How often do you bathe your toddler?

[PlumpShady]

A conversation with a friend has left me wondering if I'm really gross!

My 2 year old has a bath twice a week - usually one weekend one where she will have her hair washed, nails cut, ears cleaned etc and one shorter midweek one. That's it, unless we've been doing something like painting.

Friend said her toddler has a bath every night. Is this normal?

I wash her face every morning and evening and frequently her hands, is it enough?!?

About twice a week. Top and tail daily.

Dd had a bath tonight to warm her up after being out in the cold, no soap, just a soak in nice warm water.

Twice a week. Once after swimming and one midway through the week between swimming sessions. Eg Tuesday and Saturday

We did daily & teen dc have continued that now.

Kids get very messy & sticky & I always preferred to put them to bed lovely & clean + it was part of the evening wind down.

Despite what anyone says on here you can often smell children who are not washed frequently enough.

How often my three year old showers depends on what time of year it is/where we are.

Holiday in a hot country or UK heatwave:
Every morning.

Regular UK summer: Every other evening.

Other seasons: Twice a week in the evening.

Every day he has his hands and face washed multiple times and can take himself to the toilet so no nappies. When he did have nappies we used cloth wipes so he was having a proper downstairs wash at least four times a day.

When he was a baby we were told by the midwives not to wash him every day as it would be bad for his skin.

I did it every day. It was part of the bedtime routine from the first day home. Plus they loved the bath! It was a nice fun time and they were warm and clean for book then bed.

Always daily and both my DC have eczema. We always used gentle products so as not to irritate their skin. My toddlers got dirty and needed a daily bath/shower.

2yo was having a bath every other night but it’s every night more recently as we live on a farm and the mud has increased 1000000%. Also he bloody loves the bath so it’s a fun way to warm up in the colder weather!

Every evening

Everyday. Pre-schoolers often come home with half the nursery sandpit in their socks and hair.

I’ve never smelt a young child (nappy aside) but I have seen a few with very greasy hair. I didn’t realise kids get greasy hair - I thought it’d be like sweating, starting more towards puberty. I did wash my DC’s hair less frequently than every night though when they had a dry scalp.

Every evening since day 1. Really helps them wind down, relax and meant pretty much guaranteed sleep from 7pm til 11pm when babies.

As reluctant toddlers it was the way I got them upstairs to "go and see if there is a spider in the bath". They'd play for hours while I tided and organized upstairs.

Twice a week (Weds and Sun) here.

I did twice a week at that age too, unless they'd been to the beach or somethings d were full of sand and salt water. And some people might be horrified to hear that on occasions it was only once a week!

Every day, but it's usually just playing in clean water. It's part of the routine and he enjoys it. We wash him with soap twice a week (his nursery days) or extra if he's gotten dirty that day.

@Emi199 my dc are now much older but I remember when they were little I was also surprised my how many small kids had v smelly hair.
We used to invite playgroup mums & kids over & often if they kids had been playing in dcs bedroom or playroom I could smell them afterwards

Its a warm oily not fresh smell. Hair that needed to be washed more often for sure.

To be honest some of the mums didn't smell that great either! But reading about people's hygiene on MN I'm not too surprised!

As a teacher, I see first hand how kids do get nicknames for things like this, as cruel as it is. It starts when they’re young with comments like “You don’t wash” or “You’re smelly.”

I understand that, Christmastree and Emi. I was the scruffy child at school (not the only one I suppose but nobody minded if they offended me with remarks). Once I got past thirteen I took matters into my own hands and did my best with hygiene but before that my mother said I was not dirty and a weekly bath was sufficient. Hair was washed fortnigthtly and later, weekly. When I was smaller she never taught me how to thoroughly wash myself at the basin, obviously I got to know how later but kids need feet, armpits and privates washed.

Mine was bathed or showered every morning and often evening if it was hot or got dirty; hair every day. I did the same. I used unscented, gentle products and there were no skin problems. He has remained a clean person (now in forties), without being obsessive or making a thing out of it, and always smells wholesome.

3yo DS - twice a week, purely because it traumatises him for reasons we cannot work out!!

He spends the whole time before it trying to convince us to dress him because he thinks getting dressed makes him exempt from the bath.

Then he will willingly get in and let us wash him but screams like he's being murdered the whole way through washing.

And then you can't get him out the bloody thing as he starts happily playing with his toys!

Have absolutely no idea why he's like this about the bath, he's never had a traumatic experience or anything!

This is similar to my daughter, you'd think I was bathing her in sick the way she screams when I'm coaxing her in! Luckily once she's in she chills right out and enjoys it but it still puts me off.

She is in a fresh vest and outfit daily though and I definitely don't think she smells!

When my DD was a toddler she got bathed once a day in the evenings. She always played hard, so a daily bath was necessary.