Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Frequency of children bathing, showering and washing

44 replies

C1rrus · 17/02/2019 07:01

How old are your children, and how often are their ablutions?

How does that compare with your age and your childhood?

I was born 1980 and were washed in the sink or in front of the living room gas fire til I was about four.

After that it was bath night on a Sunday, both sisters in the same tub. I also remember being sent to wash my hands or wash behind my ears(??) with a flannel before bed.

I don’t think I really had a shower until I was a teenager and staying over at my boyfriend’s house or swimming regularly.

I don’t have children, but my natural nieces/nephews bath once a week (shared bath) and those of my boyfriend shower fail (separate en suites).

OP posts:
Original poster
C1rrus · 17/02/2019 07:02

“daily” not “fail”.

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 17/02/2019 07:03

If you've not got children, I'm not really sure why you're interested in how often mine have a shower OP.

Hollowvictory · 17/02/2019 07:04

Reported.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
Weightsandmeasures · 17/02/2019 07:06

Growing up we showered daily. Twice a day when it was hot. My son has a bath or shower 5 times a week.

Original poster
C1rrus · 17/02/2019 07:09

sigh

My ponderings are inspired by the thread in AIBU about how people managed 100+ years ago, and one person commented about how people must have been very smelly... and that got me thinking about changes in my life time.

OP posts:
Original poster
C1rrus · 17/02/2019 07:11

Weightsandmeasures do you mind me asking how old you are? I can't remember any household from my childhood that actually had a shower fitting available.

This has just reminded me about a rubber contraception my mum got (possibly from Avon) that fitted over the ends of the taps and enabled her to wash our hair!

OP posts:
anniehm · 17/02/2019 07:23

Sounds similar to most people pre 1990 or so - we moved in the 80's and had a shower from then (in our old house it was a jug in the bath!) so from then 3 times a week or so but under 10 years old weekly baths.

adaline · 17/02/2019 07:25

I was born late eighties and we had a shower over the bath. I've had daily baths or showers my whole life.

SparklingTwilight · 17/02/2019 07:31

are you sure you don't mean 1880 Hmm I was born in 1979 and everyone I knew had a shower, even if it was just one of those that fitted over the bath taps.

Original poster
C1rrus · 17/02/2019 07:33

Perhaps I grew up in a poorer family than you? Or in a more socially deprived area of the country?

OP posts:
blackteaplease · 17/02/2019 07:38

I was born in 1980 and we didn't have a shower until I was a teenager as we couldn't afford to fit one.

As a child I can't remember bathing frequency. Definitely on a Sunday to get ready for school.

I have 3dc aged between 3 and 9, and used to daily baths, this has slipped to 2/3 times a week depending on how filthy they and how late we have got home from work/ childcare.

ValleyoftheHorses · 17/02/2019 07:41

How old are your children, and how often are their ablutions?

  1. He has a bath every other day and if he’s been swimming or is very dirty. Probably 4 or baths a week.

How does that compare with your age and your childhood?
About the same.

DelurkingAJ · 17/02/2019 07:51

Born in 1980. There was a shower fitted and I was bathed every night. As did everyone I knew. Upper middle class so possibly it was an affluence thing?

Original poster
C1rrus · 17/02/2019 07:53

(I really regret starting this thread!).

OP posts:
SherlockSays · 17/02/2019 07:56

Born 1988 and we didn't have a shower until my parents bought our council house and had extra money for a new bathroom, I was around 13 at this point.

Bath night was a Sunday in our house - 4 kids all in the same bath water with top ups of hot in-between!

Zebedee88 · 17/02/2019 08:11

I was born in late 80's. No showers, except we had the rubber thing that fitted on to the taps which was a nightmare when it came off one of them so you were either cold or suddenly burning! Only had 2 baths a week, Sunday and generally mid week. Sometimes a quick wipe down with a flannel. The children I look after use to have a bath every day, now it's turned to every other night. They sometimes have showers but prefer baths.

3in4years · 17/02/2019 08:29

Growing up we had a bath once a week. Gross.
My kids bath every day.

KindergartenKop · 17/02/2019 08:29

I grew up in a middle class family, born mid 80s to parents born early 50s. My parents bathed twice weekly and strip washed every morning so we did the same.
My own kids bath/shower at least every other day, depending on time constraints and it's usually every day in suncream/dust season.

AguerosAngel · 17/02/2019 08:32

Born 1972, was bathed every night up until the early 80’s when we had a shower fitted. I shower twice a day now.

DS is 12 and he showers twice a day (he does loads of sport and is quite stinky)

TheClaifeCrier · 17/02/2019 08:42

Born in the early 80s and I honestly can't remember! I'm impressed with everyone's memories. We moved a lot and we definitely had a shower in the house from aged 13 but earlier than that I have no idea. Perhaps I'm going senile...

Had two kids, 6 and 3. Bath every other night unless filthy. Strip wash at the sink on the other days.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 17/02/2019 08:54

(I really regret starting this thread! that's a simple one to sort. Report your original post and ask MNHQ to remove the thread.

Gooseysgirl · 17/02/2019 08:55

Born mid 70s, baths a couple of times per week. No proper shower in our house until mid/late 80s. Middle income family at the time. Our kids (5 & 7) shower three times per week in winter, daily during hot weather.

OMGithurts · 17/02/2019 08:58

The scalding/freezing rubber shower hose OF DOOM Shock we refused, got our hair washed with a big yellow sandcastle bucket. Didn't get a proper power shower fitted until around 1994.

DD is 4 and gets her hair washed roughly once a week. It's thick and knotty and a bit curly so it's a fucking nightmare. She has a 'splish splash bath not a hair washing bath' another 1/2 times a week. DS is 1, he gets his hair washed every time they bath, because he is a minger and rubs food in it (plus his hair is short and not as thick).

SomebodysNotInBedYet · 17/02/2019 08:59

We didn't get a shower installed til 2000. My grandparents had one installed the year before and it was a novelty. Big houses and fairly well off family.

Josiebloggs · 17/02/2019 09:09

We had a rubber shower thing on the bath taps and I'd have a bath every other day but my friend used to bath once a week in the bath water her dad then her mum then her 2 older brothers had used. I used to think it was very strange and rather disgusting but presumably they just could not afford to heat the water any more than that.

Swipe left for the next trending thread