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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to be shocked at how many parents don't....

658 replies

formerbabe · 05/04/2014 09:33

bath their children every day!

Following on from the thread about a poster not changing her children into pyjamas, I was surprised reading the responses how many people say they only bath their kids a couple of times a week.

I bath mine every night before bed and always have done, bar illness or something catastrophic happening in my day. On the rare occasion they have had to miss their bath, I have done a quick wipe down with a flannel, but they never seem clean after it. My kids seem to get filthy during the day, mud/food etc.

I know those kids who have excema cannot always have a bath everyday, but for anyone else it just seems like pure laziness to me.

OP posts:

Needaninsight · 05/04/2014 13:59

Anyone who thinks kids don't whiff, need to come to a school in the afternoon after lunch. Sit in the classroom with the windows and doors shut.

Apart from anything else, why on earth you all want your kids to smell of school (which stinks) is beyond me!

DD (currently just a baby) spends 2 days a week at nursery. Guess which 2 nights of the week she has her hair washed??!

She stinks of nursery when she comes home. Ugh!

On a completely different note, I'm genuinely astonished by how many parents says their children have eczema. It can't be the baths/washing causing it, as none of you seem to do it ..but genuinely, I wonder why that is? Chemicals from washing powders? Atmospheric pollution?

I'm just thinking back to my own childhood days, out of a year of 90kids, I don't recall any with skin problems.

rowna · 05/04/2014 14:00

I did when they were little but once they get to about 6/7 they don't get food in their hair, mud on them etc. The limited amount of time you have before bed is better spent on homework, music practice, after school activities (which are later when they are older) and playing. So now mine get baths about 3 times per week (we'll miss one if they're having a shower after swimming).

IdkickJilliansAss · 05/04/2014 14:02

Oh dear

OhDeanna · 05/04/2014 14:04

YABU. You are also being judgemental, superior, over-dramatic, slightly hysterical and you are damaging your children's skin.

I don't bathe my children every day, but I'm not going to justify why nor am I going to divulge how many times they do bathe. But I'm not lazy or neglectful as you imply.

You had better hold on tight because it's a bloody long fall from that high horse of yours.

Offred · 05/04/2014 14:07

'I don't like the smell of children'

Said the school teacher giant in jack and the beanstalk...

Creepily....

IdkickJilliansAss · 05/04/2014 14:07

With stinking schools and nurseries it is usually the clothes that pick up the smell not the child itself

felinesad · 05/04/2014 14:09

Both my boys had eczema as babies. The Dr said the rise in eczema is the current modern obsession of bathing babies and children everyday.

There is no need. It dries out the skin by removing the natural oils. Babies and children don't sweat as much as adults and as long as they get a wash everyday they don't need a bath as it causes more harm than good.

IdkickJilliansAss · 05/04/2014 14:09

I took my newborn DS into year one so my DD could 'show and tell' him and at one point I thought he'd pooed and smelt him but the teacher said 'that'll be one of the kids' they fart like troopers!

Offred · 05/04/2014 14:09

As she shut all the windows and doors...

IdkickJilliansAss · 05/04/2014 14:10

It can be genetic too, excema that is not farting

Offred · 05/04/2014 14:11

Needaninsight · 05/04/2014 14:11

offred..the point being..you HAVE to have the doors and windows open - because the classroom smells!

Offred · 05/04/2014 14:12

My friend who is a teacher told me the other day when she farts she blames it on the children.

Needaninsight · 05/04/2014 14:12

Both my boys had eczema as babies. The Dr said the rise in eczema is the current modern obsession of bathing babies and children everyday.

But then this seems to go against every poster on here, who has said, my child has eczema, that's why I don't bath them every day.

It's seemingly not the children who get bathed every day who have it! (confused!)

TeacupDrama · 05/04/2014 14:13

generally dermatologists would not recommend daily bathing or hairwashing for anyone; unless involved in heavy manual labour or other situations where actual ingrained dirt might be a problem

excess washing does not cause eczema it does however make it a lot worse

hoppingmad · 05/04/2014 14:13

A lot of people don't advertise their skin problems

Offred · 05/04/2014 14:14

You can't have all the windows and doors open in a school cos of the paedos... Didn't you get the memo? Either you have a very sensitive nose or you are over egging this somewhat...

GildaFarren · 05/04/2014 14:14

It can be genetic too, excema that is not farting

Are you sure? DH is a champion farter, as is DS1...

shash1982 · 05/04/2014 14:14

My DD as dermatitis so bathe her most evenings, but not every.

Hope you realise that bathing so that they soak in the water every night is actually bad for their skin, it causes the good bacteria to mutiply so can lead to infections, that's medical fact.

If you insist on doing hat every night at least shower them so that their not soaking in the water with soap.

BackforGood · 05/04/2014 14:16

I'm shocked at how many people are ridiculously anal and judgemental

This (the 2nd reply I think it was - we really didn't need 13 pages).

However, other posts I'd agree with are Cardibach's ^^ that, growing up, everyone had bath night on either a Saturday or Sunday night - ie once a week - we all survived.

The link to water aid

The thought that there is no wonder the world is struggling to cope, with all the energy wastage heating up these amounts of water in household after household

The fact that you just didn't know that everyone doesn't bath their children every day until you read it in a thread.

and mainly,

the fact that everyone needs to do hat suits them, and they should be able to do that, without people who don't have a life criticising them at every turn.

IdkickJilliansAss · 05/04/2014 14:16

Ma lot of people on thread have said they stopped daily baths when their child developed excema. One of my DD's had it but grew out of it the others dont.

hoppingmad · 05/04/2014 14:17

Posted too soon

Dd has excema, you wouldn't know unless she was in shorts and t-shirt

I have 4 dc's. I don't bathe them every day. Eldest is 13 and showers most days (it is a challenge as he has asd and won't willingly shower). Dd showers probably every other day and dt's I bathe 2 or 3 times a week. They are only 2, any more is really unnecessary. It's not laziness - just choice. Baths don't exactly cause extra work so not bathing is hardly lazy

Offred · 05/04/2014 14:17

Bf's car smelled the other day, couldn't open the window because it's fucked. No-one died on the 30min journey.

gemdrop84 · 05/04/2014 14:17

Twice a week here, unless they're absolutely filthy. Mine are 5 and 14 months. As another poster has mentioned maybe save your judgments for parents that actually abuse/neglect their children.

treaclesoda · 05/04/2014 14:18

Why do so many people assume that not having an actual bath = not washing?

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