My daughter's recent bath time demand has stunned me

My daughter has decided that my presence is no longer required during her nightly bath.

I hadn’t seen this coming just yet and it’s taking a little getting used to.

Grace is just seven-years-old so the prospect she is becoming body-conscious startles me somewhat.

I know that it’s a normal part of growing up and the insistence to assert her independence should be celebrated, but it’s left me a little cold.

Initially resisting her decision, I compromised and told her she could draw the shower curtain but I would remain in the bathroom and do what I normally do when I’m in there – lament the crooked tile above the sink and idly pick at the grouting while my daughter chatters endlessly.

This, however, lasted just a week before Grace told me in no uncertain terms that my shadowy presence behind the shower curtain was ‘giving her the creeps’.

 Reluctant to cut all contact completely, I resorted to sitting outside the open bathroom door while my daughter got to work with her soap and sponge.

I thought we had reached a fair agreement in this regard until last Friday when she told me she shouldn’t have to wash beside an open door because it was “making her cold and blue.”

She had a point. Who could relax in the tub when that damn draught from the attic is wafting into your tranquil space?

And that was that.

The door was closed and Grace grew up behind it.

If you think I’m being overly dramatic, you’re probably right, but I can’t help it.

Grace already gets herself dressed for school and play dates, helps prepare her own lunch and exudes an air of confidence that sometimes leaves me a little stunned.

So supervising her bath time was one of the few opportunities I had to connect with her on a basic mummy / daughter level.

While she chatted, I marvelled at the little person I had created who knew which shampoo she preferred, why she should take care of the excema on her elbow and what was likely to happen in Mummy’s office the next day.

While Grace evidently doesn’t need that time anymore, I do.

I need to feel needed and I want her to want my company, but forcing the issue would be nothing but unfair on her.

All the same….