To wash hair once a week - disagreement with Mil!

[Enidblyton1]

Just wondering how often your DCs have a bath/shower and wash their hair? Mine (aged 5 and 2) have a bath most evenings - at least 5 out of 7 days a week - and wash with soap. Hair wash once a week on a Sunday.
Mil was horrified to learn that they don't have a thorough wash every single night and appalled that hair is only done once a week.
Now I'm beginning to doubt my routine..... AIBU?

[OhTheRoses]

Hmm, I think mine had a bath every other day. DS always had a haireash with bath. DD every other bath so every 4/5 days.

[HarryPottersMagicWand]

I think you are bathing them too much tbh. Mine get 3 showers or baths a week, hair washed each time. Extra shower if they are muddy or something but that's not often. DS has eczema and it's not good for him to wash too much.

I remember only having one bath and hairwash a week when I was little, and I was only allowed the tiniest bit of water. I was fine. Every day just isn't necessary for children.

[AuditAngel]

Not if it works for you and they aren't stinky.

DD2 bathes every 2-3 days and probably hairwashes weekly (just turned 6), DD1 is 9.5 and needs to wash her hair more frequently.

[HedgehogHedgehog]

YANBU
As a child i washed my hair once a week. My LO who is nearly 2 only has his hair washed once a week and only has a bath every few days.
Washing too often dries out the hair and skin. Unless your kids are getting ridiculously dirty rolling about in mud, theres no need to wash their hair ever day at all and in fact it would have a very bad effect on their hair.

[That1950sMum]

Mine have a bath every day and wash hair every other day.

[EnidClowes]

Same here and same ages of DC. They maybe only have bubbles once a week though. Hands are always washed with soap during the day, before food, after loo etc.
I hardly ever do bathtimes (DH mostly does then and I do their meals). Hairwash is my duty and it's only ever once a week unless they've dunked themselves in something.

[tiktok]

What's it got to do with your MiL? Why does she feel she can express how horrified she is?

Your wash/bath routine is fine, btw.

[MiniCooperLover]

We bath or shower every most evenings because he's often filthy coming home from school (stopped off at playground on the the way and he's 5). Hair wash is generally every other day but we don't use bubbles in his water. Every now and then we just need him to go to bed so rush him up. There's no set rule, you're the parent, you know if they're dirty, or need a wash.

[NataliaOsipova]

Mine have a bath every day (but sometimes like to jump in with me at the weekend as well!) and hair washed twice a week. But your routine sounds absolutely fine and dandy to me. Can't see why your MIL is commenting at all.

[ErrolTheDragon]

YANBU. 'Topping and tailing' in between baths every 2-3 days is usually sufficient. Little kids hair doesn't get greasy so as long as its not got the likes of porridge, gravy or mud encrusted in it, it really doesn't need doing very often, and the odd bit of dinner can often be sponged out (thank goodness, if you have child who goes through a hairwash phobic stage!)

[littlepeas]

Dc are 8, 7 and 5 - very quick shower every weekday morning before school (not hair). Shower and hair washed on Saturday after swimming. Sunday off. Sometimes they have a bath, just to muck about.

It's nothing to do with your mil.

[angelikacpickles]

Mine are 2 and 5 as well and they get two baths a week, hair washed both times.

[BossWitch]

My DD (2 and a half) gets a bath and a hair waah on Sunday. She's fine, perfectly healthy and not at all smelly! She's prone to eczema so I wouldn't ever do a daily bath, but mostly we just can't fit it in to the evening routine!

Though I should say she is a very clean child, she's never been one to rub yogurt in her hair or colour in her face with a sharpie, so she doesn't take much cleaning up really.

[maras2]

Agree with ticktock. None of her business.Your kid, your rules. .

[Ankleswingers]

Mine have a bath and hair wash every day. They get very grubby and filthy; there's no way I couldn't not do it.

[Enidblyton1]

Thanks for your replies!
I was taken aback by Mil's comments because we get on well and generally agree on things. Think I will have to show her your responses!

[Bimblepops]

Two DS's, aged 5&7. They wash (usually a shower) about 3 times a week. Both clean, tidy, non-smelly, lovely kids.

If they wash any more than that, they both have excema flare ups, so it's really not tempting!

[thatsn0tmyname]

Ours have bath and hairwash twice a week, flannel wash morning and evening otherwise. They only have an extra shower if grubby. When I was young I had a bath/ hairwash once a week.

[Wayfarersonbaby]

DD (nearly 4) has a bath every day, just because it's part of her evening routine, and a good way to wind down before bed. Plus she is naturally a mud and food magnet and has atrocious table manners, not a good combination with a liking for tomato-based sauces, so she generally needs a decent wash at the end of the day She is in dire need of a bath on any nursery night, as she likes to take her socks off in the nursery sandpit and will come back with orange feet. Why they can't get sand that doesn't dye the kids I don't know....

I wash her hair 2-3 times a week - depends on how much food it's been attracting! She has flyaway curly hair so I wouldn't do it more than that as then it gets frizzy.

[catkind]

Bath once a week with hair wash here. They also go swimming midweek with showers before/after.

[littlepeas]

It does depend a bit on the child - my youngest is constantly covered in all sorts of crap and needs a daily wash. My dd never gets a speck of anything on herself and always smells lovely - I think if I only had her she'd be washed less frequently.

[SatsukiKusakabe]

Same ages - Bath every night before bed, hair wash twice a week.

They sometimes miss a bath or two if we've been out late, they're ill, don't really need one, not a big deal. They didn't have a bath for a few days last week as we were away and busy so they had one in the morning when we were home.

I had them less as a child and remember really looking forward to having my hair washed; felt really aware of it.

I think what you are doing sounds fine - there is a wide range of fine.

[PickAChew]

I'm impressed that you have kids who can go that long without applying the gravy hair gel.

With kids, if mucky, then wash, else don't bother.

[Clandestino]

Shower and hair wash three times a week. I believe that young skin should be given the chance to develop properly and don't think the constant exposure to water and soaps helps it. That said, DD would shower after sports or a hot day or even when she was out swimming etc. But I don't think they need the shower every day. Hair wash once a week doesn't seem often enough to me though. I can't imagine DD's hair after one week without washing.

[SpookyMooky]

Hairwash once a week, bath/shower we aim for 3 times a week but sometimes only manage 2.

Their hair doesn't need washing multiple times a week - I do think there is some truth in the theory that the more you wash it, the more you need to wash it. I think it was done more often at 2 because of food spreadage and some cradle cap.