How long should a 12 year old spend in the shower?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one positively amazed that this is even a concern? Are you scared your daughter is going to drown in a SHOWER? Is this really a problem worth taking the time to post about? Stunned.

I am completely stunned to. My son takes 20 minute showers. I don't care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one positively amazed that this is even a concern? Are you scared your daughter is going to drown in a SHOWER? Is this really a problem worth taking the time to post about? Stunned.

I am completely stunned to. My son takes 20 minute showers. I don't care.

We are trying to teach her consideration for the rest of the family and be environmentally friendly. Water is not a limitless commodity you know. And why did you take the time to respond with this post? Stunned!

[Anonymous]

can't believe how many people allow their children to take long showers. I am absolutely shocked that so many people mentioned taking showers lasting up to 20 minutes or even longer.

I wash my hair and sometimes shave my underarms and I am still out in less than 10 minutes. That has been my pattern my whole life starting from when the well at home would literally "run dry" if you wasted too much water.

Don't people realize that there is a severe water shortage in many areas of the country?

There are several areas that have a limit on new subdivisions being built because of the limited water available.

My son lives in California and chastises us if we flush the toilet too often when we visit (and he is much more lenient than many of his friends regarding water usage). If I took a 30 minute shower he would probably think that I was single handedly trying to keep drinking water from his family or irrigation water from the farmers trying to raise food to feed America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:can't believe how many people allow their children to take long showers. I am absolutely shocked that so many people mentioned taking showers lasting up to 20 minutes or even longer.

I wash my hair and sometimes shave my underarms and I am still out in less than 10 minutes. That has been my pattern my whole life starting from when the well at home would literally "run dry" if you wasted too much water.

Don't people realize that there is a severe water shortage in many areas of the country?

There are several areas that have a limit on new subdivisions being built because of the limited water available.

My son lives in California and chastises us if we flush the toilet too often when we visit (and he is much more lenient than many of his friends regarding water usage). If I took a 30 minute shower he would probably think that I was single handedly trying to keep drinking water from his family or irrigation water from the farmers trying to raise food to feed America.

So, he is weird. So what?

[Anonymous]

I've recently moved to CO and we're in the midst of a drought. 5 min, 10 min tops. teach her to conserve water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Good grief. So, it's ok in this country to waste natural resources? It's time people started appreciating what so many parts of the world( and some parts of the USA) consider a complete luxury.

OP has every right to insist her daughter take a shower, and get out. How long it takes her to wash herself is the issue, and I question if 7 minutes is really long enough, so, as I said, 10-15 sounds about right. A 12 yr old does not need to play in the shower. And, OP doesn't need to upgrade her plumbing so she can.

yes, this! What a bunch of entitled people posting here! No wonder we're running out of water. We should ALL be teaching our kids not to waste natural resources, in part by setting a good example. Yes, I've been known to take a longer shower than needed, especially in the winter, but on a normal day, I'm and and out in 10 minutes, and I have long hair.

[Anonymous]

DCUMs is full of entitled folks!!! Agreed. It is such a waste f water. There are millions of people around the world who don'thave access to clean drinking and bathing water and walk for miles each day to collect water from some dirty pond to bring home and drink. Do you realize more people die from water-related illnesses that war? Its an enormous problem worldwide and to let your children or for you all to just stand in the shower and dance or relax for 20-30 minutes each day is shocking! Each of you should take a trip to impoverished ares of the world and spend some time with people who would be truly grateful to have the luxury of turning on the faucet to get a sip of water. Please teach your children to not be so wasteful.

OP-ten min is plenty!

[Anonymous]

OP, is this the only shower in your home?

[Anonymous]

7 minutes? I didn't know a kid could get clean in that time!

[Anonymous]

Taking shorter showers on the East Coast doesn't do anything to help drought conditions in Colorado or California.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Leave her alone- sheesh.

+1 Leave her alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7 minutes? I didn't know a kid could get clean in that time!

My kids could. They were raised in AZ, knowing they were growing up where water use was restricted by law because it depended on the snow pack hundreds of miles away. They got a free geography lesson. They got a free economics lesson when they were shown the water bill and found out that the more they used the more it cost. Their free civics lesson came when they learned to be responsible citizens who didn't suck up resources. They knew how to get clean in seven minutes. Or less.

They also knew how to place a bucket under the tap to catch the water before it warmed up and use it to flush the toilet.

[Anonymous]

Wow. Some very hostile comments.

I will clear a few things up.

We are getting ready for the new school year and wanting to work out any kinks before school starts for a smoother transition for her.

Up till now she has been allowed to stand in the shower as long as she wants which is usually 20+ minutes. We think that is too long. There is very little time for the water to get right temp and I would never expect anybody to get in the shower before hot water kicks in. and that amount of time does not include drying off or getting dressed or drying her hair.

I don't watch her.
I have watched her to see what she is doing to take so long. That is when I noticed her standing in a trance still at 15-20 minutes without even soaping up, washing her hair or rinsing off. So then she feels pressured to do all that in 5 minutes.
She has just gotten out of a full 8 or 9 hours of sleep so I don't think she needs to relax. She needs to WAKE UP and start her day.

She has no privacy concerns. I wish she did. Even though she is just beginning to get breast buds and is aware of them she makes no effort to cover up with a towel or get fully in her clothes in front of the rest of the family. I've talked to her about modesty and the fact she is a developing young women she doesn't seem to understand. When school starts she will be undressing (somewhat) in front of other girls for PE and I've told her she should turn around and be modest and not be looking at the other girls. This will be a new experience for her. She and her sister share a very large bedroom(by choice) and they are naked in front of each other every day. I only see her naked when she walks out of the shower to ask a question or to talk to me. I always remind her to cover up.

We are teaching our kids to be respectful of the rest of the family, time management and also to not be wasteful of anything really. We recycle, have a compost pile and a rain barrel for the small veggie garden.

[Anonymous]

I can only imagine if a father said he lay in bed and watched his children shower through the glass door to see what they did in the shower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:7 minutes? I didn't know a kid could get clean in that time!

My kids could. They were raised in AZ, knowing they were growing up where water use was restricted by law because it depended on the snow pack hundreds of miles away. They got a free geography lesson. They got a free economics lesson when they were shown the water bill and found out that the more they used the more it cost. Their free civics lesson came when they learned to be responsible citizens who didn't suck up resources. They knew how to get clean in seven minutes. Or less.

They also knew how to place a bucket under the tap to catch the water before it warmed up and use it to flush the toilet.

Well pin a rose on their nose.