to think people who don't bath/wash their DCs every night are lazy?

[BigMommaOf4]

I am shocked by the amount of people on here who state that they only bathe/wash their DCs once or twice a week. OK bad cases of excema accepted, I just think that's soooo lazy. No one IRL I know leaves it that long so is it just a peculiar Mumsnet trait because they are too busy MNing?

DTS1 has excema btw, I just cover him in an emollient before he gets in the bath and it does not exercerbate it.

I mean, come on, babies and toddlers in nappies, older Dcs not very efficient at bum wipeing - how can people leave them to fester for days?

In the 'olden days' when tin baths had to be got out and water boiled in a copper pot, obviously it was not possible every day but nowadays that's not the case.

Also my DCs love RELAXING in the bath/shower. It's not only for cleanliness. They love feeling warm, clean and comfortable before getting into bed. Even my 12 week old starts getting excited just from me taking him upstairs of an evening because he knows he's going in the bath and he adores it.

Do all these people, who only bath their DCs twice a year, have a bath/shower every day themselves? Bet they do! Feel sorry for the poor DCs.

TheBrideOfBlatherstein I agree, would bath DD less if I could get away with it but it is a nice way to spend half and hour, she enjoys it. She is not stinky though and therefore does not need washing every day. Flannel after mealtimes, bum cleaned promptly, how dirty are your children BigMommaOf4 ?

YABU and judgy, babies and children do not need a full bath every day. I bath dd (with eczema) 3 times a week, the rest of the time she has a quick shower, washing her face and down below and hands. There are times when we have been out and its late in the evening and we dont have time for a bath or shower, so rearly she goes without that day.

YABU

My kids have a bath/shower every day during summer, when it's hot and they sweat a lot/play outside in dirt etc.

Now it's every other day. Water dries your skin, it's expensive to have two baths a day and not environmentally friendly.

DD is in nappies and her bum gets wiped many times a day, her hands and face washed. I don't see how her legs or upper arms get so dirty now that she needs a bath every day.

besides BigMomma, you are slathering DCs in cream to counteract the effect of overwashing them! It doesn't make sense. MY dd has 3-4 baths a week and that is plenty - it's usually her hair that needs doing. If she was a boy with short hair I'd probably do it even less.

I bathe DS (2yrs) onve or twice a week because that's all he needs! There is such a thing as being too clean you know! I wash his face and hands every day and his bum and willy get wiped several times a day at each nappy change so I don't see the point in having a bath everyday with chemicals from the bubble bath/baby wash soaking into his delicate skin. I only use plain water.

I really don't agree with bathing young children every night as they don't sweat like adults do and are neither greasy or oily like teenagers so I have to ask, why? We all need some bacteria and it has been proven beneficial in helping us develop stronger immune systems so this washing every day is too much and it's no good for the environment.

Oooh, now you've made ME feel sorry for MY OWN children, with your heartstring-tugging post.

Is there a petition I can sign?

I bathed my children every night - but unless a child really stank or was clearly neglected, wouldn't ever comment on anyone else's approach, as I don't think a full bath is necessary from a cleanliness/hygiene perspective, did it more to help DCs wind down, and I like routine. Am at the OP ...

OP you are a daft bint. Mine have a bath or shower ALMOST every day, but your idea that they need a daily bath because they might have poo on their bottom made me smile. Just teach them to do it properly (not to do so would surely be lazy...)

blimey. I wonder what that makes me. Big A hasn't had a bath for 2.5 years and he's RUBBISH at wiping his arse.

He's also a labrador.

If they're dirty bath them if not - they can miss a day (or two). Never did mine every day once the naps got solid. But they always looked clean (getting dirty is quite another matter) and smelt clean. Glad those days are a thing of the past. The 15 year old showers at least twice a day - and the 11 year old is catching up fast.

Your kids must have fairly slack hygiene habits if you have to bath them every night. Perhaps you need to look at your parenting skills in general yes ?

I do bath the DCs almost every night, but that's because it's fun for DD and part of his routine for DS. If the DCs don't get a bath they always get a good wash at the washbasin. But occasionally DS is in such a dreadful overtired state that I can't face it and he just gets his teeth brushed.

We have no shower and I worked out that it costs us around 40p per bath (all electric) so neither DH nor I bath every day (sorry!).

Nope, I don't shower every day. I do wash daily, and I wash my children daily, but a full bath and hairwash twice a week. No-one has ever said that any of us smell It doesn't take long to rub a flannel all over and uses far less water!
By the way, I haven't spent the evening on mn, I have spent the last 2 1/2 hours marking year 11 work, and 1/2 hour planning a lesson.
yabu

My dc have bath every night with exception of when we go swimming and they have a shower at the leisure centre.
I agree that once a week is a bit grim. Still think YABU to say that parents who do not bath daily are lazy. They may have other reasons for not bathing daily and may be really busy.

What a very odd thing to get so worked up about. YABU.

YABU

now i AM lazy, definitely, and that's a factor in the very few times per fortnight that ds gets bathed (we do do flannel washes as well, though even those not every day). However, a bigger factor was finding, when he was about 18 months old, that a daily bath was giving him dry skin.

DS probably is dirtier than he needs to be, but his skin is peachy and I'd imagine our water consumption is lower than yours.

YABU - it is not good for their skin and is completely unnecessary. DS2 is still in nappies but he gets washed with a facecloth (washable wipe) with every change. DS1 uses wet wipes for the toilet and we always check him anyway so no problems there!

OK, OP - you magically find the 30mins+ (no, they won't share) for me between getting home at 6:15pm and bed at 7:30pm (bear in mind wind-down from school, supper, and story need to be in there as well) and I will be happy to let my DC relax in a nice bath every night.

As it is, they get quick showers most nights.

I bathe ds every night. I think it is necessary for hygiene. Sometimes it's a long bath most days it's a quick shower or bath just to get clean :)
However, I'd never judge anyone else for not bathing their dc everyday. I just don't care what other people choose to do re: baths.

i am a bit obsessive and all my kids 18-2 bathe every night.
I bathe twice a day
tonight i was reading to ds4 and i could smell him - all school whiffing!
Probably my own failing but i can never put them to bed unbathed!

Ofcourse YABU. Kids don't smell.

Gosh - there is a lot of anger directed at OP here! Perhaps her post was a little provocative, but I agree that I find it strange when people bath their children so infrequently - it's (almost) every night in this house - otherwise they smell!

Where's the OP gone? Clearly retreated to a safe distance and cackling with glee at the dissent.