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Original poster

Do you shower every day?

383 replies

chumrun · 26/08/2014 21:52

The thread about taking an hour made me wonder.

In the morning I:

Clean teeth and listerine (10 mins)

Shower including hair wash with conditioner and shave legs and armpits every other day (10 mins)

Dry and straighten hair (10 mins)

Makeup, dress, earrings and other accessories (10 mins)

I can cut this down but I dawdle and make cups of tea, watch tv in between so yeah about an hour. But some people seem to just wash?

So what is the average?

OP posts:
Ilovenicesoap · 01/09/2014 16:01

I would feel awful if I only showered once a week.grim
Best to sort out a routine now as your child is isn't suddenly going to entertain themselves at 3 while you shower.

KoalaDownUnder · 01/09/2014 16:25

The complications are that the shower is downstairs, so can't shower within earshot of DS - and if something is up, I can't get to him quickly.

You could be down there, have a quick shower, and be back up within 5 minutes. What's going to happen to him in that time, if he's in his cot? Confused. I know people who have a 3-minute timer on their shower at all times (water restrictions).

Alternatively, take him down with you and put him in a travel cot.

Or have that 3-minute shower at 8:30 pm. Make it a priority.

I have friends who are single mothers of babies, and I'm very sure they don't shower only once a week. I'm sure they shower less frequently, and more quickly, than pre-baby, but...once a week is a bit gross.

KoalaDownUnder · 01/09/2014 16:27

Wait...20 minutes?! How big is your house?? C'mon, that can't be right. You can get clean in a shower in literally 2 minutes, if you don't hang around.

Chippednailvarnish · 01/09/2014 16:43

I'm sorry cultural but unless you are living in a stately home you are making excuses. My grandparents had 8 kids, an outside toilet and a tin bath and the managed more than once a week.

CulturalBear · 01/09/2014 17:12

The shower is CRAP. Water pressure so low/unpredictable that you have to move around to get wet at times, and the temperature is verging on dangerous - either scalding hot, or just hot interspersed with freezing. Less than 3 minutes is not achievable (as you have to play dodge the 2nd degree burn for probably two thirds of the time in the shower).

We don't have a travel cot or playpen and the shower is in a downstairs cloakroom, which is tiny. The only place we can put DS safely without being watched is his cot, two flights and 2 minutes up from the shower (maybe 60-90secs if running?).

He has a habit of falling over and bashing his head on the sides of the cot at the moment (wobbly walker) so he can actually, occasionally, do himself some damage.

A 5 minute shower would be literally rinse with water, bit of shower gel in key areas. 10 minutes might include hair wash and condition (if you get lucky with the water temp). To add in shaving etc, you're looking at up to 25minutes - and that's without any just standing and relaxing.

As a comparison, in my mum's shower I can do all of that in 10 minutes - and I love every minute of it. When we stay there, I love being able to shower every morning as there's always people around to watch DS.

I can and do occasionally use a shower head in the bathroom for what I call a 'cheat's wash' - but this relies on DS still being quiet after going to the loo in the morning. And last week, I had a nice bath one evening as DS had gone to bed much earlier than usual.

I never had a shower growing up. We had a bath only and would have one once a week, maybe twice if we'd got muddy or whatever. So I don't have a default 'shower every day is essential' setting.

I would love to be able to have a shower 3-4 times a week (still think daily is excessive) but at the moment, in the land of being an absolutely knackered full-time working mother, a shower is one job you can let slip. If I need it desperately - ie post-sex (rare) or post-run (rarer) or I'm covered in sick or sweaty after a warm day or my hair is greasy, then I will obviously scotch plans for tidying/washing/relaxing whatever and the shower becomes the priority.

Otherwise, it's juggled like everything else.

Lioninthesun · 01/09/2014 17:22

Have I missed a MN no-no about having kids in the shower with you? DD has been in with me every morning since she could crawl-loves playing with bottles and sponges etc. Means we are both clean in record time too Grin

Lweji · 01/09/2014 17:36

The complications are that the shower is downstairs, so can't shower within earshot of DS - and if something is up, I can't get to him quickly.

Also, surely you do get to sleep, and so does he?

Dinosaurporn · 01/09/2014 17:39

I think if you have enough time to write posts on MN, you have enough time to shower.

Lweji · 01/09/2014 17:43

I think if you have enough time to write posts on MN, you have enough time to shower.

Not necessarily.
You can post while breastfeeding, or feeding a child for example. :)

StripyBanana · 01/09/2014 17:47

Mine never liked being in the shower with me. Both are scared of hoovers,showers,handdryers.... big one at 5 started showering.. but only at swimming!

