Well I've never heard of that but I guess it could work if you can find a way for a drain stopper. Here the size of a shower drain is larger than a tub drain. We do have some clients that have no tub in their house and raised all of their children taking showers.

Don't forget that kids like to splash! And 5 or 6" of water would create a big splash. There are some extra small tubs available. What size space do you have?

This is not so technical but it sounds awkward to me. With a standard tub you kneel on the floor and can rest your elbows on the ledge of the tub and can lean into it for balance. With a 5 inch curb you need to lean in and wrangle a wet baby and keep your balance or you'll also be taking a bath.

I was knocking around what could be done with collapsible thresholds. Most are 1" high but Best Bath makes one that is 2" high, they also make a 2" adaptor kit, meant to serve as a hard threshold until the collapsible one is needed. They can be cut at home and installed with silicone, so they are temporary. I was thinking, while not super stylish, it would give you a few more temporary inches on your shower base and could come off down the road. Actually you wouldn't even need to install it until you have children if you still wish to go this path.
http://www.acessinc.com/handicap_shower_water_stopper.htm

thank you for your feedback! i have a 4 foot wide bathroom and 10 feel long. very narrow and a bathtub in this is really challenging. i think i'll go for a nice shower and get a plastic temp tub. thank you!!!

I stayed at a German hotel once which had a tub like you're describing. It was somewhere from 40-48 inches square and about 8-10 inches tall. It was a perfect size for taking a shower but still functional as a tub. I know they probably don't come large enough for you, but take a look at mop sinks. They come in sizes up to 30x30 or 24x36. Some companies may make larger ones also

I would get a shower with a hand-held shower head; it will be helpful when you have small children and need to rinse them or wash their hair. When young 0-12 months, babies can be bathed in a portable baby tub/small kiddie pool or a kitchen sink. Once they outgrow the portable tub/kitchen sink, you can shower your child by holding them in your arms (obviously you need to be very careful doing this). A shower with a 6" lip is not going to be a practical or fun bathing area by the time the child is 3 (assuming average size 3-yr-old). By that time, they should have no problem showering (supervised of course). This is especially helpful when you have several children and do not want to spend all evening bathing them. Also, the less time you have to spend bent over a tub, the happier you'll be.

I have the same question. I wish people would help with the initial question instead of offering other solutions, as we typically have thought of the "typical" options first. My daughter is 4 - I've used a plastic tub up till this point and am STILL wanting to do this. I built my shower initially with a river rock 3" lip and just wish I would have raised it up some. Any photos or ideas from someone would be helpful to us who would still like to do this. I'd tear it out and build it up more.. but not sure how to handle the drain situation. (I'm a DIY mom)

We have the same problem. Only enough room of a shower OR a bath. We really want a comfortable shower, but feel we must keep a tub for resale, and those odd events when only a bath will do. It's so frustrating, all the commercial bathtubs are a standard 14x30x60. The second one wants to get a larger tub (eg., 32" wide or more) to allow the person showering to have some room to take a comfortable shower, all the commercial tub products start offering Only "taller" tub walls. (Eg., 18"x32"x60"). Suddenly, the tubs become like deep buckets, that you have to seriously climb into. Frustrating!!!

Having done a lot of kid bathing with three kids, I would say get a tub and put a handheld shower over it. There are 15 inch high tubs if you really want a lower one but kneeling to bath toddlers in some lower shower will be hard. Easier for adults to step in a tub to shower.

I have a Pulse Shower Spa which is wall mounted in our tiled shower. They make different models, but the one we have has two panels which fold out and reveal 6 spa heads. There is a fexible arm which hold the rain shower head up high, a bar with hose attached to an adjustable hand held wand, and finally beneath is the tub filler--which does not stick out much so should be safe for young children who like to play in the water. We built the shower with a fairly high curb to keep water from splashing onto the tiled floor. Here are some pictures of the shower setup.

