My daughter is 4 years old and she likes to think of herself as a big girl and she wants to bath alone. I tell her that she can't close the bathroom door when she is taking a bath because I need to be able to see and hear her. I usually putter around outside the bathroom while she is bathing, keeping within eye and earshot. What age would you say is old enough to bath alone? My son didn't bath alone till he started taking showers, but he always needed assistance anyways. 5 yrs.,6 yrs. old; not till they can swim?

STB#1 was about that age for us. STB#2 took his baths with #1 until recently so he started younger on the no-parent bath. Can she rinse her hair well? I found that #1 started to develop "cradle cap" when he started taking care of his own hair because he didn't rinse well.

1st kid was 4 when he started bathing alone. I'd just leave the door open and just wander by occasionally.

I highly recommend Johnson's Bath Buddies Bar.
http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/product.do?id=56&productID=56&filterID=0
It helps the kids learn to bath themselves and you don't have to launder a bunch of wash cloths. The bestest part about them is that they don't dissolve as quickly as regular soap so it's no big deal if they float in the tub.

Kiwi- Thanks for the tip I will have to try that.
JM- I guess that is my concern that she won't get herself clean enough. She has really long hair, so it is hard to get it all soaped and rinsed. She doesn't seem to mind if I help a little.

Girl6 just recently started bathing somewhat on her own. We wash her hair because it's long and thick, then she shuts the shower door and washes her body. We let her have about 10 minutes and walk by a few times to remind her to wash. Otherwise she would spend the entire time singing songs from Camp Rock instead of washing.

Perhaps it's time she started taking showers? It'll improve the chances of throughly rinse hair. My boys have taken showers since they were about 6 months old. I'd either hold them or sit them in a bath seat. Now Mo (almost 6) showers by himself rather well.

It depends on whether it's a "play in the tub by myself" kind of thing or an actual "you are dirty as sin and must be washed" kind of bath.

Usually they played in the tub from about 4ish on but I would then go in and ensure that the actual washing was done.

O is 6 1/2 and still doesn't want to be alone. We compromise and I wash her long hair, then close the glass doors while she soaps and rinses her own body. She's stll a bit, um, not graceful and I worry that she'll slip and we won't be there.