At What Age - Arlington,TX

I agree. At six years old you still have to watch them while they are in the shower. Anything can possibly happen. She is just not ready to wash and rinse her own hair without an adult monitoring her. I have a five year old daughter that I am teaching to try and wash her self but I follow up after her. Sometimes I let her do it on her own and ask that I smell both her back and front when she is done. I still wipe her butt after she poops because she is just not ready. If you put those types of demands in kids that age, she may resent even washing herself. You are definitely not being unreasonable.

I do think she is expecting to much. My daughter is 6 as well and I still help her. She has long hair and needs help getting it washed and conditioned. Also, if I let her do it she uses half a bottle of shampoo.

Teaching independence at an early age is crucial! My daughter was bathing alone when she was 4 and doing her own laundry when she was 6! I am extremely proud of her

The fact that you did not call her your daughter inlaw tells me you may have fiction in this relationship. Six years old she can bath and take a shower but with help, not alone yet. I think at that age they still have a little trouble rinsing shampoo out. I do have a question for you.........not being mean but why is this even a discussion with you.

We've just started having my 5-year-old take showers, but we still help her with washing and rinsing her hair. She is able to wash her face and body by herself (we supervised initially to make sure she was washing thoroughly), but the hair she still needs help with. I'm IMAGINING a 6-year-old might still need help with the hair...it's not just the motor skills, but at this age, I'm pretty sure their arms still aren't proportionally as long as an older kids'...from what I've seen with my own daughter, it may even be a bit difficult to really reach the top and back of the hair to make sure it's truly getting washed and rinsed all over.
But, again, I think it may be possible that a 6-year-old could do it all alone. You should just supervise her a few times just to see if she can. Who knows; she might surprise you!

My daughter will be 9 in a few weeks and still doesnt always wash her body or hair properly. Kids are lazy and dont think it is important to take showers/brush their teeth. So i tell her to get in the shower and brush her teeth and then i double check to make sure she has washed EVERYWHERE and check her teeth to make sure they look clean! It is great that mom wants to start showing her daughter responsibility but she can not expect a 6 yr old to know, they have to be taught!!

My 5 year old little girl takes a shower by herself and has for about 3 months or so. She does a very good job, but I do go in there every now and then and make sure she is getting everything.

My son is 6, granted he has short hair but he showers and washes his own hair.

Though I think 6 is a little young, it depends on how good the little girl is at doing it herself. It may be helpful to let her do it on her own on the weekends but Mom can help her during the week. I found it helpful to ease my daughter into the transition. Mind you, she couldn't independently do her own hair 'til she was 12.

My neice was about this age when she started. I think that maybe my brother may have checked her hair before she got out but I don't remember. Also, her parents started and stopped the shower for her so they could check the temperature.

My 5 yr old can take a shower and wash her hair by her self... BUT - she's 5 - and understandably, she doesn't always get 100% of the shampoo/conditioner out. Secondly, she's been taking showers since she was a baby. Due to my bad back, giving her baths was too hard.... so - she's probably much more accustomed to them tha most other kids. I think that it's more the level and comfort of the child - than the AGE of the child.

6 is too young to expect her to wash her hair correctly and get all the soap out. At 6 she can start being shown how to do it but expecting her to get it right everytime is a little out there. My 8 yr old can shower and wash her hair by herself and usually get all the soap out but it took alot of trial and error to get to this point.

I would say 6 is too young unless she has really short hair ( like a pixie cut or almost boy like hair cut) it is hard to get all the shampoo out! I would say mom and or dad should still be starting and ending theshower with her - let her wash herself, wash her own hair if she wants, but then follow up and check that the important parts ( pits, face, crotch and butt) are really clean and rinsed out really well, and then do a second rinse on her hair for her. That is what I will be doing at that time anyway.

Jessie

My son who is four and my daughter who is five both are responsible for their own showers. She's not asking too much. And just a thought, if the Mom isn't asking for your advice, you might reconsider giving it. Of course if she's asked you then she values your opinion.

My daughter started taking showers by herself at about 7 but she would always call me before she got out so that I could check that her hair was rinsed good. She will be 9 in 2 weeks and I have just now got to the point where I dont have to check her.

My 4 and a half year old loves to wash her hair in the bathtub. I usually help her, but she does a great job by herself! Sometimes she washes her sisters hair for me too!!! So sweet!

My daughter is five, and takes showers, not baths. She washes her own body with a little supervision, and has just started insisting on washing her own hair. She can't do it very well on her own just yet, but I'm pretty confident that in a year she'll be able to shower on her own with just an occasional quick check from us. I think it really depends on how independent your granddaughter is and how long she's been practicing.

My son is 5 and showers alone as does my 4 year old daughter. They reach thier hands out of the door and I give them a squirt of shampoo and then conditioner for my daughter. Once they get out, I check for shampoo residue and if needed they get back in.

My 6 year old niece showers and washes her shoulder length hair by herself. My sister-in-law will check to make sure she got all the shampoo and conditioner out before she gets out of the shower.

My son is 7 and has lots of hair. I start him out by making sure his hair is wet enough, he can't tell. Then he soaps up on his own and rinses but I go in for the final check and there is usually soap still in the hair. I think this age they can do it but have follow up because more than likely there is still soap in the hair.

My son is 6 1/2 and can wash himself in the bath/shower , although he would rather we do it for him!. It all depends on the child , some are so eager to do things themselves , others not so. I do think it may be a little more difficult for a girl that age to wash her hair if it is long , my son manages because his is so short.

Hi,
We let our little 6 yr old take her own shower. She washes her own hair. We will pop in to check on her and make sure all the shampoo is out. She can do it grandma!! :)

My grandaugter Morgan has been washing her hair since she was 6. She is almost 11. Remember as Grandmothers we are only consultants. It really doesn't matter what we think. The parents are in charge as hard as it is to accept.
NC

I set the temperature of the water, put in th stopper, and the bubble bath. My 6 year old grand daughter has privacy while she is inthe tub. I am in the general area and I occassionaly ask "How are you doing?" and she knows she must answer in a moment or get out. I can hear her sp;ashing and playing from where I am so I know she is but I want her to understand answering when asked.

She stands up when she is done and I give her the shampoo, she scrubs, I hold the shower head and help her rinse it but she is the one with her hands on. I tell her to feel behind this ear or to feel on top, so she can understand what the soap feels like when it's not rinsed out well. She pushes the water from her forehead to the back all the way to the bottom. If we use conditioner it cuts the soap out and that usually takes care of the soap issue but the conditioner can leave her hair greasy looking so I make sure it's all out. I rinse her off and the tub out while she is rinsing her hair so it's all done when she gets out. As for my 3 yr; old we do the same thing but I stay in the bathroom for him.

my son is 7 - he showers alone, but i always have to remind him to wash his hair!