will I scar them for life?

I love taking my babies out jogging in the stroller. Great exercise for me, a fun ride for them, everyone's happy.

But now that they take fewer naps, it's hard to fit in a shower afterward. Before, they were never far from a nap, so I could just shower while they slept. Now it's a lot trickier.

So my question is - if I put them in a safe place, like a superyard or a totally babyproofed room, is it ok to just leave them alone for 10 min while I shower? They'd be safe - but they wouldn't be happy about it. Then again it would only be for 10 min or less... Help! I am agonizing (way too much) about this.

 

Personally, I couldn't do it. I would be afraid that something would happen in those measly 10 min.

Could you get up in the a.m. before they do and shower then?

 

could you lock them in the bathroom with you while you shower? this is what I have done when I was in a pinch. otherwise, I either get up earlier than them or wait until naptime. they basically wreck the bathroom though when I do this - they dump everything out of the drawers....pull out the toilet paper...mess with my makeup....but it gets the job done!

 

My girls are a bit older but they are fine in my bedroom, bathroom when I have to shower. The room is totally baby proofed and I leave the shower door somewhat open. As PP said, they do trash the place but they are safe.

At 1, will they stay in the PNP for a short time? We still have ours in the bedroom for those odd nights we need to move one out of the nursery.

 

Cant do that here in this house yet. If I have to shower during the day after exercise or something I wait until naptime :blink: (that was the closest emoticon I could get for "stinky")

 

Will they play in their cribs while you shower? I can't leave the girls alone in a room anymore for more than two minutes if I can't hear them. They are climbers and can't be trusted since the two of them work together to get into trouble- even in baby proofed rooms.

When I need to do something that will take more than two minutes, I put them in their cribs with toys and they play for a few minutes. My girls don't mind this though and are used to it (they play in their cribs while I clean their room too). I also have a pnp right outside my bathroom door for when I have to use the bathroom. There are toys in there and its right next to a big sliding door so they play and look out the window.

 

I would put mine in our bedroom and put in a movie they liked so I could get a quick shower in. Now I just put them in the shower with me. Maybe you could see if they liked the shower, and then they could get in with you! Then you wouldn't have to do it later! I've put them in the bathroom with me before, and left the shower door open, but they get into my make-up and stuff! It is easier to dry them off than to clean them and the mess up after leaving them in the bathroom! You just have to see what works for you!

 

I would use a crib or a pnp ...or the superyard if you are 100% sure they can't get out of the superyard (we don't use one of those so I don't know). I wouldn't go with the "totally babyproofed room" because I'm finding that what I think is babyproofed with my two is actually not

 

I don't think I would leave them either, if it is in a superyard and they don't climb maybe it would be safe. Test it a few times by leaving them in there and going in the kitchen where they don't think you can see them.

 

i cant leave them alone... i bring them in to the bathroom with me... if i am desperate for a shower. sometimes i wait until night when i can just go it alone and they are in bed...

 

I never had a superyard, so I'm not sure. But if they will stay there and not get out, I'd do it. I'd probably put the monitor by them and the other part in the bathroom so I could hear if there was major meltdown going on.

Normally I shower before they get up, but in your case I'd end up waiting to shower until their naptime. But mine are older and I could never leave them alone because they climb and terrorize, and they'd be up in my bedroom/bathroom in a heartbeat anyways...even if I left them downstairs with a movie.

This is why I work out early in the morning. And if we do walk, it's usually right before DH gets home so I can grab a shower in a reasonable amount of time anyways.

 

I don't think it would scar them for life (I'd probably go with the superyard, as opposed to a totally babyproofed room) -- I just would worry that they'd get so worked up, it wouldn't be worth it. I'd probably wait until their naptime.

 

Ok, I guess I'm in the minority here, but I shower with mine in my room/bathroom all the time. I have a glass shower, so that helps...but my house is totally baby-proofed and generally they just stick around outside the shower and play. It's never been a problem here.

Reyna

 

at that age, i brought them into the shower with me. better to have them where i could see them, than to have them trying to escape any other place. i didnt have a super yard.

 

If they are awake, I can't leave my "destructo twins" alone. I usually forgo a shower or take a baby wipe shower after I exercise.

 

When I am alone and need to shower, I bring the girls in the bathroom with me. I have a big glass shower and can see them the whole time. I usually try to bring some toys or coloring books in with them and I just let them play while I shower. Most of the time they are right at the door looking at me. However, they will wander into the closet and "try on" all of my shoes which end up scattered all over the bathroom. I would n't feel comfortable leaving them in a different room out of my sight, so cleaning up the mess is what I have to do.

 

I either wait until they are napping or put them in their cribs to play (their room is right next to the bathroom). I don't think I would have left them alone in a room or a superyard at that age either. I also wouldn't bring them in the shower with me...someone would surely take a spill (probably me!)

 

QUOTE(mrsfussypants @ Apr 28 2008, 02:53 PM) [snapback]744188[/snapback]
Ok, I guess I'm in the minority here, but I shower with mine in my room/bathroom all the time. I have a glass shower, so that helps...but my house is totally baby-proofed and generally they just stick around outside the shower and play. It's never been a problem here.

