I only bath my toddler once a week - am I the only one?

[bohemianbint]

I mean, obviously I wash him every day, but he only gets to go in the bath and have his hair washed once a week or so. Unless something hugely messy happens.

I just don't think he needs it any more than that but everyone I know seems to do it every day. I partly just wouldn't be bothered but is it good for their skin washing them all over with soap every day?

[Lulumama]

i bath mine 5 -6 times a week i sling her in the bath with DS, and they have a good splash around, which also takes up half an hour in the limbo between dinner and bed time...

but they both seem to attract dirt. DD always looks like she has been dragged through a hedge and can never wear the same outfit twice as there is always something sticky or unidentifiable on it at the end of the day

[Listmaker]

I did bath mine 2 or 3 times a week but have only ever washed their hair once a week and they are fine - now 10 and 8. No need for all this washing and I just couldn't be arsed with it!

[thequietone]

I bath toddler DS every day as it's part of his bedtime routine. Have been a handful of times when he's too ill or it's too late to do it. As for washing hair, once every 2 weeks if that.

[expatinscotland]

Every other day here, more if they're especially mucket.

[Baffy]

I probably do 5 times a week. Routine mainly and because it's easier to let him splash for 10 mins than pin him down and wash him with a flannel.

[PhDlifeNeedsaNewLife]

My ds is only 9m and we are having to bath him every day because we're doing BLW

[fluffyanimal]

I do bath ds every day, more for the fun and the routine than the cleaning, but ever since he had an episode of eczema, I've never used soap. He just gets in warm water and splashes around. I only use soap if he's actually got visible dirt somewhere, or to wash his hands if he's been playing outside etc.

[tasjaSAmuminUK]

No one ever died of being clean!

[babyinarms]

I used to bath my DS once a day, sometimes twice a day because of his eczema!
Thankfully it has all settled down and now i only bath him twice a week, I think it depends on the child and how messy they are.
I'm sure come the summer when we are outdoors more he might need a bit more scrubbing!!
So if your DC is clean and not smelly....don't worry, we only ever had a bath once a week growing up and it didnt do us any harm!...god i sound like my mother

[Brangelina]

No, I only bath mine once a week, either Sat or Sun evening. I used to do daily ones in a little baby bath when they still had a soporific effect, but don't bother now that's worn off. I really don't have time during the week and anyway little ones don't get dirty.

[sweetkitty]

3 times a week here unless they are particularly mucky i.e. in the summer when they have been out in the garden or had loads of suncream on them. Some of my friends think I am a bit mad that I don't bath them every day, I think they are mad too much hassle to do it every day.

[Niecie]

We have never bathed our boys every day. Can't see the point unless they are really dirty and usually it is only hands and face that get disgusting.

Certainly for the first year or 18 months of DS1's life it used to be once a week but then we fell for the pressure of thinking that everybody else does it and so did it more often. Now both boys (who are 7 and 4 now) are bathed on Mondays Wednedays and Friday nights and Sunday mornings when they get their hair washed too.

Actually I don't think it does their skin that much good to be bathed more often. DS2 had very dry skin for a while which was always worse after a bath.

We aren't alone either. I do know of (a few) other parents who don't bath their children daily.

[MrsMattie]

Bathe my son about 4 times a week, but only wash his hair once a week as it gets too dry if washed more frequently. He loves the bath and sees it as a treat (strange kid!), so sometimes I bathe him just for something to do, rather than to clean him.

[Sparkler]

As toddlers my girls were bathed at least every other day. I encouraged them to get messy - we used to do loads of painting, playing outside etc and they got filthy. And as another poster said it was part of a bedtime routine with mine too. Now they are older 8 and 6 they get bathed and hair washed about 3 times a week. IMO I think it's important to get them into regular bathing - 1) because it gets them used to it for when they are older and 2) for hygiene reasons "down below", all that toileting must require cleanliness iykwim

[SuperGrrrl]

every other day here, with hair washed once a week.

[bohemianbint]

Hmmmm. So I'm not alone but very much in the minority then!

[katie5004]

i bathe my son every day unless its to late or for some other reason i cant,but this is not very often.he gets his hair washed everyday aswel-as hes in the bath may aswel wash his hair.like to make sure hes clean and fresh eveyday and is part of his routine anyway.

[Brangelina]

My 2yo DD doesn't get dirty. She has no hormones so doesn't get BO, she's potty trained so no poo up her back (even when she pooed in her nappies I'd always wash her bum in the bidet), she's walking and wears socks and shoes so no dirty knees and hands. She gets her hands washed and her bum sponged down before bed but that's it. She really doesn't need any more.

[Racers]

In the minority with you. 2-3 (often 2) times a week is fine for DD (2.5), though she is a pretty clean sort of person, always wanting to wash hands, wipe up her face etc. Hair washed once a week unless paint in it etc

[nervousal]

PhD - whats BLW?????

[Racers]

Baby Lead Weaning. Self feeding etc. They do get rather messy, it's true, we sort of did it (but I'd never heard of the term, just seemed the natural thing to do)

[Brangelina]

Yep, that's what I meant