to be shocked that SIL and her kids only bath / shower once a week?

[emilytankengine]

I have a shower every day, before work, sometimes twice if I've been to the gym or if we're on holiday / going out. I probably make sure the younger kids get a bath about 5 times a week and my teenage daughter has a shower every day.

SIL was outraged at this and says that she only typically has a bath or a shower once a week! She says that she has a wash every day with a face cloth (including her bottom :O - with a face cloth!!).

Maybe it's me who's odd but I was staggered at this

[knittedbreast]

i certainly dont shower every day- i actually dont need too. my children only bath once a week. you are doing far more damaging showering every day, you will wash out all your hairs naural oils and make it greasier than need be.

I dont think you should be so concerned, especially as you had never noticed before.

[TimeWasting]

jeckadeck, self-indulgent for not shaving their armpits? What rot.

[passiveaggresive]

What is this obsession with shaved arm pits, its more hygeinic to have hair under your arms, and between your legs for that matter. Its there for a reason, to keep moisture away. I dont shave under my arms, its not self indulgent, i cant be arsed with it, im not some sort of bohemian european either.

[passiveaggresive]

not that being bohemian and or european is a bad thing you understand x

[DontGoCurly]

Eco friendly, my ARSE! Screw the environment. I like being clean.

And what kind of nutter washes dishes by hand because of the environment!

Mugs thats who MUGS!!!

[breadandbutterfly]

And I'm another one whose whole family have eczema and have been advised to avoid over-frequent baths/showers to avoid stripping the skin of its natural oils. And who have and keep an eye on the water meter too.

And another relic of the 70's who enjoyed the weekly bath ritual (though our family did it on Friday to be clean for the weekend). So no top 20 for me.

[brass]

bread my DS has eczema too and I would have agreed with you but we find that with him he is better off showering regularly and slathering on the cream than if he uses the cream without the shower first iyswim. It's more under control and less prone to breakouts.

[ragged]

Oh QLB, that's so boring! We can't have tolerance breaking out all over the place ( can we? )

[Cocoflower]

I shower everyday (unless very ill etc)

Not just for hygiene reasons but I find it almost theraputic.

There is something very relaxing about the water, and it feels like literally washing the day away its very soothing.

The feeling of climbing into bed,all clean and relaxed smelling of soap and body lotion is heaven.

Plus sex with someone who hasn't showered is not really my or Dh thing....

[voddiekeepsmesane]

Most adults I know shower most days. We shower ds every other day unless he needs more eg rolling in mud!

I always shower in the evening, I am not a morning person and would rather the extra 10 mins in bed!

DP and me are both of the same opinion as Coco I like "clean" sex :o

[belgo]

I have no idea of the showering habits of my friends, and I don't want to know either. They don't smell, and that's all that matter.

[rhiannon134]

YABU. I grew up without running water so got used to having strip washes or once monthly baths at friend's houses. I still only showered/bathed once a week or less (though washed hair more often) until I started running, now shower after a run so every other day. DH is a gardener and gets hot and sweaty at work but still only showers once a week, he went over a month once, but he does wash 'pits and bits' regularly. I like him to smell like a man, I also banned him from using deodorant.
I bath my kids at least once a week, DD more often as she is a very grubby girl! I find your twice daily bathing slightly excessive but each to their own!

[Cocoflower]

People can't smell themselves though as the become accustomed to their own scent.

Its like when you go on holiday and come back and say "oh so this is what our house smells like!"

[catgirl1976]

Nothing to do with me what other people do, but for myself I couldn't imagine leaving the house without having shower first.

[FridayFanjoFun]

My DC (little uns) bathe maybe twice a week (have a wash every day, though). They don't smell and are reasonably clean little things.

I shower daily, sometimes have a bath at night, too. DH, too.

I do believe, though, that from puberty onwards when body odours become more pungent, people should have a shower daily if possible.

p.s. Strip washes and using a face cloth on your arse must take longer than a shower, surely? Baffled.

[tralalala]

I shower most days, but the dcs only once or twice a week or else their ezcema flares up, also am too knackered with 3 under 5 on my own at bedtime.

[tyler80]

"I know that within minutes of spraying myself with perfume I can no longer smell it on myself"

Really? The few occasions when I wear perfume in the daytime I end up trying to wash some of it off half way through the day because the constant smell makes me feel a bit sick!

[tyler80]

Maybe these are the same women that i have to wait for the fug to pass after they've been in our kitchen at work, I don't know how they stand it, can hardly breathe if I go in at the same time as them! It's not a bad smell, just completely overpowering. A bit like going in Lush I imagine.

[southofthethames]

Oh dear OP - too much info! Does she smell, btw??

My anecdote isn't as shocking as yours but someone (won't say how she knows me to protect the innocent as well as the guilty) I know once came up to ask me for free medical advice...."Why do you think my son is scratching so much?"....after diligently asking all the right questions, she then comes up with the thing she should have told me when I asked her at the beginning: "I only let him bathe every 3 days in the summer because I thought all the excessive bathing would bring on eczema and aren't children quite clean anyway"......and there I was thinking her 8 year old DS only smelled because he'd been playing football all afternoon...didn't realise it was 3 day old sweat!!!! (she thinks her 8 year old is still a newborn, evidently.) This mum is a SAHM from a high income household and doesn't save water or money elsewhere, so the arguments for saving the planet and economising doesn't apply in their case. Had to gently explain that daily showering in a 32 degree heat summer in the southeast was the best option, esp when the scratching was making his eczema come back. Two weeks later, after following advice, scratching gone.

[somethingwitty82]

Once a week? aaaaah those were the days, I remember as a child once a week was the rule for everyone, and we would do our best to avoid it!

But then that was when your water was heated by a coal fire!

Perhaps they are of French heritage?

[supadupapupascupa]

lequeen if there is one thing i can't stand, it's other peoples strong perfume. If I can smell you before i see you IT'S TOO MUCH. Seriously, not a fan here, i hate it when colleagues use your phone and you can smell them afterwards....bleugh.

i prefer the smell of unperfumed, clean people, like we are meant to smell.