes brought near the bathroom or not.

Usually, though, what I do is put the baby in the bathtub in our upstairs bathroom where he can see me and put some toys in there with him. Of course, this is only once they're sitting up. We use that bathtub more for a playpen than anything else, honestly! If I need to take a shower, brush my teeth, do my makeup, etc. while the baby's around, I just use the tub like a playpen!


~Kristen

Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
Marco 12-05

[gina]

>I have been meaning to ask this question for ages!! I have
>never taken DD in with me, nor do I ever plan to. I feel like
>I deserve my privacy, too, hard as it may be.

PRIVACY? WHAT IS THAT?
If I have to leave the room to carry laundry upstairs, etc. she goes in the pack n play. I have used the exersaucer before, though I usually pull the exersaucer along so I can see her.
I think it depends on what your DD is capable of. If she can climb like mine then its not a good idea!

My DD has taken many trips to the bathroom with me. Sometimes she even sits on my lap and looks out the window. If its a quick bathroom trip I give her a toy and sit her just outside the door (door open).

I do agree that I think letting them watch you go potty may help with potty training later. (Monkey see Monkey do)

Gina E
DD 11 mo.

[LarsMal]

I'm so used to NOT closing the bathroom door that I have to make a conscious effort to close it when we have guests over :-)

When DS was really little I would just leave him on a blanket or in his bouncy seat. I think I left him in the exersaucer or jumperoo a time or two. I figured if I wasn't going to be gone for long he was fine. When I would shower I would bring the bouncy seat into the bathroom with me. (I'm doing that again now with DD and DS just plays with toys in there)

Now I just leave the door open- sometimes DS comes in to check things out and *help* me by getting me some TP (privacy no more!). DH keeps reminding me that this will not be acceptable when DS is 12 :-)

[gordo]

If DD wasn't crawling, I would put her on the floor outside the bathroom. I also have left her in her swing, exersaucer or bouncy seat, but usually moved it to right outside the bathroom so I could see her. Now that she is a toddler, she goes to the bathroom with me. She too loves to see what I am doing and will sometimes just go sit on her potty at the same time.

[overcome]

>Usually, though, what I do is put the baby in the bathtub in
>our upstairs bathroom where he can see me and put some toys in
>there with him.

That is a great idea!

[katiesmommy]

Yeah, same as lots of people here. Katie usually just comes in with me. When she was little, I'd either put her in her high chair with a cup in the living room or I'd put her in her playpen in the living room, still do that sometimes. However, that said, the way our house is set up I can see the living room by looking in the mirror in the bathroom, so I could always see everything she did.

[set81616]

I leave DS where he is. I may be lucky since he is 15 months and only crawling but he can get into anything. I'm probably going to start taking him in with me since I know a couple of people who did this and they feel it helped with PTing. Both their kids were PT'd by 2 1/2. Just sat them on their own toilet while they went. I'm a pretty laid back mom though so I don't have a problem with DS exploring and being independent.
Shannon

[Lilysmom06]

Well, thank you all for your input! I love the idea of the bathtub as playpen!!! Will have to give that a try. And as she becomes more aware and able to crawl, I will bring her with me so she can see what goes on, to help with eventual PTing. For now, I guess we will stay with what is working (highchair, exersaucer).

Kathy

[MommyAllison]

That was my thought too. I treasure the time when DH is home and I am all alone in the bathroom. :)

Allison
Mama to DD 11/05

[fortato]

If it's going to be quick - then I just leave him and go.
If it's an extended stay- then I put him in the exersaucer or the crib or pack and play and then go.



I always wonder what our parents did before "stationary entertainers" and things like that... where did they put us when they had to go?


Kristen

[maestramommy]

I think our parents used the playpen as the catchall. Moms in my group have mentioned their moms saying, "can't you just leave him/her in the playpen?" when they need to get stuff done, or just want some down time. We're so earnest these days :-).

[hobokenmom]

I'm a big believer in doing what you have to do, and what feels right for your family.

I live in a four-story townhome, and when my 2 1/2 year old was a baby I had three exersaucers (none of which I bought). I had one on each floor, so that I had somewhere to put him if I had to run upstairs or downstairs to get something. On the main floor, I'd just put him in his highchair.

And I generally do try to go to the bathroom by myself. I think there's a lesson in teaching kids about privacy. Hmmmm....maybe that's why my kids were always late potty-trainers? Who knows.

Do what feels right to you, and don't worry what others do.

[sdoyle]

Exersaucer or crib. She can't get out of either so a few toys, and I could be in there for an hour if I wanted! I do leave the door open, though so I can hear her if she starts crying.

Stacy

[ColorBlue]

I have not read the other replies but please don't listen to what those other people (I mean the people on the other board not this one!!) are telling you because its totally ridiculous! Of course you can leave her for a minute to go to the bathroom! I really don't get it when people can't leave their kiddos for a minute!!


Tracy

Mama to three girls, my big kindergartener Grace 11/01, and my babies Ella and Madeline 10/04.

[barbarhow]

Do whatever works.
For me what has always worked is to just let them in with me. Some people have a family bed. We have a family bathroom. LOL.