When I was young (and that was a long time ago) we lived in a house with a tiny square tub. It had a corner seat and the sides were very low but good for small children I'm sure. There are also small tubs which are sold today for recreational vehicles. Plus, I think galvanized tubs in various shapes can be drilled for drains just like kitchen sinks. In fact, my contractor told me the other day my 30 inch single bowl kitchen sink 10 inches deep was perfect for bathing babies.

The sink in the above bathroom is the ELFE by Porcher. I plan to change the faucet on it to a higher gooseneck arch to facilitate washing hands.

I am looking for a five inch high one piece shower tub. I am a senior and have difficulty getting into standard tubs. Five inches high would allow me to take sitz bathes when required. Anyone know where I can buy one? Can text me at 562 480 0102

A walk in tub with a hand shower works much better for those who are having issues.

I've seen it done. A closet was just the right size to convert to a shower/tub. It was about 10-14 inches deep and had a tub drain. Everything was tiled and I took a shower bath in it. Very nice and that is what I'm looking to do. I have a small bathroom with a tub, but it would look much larger with a shower and glass doors. But I still want a tub.

Any luck anyone finding a tub with low sides for the height? I have been looking nonstop.

I am about to remodel my bathroom and want exactly the same as the original poster. I hate baths with a passion but as my house is a family home with 5 bedrooms, apparently I have to have a bath for resale. I have decided to have a complete wet room. No glass! The shower will go from wall to wall (approximately 2 metres) and I am thinking of using besser blocks for the side of the tub, so height will be 190mm (7.5 inches) or I could use timber as it will all be waterproofed anyway. I will be putting a seating area in the shower and the recommended depth is 406mm (16 inches) making the bath about 1600mm long. I may even put a seat the other end of the shower to make the bath area 1200mm long. It will be at least a metre wide.

The closest thing I have seen was in a Caribbean home that had a shower approx 34 x 40 with a threshold of maybe 6-7 inches high. The shower was a comfortable size for adults and I was able to plug up the drain and fill the 'tub' for bathing young children. There was no problem reaching in to bathe the kids and the water was high enough for them to enjoy. So I am now planning to do the same in my home.... I will get a custom shower base approx 34 x 40-44 and then just make the threshold higher. I will tile all around including the threshold-- maybe put a ledge of granite or marble across the top. I do not see why I cannot uses the normal combo shower/ tub fixtures-- shower head, bath spout and diverter handle. Granted this tub will not be suitable for adults that want to recline but for toddlers that are able to sit it will be perfect. Newborns will still be bathed in the plastic tubs. Luckily for me I already have a large whirlpool tub for adults, but it is too big, too deep for kids.

Having also experienced a German shower stall that could be plugged and filled to provide about 10 inches of water, I am currently remodeling one of our bathrooms to allow for such. I was told that a challenge was ensuring that frequent and prolonged filling of water might deteriorate the tile surround used as a shower curb. To mitigate that potential problem we are using what is called the Wedi system that provides waterproof protection. One can custom order a curb in the height desired and tile over it. An alternative solution might simply be to have an entire high shower curb made out of corian that is solid all the way across and therefore not susceptible to grout/tile compromise from water.

What did you wind up doing? Were you able to find a specific product that worked for your situation? I'm seeing "mop sinks" that may work, but just beginning to explore and seriously looking for an affordable option.

I had the sides of my shower built up and sealed to make a shallow tub.

What kind of plug/drain did you use?

Yes! I want one for the same reason as above. I'm older and I'm finding it more difficult to climb into the tub but need one for resale

I'm a bath taker, but like a shallow bath. I have built several European baths in our homes (including one tiny home!) Base is just like a tile shower but with a higher threshold. Line with rubber and pour a mortar bed base. Concrete board sides. Then tile. I use a tub drain with removable stopper so shower will drain well.

This is my same desire , to provide a shallow bath within the shower for myself and my dogs! Even after persons have suggested those responding stay on the subject, people continue to offer alternatives. I have long love the old style step-down showers from the 1970s. They are awesome and incredibly functional. Apply a modern style and it’s a functional and inviting space ;)