CulturalBear · 01/09/2014 18:05

I only ever have time to MN with a sleeping DS on me, or at work. Ha.

Could possibly take him in the shower with me but current shower is dangerously hot. When we get the bathroom sorted, we'll have a shower over bath which would make it possible.

I used to get cheats showers using the overbath attachment (ie crouching down in bath and spraying with shower head) but not possible since he was about 6 months and wouldn't stay still.

But today is a good day - just found out he's only had one nap today so will be in bed about an hour earlier than usual, so I get to have a shower this evening. Yay!

Ilovenicesoap · 01/09/2014 18:14

"I get to have a shower" -oh honestly !
The martyr stuff is really daft -buy a playpen and pop him in with some toys,he will be fine.

MrsHathaway · 01/09/2014 18:37

When DC1 was very small I was lucky to get a shower a week - I was getting an unpredictable three hours of sleep on a goodnight, and he was unputdownable. It iwasn't the three minutes in the shower so much as the dressing and undressing, faffing with leaky boobs/undercarriage, etc. It was another reason the newborn phase was hell on earth.

Then when DC2 first arrived, they tag teamed Hmm

I'm on DC3 now. I warn DH the night before if I want a shower in the morning - partly so he won't try to jump in during the only five-minute slot I'll get Grin

Ilovenicesoap · 01/09/2014 18:48

I would have smelt like ripe French cheese Mrs -it was not negotiable for me when B F .
I think you make it happen if you feel it is important and I would have felt awful if I wasn't clean.

Ilovenicesoap · 01/09/2014 18:50

I should add my babies sounded like yours and after a night of no sleep a hot shower and a cuppa helped me to cope .

Chippednailvarnish · 01/09/2014 18:55

I should add my babies sounded like yours and after a night of no sleep a hot shower and a cuppa helped me to cope

My sentiments exactly. Feeling clean and fresh lifts your spirits no end when things are tough. I also don't get why the Dc's fathers can't step in for the time it takes to grab a shower.

MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom · 01/09/2014 19:18

chipped not everyone has a partner/DC's father on the scene to make it possible...

Ilovenicesoap · 01/09/2014 19:22

Mine worked shifts so was often not there.

Chippednailvarnish · 01/09/2014 19:26

No Moomin they don't, but Cultural does and as I said upthread my own DM was alone for years and she has always ensured she is clean and well turned out.

TheBuggerlugs · 01/09/2014 20:07

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns.

MrsHathaway · 01/09/2014 20:34

Oh I know, ILove - it was horrific.

But it was genuinely "I can't justify leaving him to scream until he pukes, just to have a shower", whereas other people might think "I can't justify not getting clean, just to keep him from crying". The tipping point comes at different places for different people. nIn that awful postnatal haze and misery I smelled of milk, and changed my clothes often (takes thirty seconds, quicker than any shower!).

All I'm saying is that it isn't as simple as"leave him for ten minutes, what's the worst than can happen?" because for some of us, what can happen in those ten minutes isn't worth it every single day, but only every few days.

Lioninthesun · 01/09/2014 20:43

I remember I used to pop DD into her bouncer infront of the long mirror in the bathroom before she was old enough yo come in with me-that way she could see me and I could get to her. Sometimes it can be a scary step to do these things/putting a baby down to do something important, especially when they are very young but it will make your life easier in the long run.

minipie · 01/09/2014 20:49

Cultural I too have a non sleeping toddler. but I need a hot shower to feel human especially after a bad night. For a long time the only solution was for me to drag myself out of bed before DH left the house so I could shower while he watched dd. That's a question of whether to choose 10 minutes more sleep or a shower I guess - I chose the shower.

However since about 14 months we've been able to shower with her shut in the bathroom with us with some toys or books. all chemicals, taps etc are out of reach and I can see what she's doing. I can see that's not an option for you though if the shower room is tiny. Could you leave the door open and put a travel cot/playpen outside the door where he can see you?

Anyway my answer to the OP - yes I shower daily - except when dd was newborn and would only sleep/not cry if lying on someone's chest - then it had to wait for a visit from my mum.

It takes me a long time to get ready in the morning but that's because I have acne and take about 10-20 minutes to apply concealer. Everything else has been pared to bare minimum - I don't even brush my hair let alone dry it!

chocomochi · 01/09/2014 20:54

Shower every evening. Can't stand having the day's dirty and pollution rolling around in bed with me.

Doubtfuldaphne · 01/09/2014 21:01

I have a bath every night otherwise I can't sleep and feel gross.
In the morning I take ages. Teeth, tea, loo, make up (30 minutes!) breakfast, loo, dressed, probably loo again.. Then ready
I have ibs in case you hadn't guessed.