Reyna


Yikes, I'm in the minority, too. I put in a Baby Einstein and hop in the shower...but it is very quick shower...I would say, under 3 minutes. Then, I just get ready and keep checking on them. I can hear them at this point so no worries. You know your kids better than us, if you think they can handle it, then go for it!

 

I brought the walker and the doorway jumper into the bathroom with me, put the brakes on the walker and then each could play while they watched me shower. Or, as we have a TV in the bedroom just outside the bathroom, I'd set up their doorway jumper and braked walker where they could watch Baby Einstein for a few minutes, and I could peek out at them frequently to make sure they were OK. Failing that I'd do the PNP with some toys in the bathroom with me. I did not like having them out of my sight at that age.

 

Ewww-that is a tough age for that, I think they would be fine in a playard while you take a quick one. I dont think it would effect them to be alone for a bit, but that is when the get into things.

 

Holly, I started doing that around 9 mos. In the Superyard with Sesame Street and a bunch of toys. I would work out on the treadmill and they would be fine! Then I would shower and get them!! It's a GREAT solution!!!

 

If I need to shower while Mary is awake, I just put her in her crib with a couple toys. She is the same age as your twins.

 

I put my girls in a mini crib when I shower if they are awake. I put on Sesame Street. It is usually for 10 minutes and they do fine. I did that with my oldest dd too. I would never let them have free reign at this age they would get into all kinds of trouble.

 

Mine are a few months older than you but I know I couldn't have done that......I even can do it when they napping (because they sleep together and chances of them waking each other is a lot. I shower when DH is home (early morning or at night) makes for a stinky mama but I am a bit paranoid like that.

 

I have showered with them in a playpen, preferably just in the next room where I can hear them. It's really no different than putting them in their crib awake for naptime. They are awake & play for awhile before going to sleep, but it doesn't hurt them.

 

Thanks for all the replies!

There are a couple reasons why I can't wait until naptime to shower. Most important, I can't put them down for a nap if I haven't showered, because we nurse before naps, and DD flat out REFUSES to nurse if I haven't showered. (Even if it's 20F outside and windy and I hardly even broke a sweat! Picky picky picky.) Also (warning, TMI!!!) I tend to get YIs if I delay showering after exercise at all. :blush:

I think I'll try double and triple checking the babyproofing in the bathroom, and just lock them up with me, like lots of you suggested. And we'll see how it goes... Maybe if I sing silly songs loud enough they won't mind!

 

Is your concern about safety or that you feel bad leaving them? DO they have seperation anxiety?

In my experience, no matter how much I baby proofed the bathroom, there was still stuff for thm to get into (mainly the splashing in the toilet and unrolling the toilet paper) and climbing in the sinks. I consider both of these more of a safety concern than leaving them in the playyard alone for a few. They might not like it, bu tthey will be ok.

 

I left them in the crib or the pack'n'play or the superyard while I showered. They're fine, completely unscarred.

 

I leave mine in the crib with toys and they do fine.

 

I would leave my kids in the house , but i would close all bedroom doors and keep a baby monitor in the bathroom!!

it's a small one level house with 4 bedrooms

i don't do it often cause i normally don't have to , but when i need to i don't hesitate! our house is completely baby proof ( i mean completely ...we have 2 couches and huge tv and some lamps on a shelf that they can't get to...the kitchen has their high chairs, a kitchen table with chairs that we lay down and an island , all cabinet doors have the locks on them, the hallway is merely a long hallway with doors that we close, sorry for going into detail about my home , just thought i would make things clear!)

but having the baby monitor gives me extra peice of mind ... and i love hearing them play together while i'm showering, it's too cute

but this is just me and my home , i'm sure other homes could be more complicated.
I'd make sure that there is nothing that they can climb on or tip over on top of eachother.

 

My girls are happy to play in their crib anytime of the day. As long as I put something with them to play with in there. Our "Twinadoes" as I call them if they are left alone longer than 5 minutes would have any place destroyed!!!!!!!!! Good luck...and you shower after you exercise lucky. I shower in the morning, exercise then stink all day. But I don't go anywhere either except to target or safeway.

jena

 

For me, no, I live in a row home so I wouldn't leave them downstairs nd my boys would scream their head off if I ever put them in the crib and it wasn't nap time making for a very stressful shower. I only took quick showers when they were very small and I could put them in their bouncy seat. I take showers early in the morning or during their one nap a day which is 12:30-2pm, plus alot of times we will take them around the park in them morning and if it is hot out I take a shower when we get back and I put them down.

 

At that age I took them in with me.

 

Honestly, I can't remember what I did at that age (is half my brain fried?! :blink: ) But when they were a bit older, I would shower in the bathroom that's in the spare bedroom. The bedroom is childproofed and I would leave the bathroom door open and the shower curtain open a little so I could watch them. The bedroom door would be shut to contain them.

I'd be OK with a superyard if it was close to the bathroom so I could hear what they were doing, or better yet, peek through the curtain at them. Locking them in the bathroom sounds like a good idea too.

Funny that they won't nurse off their sweaty mama! Those kids have class!

Michelle

 

at that age I'd put them in the exersaucer and throw in Baby Einstein - and I have my shower timed to 5 minutes and that includes a teeth brushing (if I have to shave my legs then I wait and do it during nap time or when DH is home) but now at nearly 2 they will watch TV in my bedroom if they're up and I need a shower - no scarring!