To not find time to bath my children?

[Poppybella2015]

Ok they do get a bath on a Sunday morning with bubbles and a hair wash, like I did as a child. The house also gets cleaned on a Sunday. But then life takes over.

Weekdays after school are a combination of clubs (2 a week) friends over, relatives popping round to see the kids, by the time we have had dinner I think oh my god the kids need to go to bed or it will be too late for them! (They currently sleep 8-7 and I have to wake them on a school day they are two and six) the toddler smells a bit cheesy by about Tuesday, the older one could do with another bath as she sometimes wees her pants at school and then sits in them :( my house turns into a tip in the week too as I always get invited to see a relative/go to a toddler group etc and then when toddler naps I flake out in exhaustion as I have an on going sinus infection and toddler wakes me a couple of times a night.

I really want to have a nice clean home, nice clean kids, be in a nice relaxed routine but life just seems to get in the way and make everything rushed.

I'm sure most people are hectic in the week and those that are not how do you do it? Should I be refusing play dates etc? Ignore relatives when they come round and bath the kids instead? Just tell people I'm busy but risk loosing friends??

Help!!

Implying people who don't bath their kids every day don't prioritise their kids being clean does suggest that their kids must reek after one day.

A useful tip too. While their bath was running I would undress them and lay out their clean PJs and nappies on floor next to the bath. I'd lift them out, dry them, then straight into PJs and nappy without me having to move a step. Much quicker that way.

After their bath I would always, always gather together all dirty laundry that had accumulated that day and pop it in the washer. By the time our DDs had had their milk, had stories and been put to bed, and DH and I had eaten it would be time to take laundry out the washer and into dryer. Then just before bedtime I would take it out and fold it etc.

With babies and little children it is actually much less stressful to have fairly strict routines. I always did a mini house tidy during their morning naps and any ironing. After they'd eaten tea I would again spend 10 mins doing another mini tidy up. That way nothing is left to build up and get worse and worse until you feel overwhelmed and the house looked like a pig hole.

cats I never said anyone should bath their young children every day. I preferred to bath them as I found it less of a faff than flannels, basin of water etc.

But I do think a parent should spend sometime every evening ensuring their DCs have had a thorough wash, or bath.

Our DDs never reeked. Never smelled anything other than clean and fresh every day. That was the point of a their daily bath, as I didn't want the hassle of guessing if they were clean enough, or judging if they might pong a little bit.

This time of year my kids get bathed twice a week - mainly down to dry skin / eczema - but if my newly toilet trained toddler pisses himself he gets showered as and when.

If you can smell your own kids cheesy, pissy smell then they must be filthy.

My SIL only baths her kids once a week it is disgusting and they do smell, I often how often the parents of once a week bathers have baths or showers

Mine get dunked alternate nights i.e. dc1 one night, dc2 the other night.

Occasionally they will both get a bath if they are extra grubby, the smaller one has had a nappy explosion day (he has bowel issues), or if dh is around.

Hairwashing for the oldest isalways on a saturday night after swimming, youngest weds after their swimming, plus whenever its needed.

I remember a girl at school who used to smell awful. Rich family and lots of holidays but she always smelt bad and had grimy nails and smelly feet (PE) and greasy hair. This was when we were about 10. Nobody wanted to be partners with her for dance and PE and things like that. Looking back on it, it was her parents' fault of course. But at the time I remember thinking just that she was smelly and to keep away from her. It became how I thought of her. And it put me off her name forever as well. None of us were rude enough to talk about her or mention it.

I have worked in primary schools. Young children can (and will) smell pretty bad if they're not kept properly clean by their parents.

Skandi you quite heavily implied of children aren't bathed every day they aren't clean and their parents have other priorities.

Most people do not need to bath every day unless they're particularly smelly.

Haven't read the whole thread.

My dts's do activities every night and we still find time to shower every night, it literally takes 10 minutes and I can't see a reason why your dc getting 15 minutes less sleep is going to make a lot of difference.

Either tell your relatives to bugger off or put them to bed 15 minutes later... problem solved!

Well, exactly iguana. I remember a similar girl at my primary school with the same personal hygiene issues. Totally not her fault, of course, but sadly she suffered as a result.

As a young teen, a girl in my class had to be taken aside by a teacher and given a chat about 'personal freshness'. The poor girl was mortified but her Mum didn't think that deodrant or clean underwear, or just a good wash every day was necessary.

It's callous to let children suffer like that.

Yabu. Once a week is minging. We don't always do a nightly bath but the night off is rare if we are really busy and then they get a wash instead. Stick the two year old in the sink if you don't have much time and let the six year old have a shower.

op don't you find bathing them a pleasure anyway? I love to get my seven year old out the bath smelling all lovely and wrapped in a cosy towel. I'll be sorry when he's too old towels him!

*too help him

Sort this out FGS.

I have a DH who is obsessive about hygiene and has at least 2 showers a day, changes clothes constantly and uses about 10 towels a week. I'm happy to indulge all this washing as he's truly affected by having a mother who only bathed him once a week - more due to meanness than laziness - and he hated it.

Our D.C. have a bath once a day and clean clothes/pyjamas every day. Quite often I do bathes myself which is hard going as I have a 1 year old, a just 3 year old and a new born. I also have a clean and tidy house (do have a cleaner but have to keep on top of all the cleaning during the week and washing) . Obviously am up in the night with new born etc and then out fir playmates etc

I'm no superwoman and would love to flake out instead of putting away the 3rd load of washing that day or tidying up the toys but you just have to force yourself.

Get the sinus issue sorted out, then sort out the house. Set yourself a goal of baths every second night and get started

Dc1 (8) showers every morning dc2 (6) and dc3 (2) have a bath every evening. I think it's hardly much effort over and above flanneling them down and it will hopefully set good hygiene habits for when they are older.

Bloody hell. Why don't people read the thread?

lincoln the op said she was being unreasonable pages ago.

No cats I didn't imply. I said that little children who aren't kept properly clean every day, by whatever means, aren't going to be that clean. Obviously.

You're quite right in that no one needs to bath/shower every day. But if you want to be very confident that you always are clean and fresh, day to day, then I think it is necessary.

Have known too many adults, assert they only need to bath/shower once or twice or week 'because they don't smell'. Privately I very much have to beg to differ with them.

Agree with laying out the babygros/nappies etc and getting the dirty washing downstairs (including any towels) to get the washing on. Overkill etc ready and get older one to chose the story/"help" by passing g things etc.

If your DH is at home to help, he should be either doing the baths or downstairs tidying up whilst you do them.

Skandi no you said "I bath them once a day because having clean children is important to me unlike other parents who watch the TV"

No it isn't. Unless like I say, you really smell. Perhaps you know some very smelly people? I bath every other day roughly and I don't smell at all. I have dry skin and hair and if I bathe daily it cracks.

What are people doing that makes them smell after one day?

cats if you're happy with your personal hygiene that's great. I'm happy with the personal hygiene of myself and my children. Really don't have the energy to split hairs and bicker with you.

Ah Op you sound like things are hard at the moment. A wee tip - posting in chat or parenting in future will get kinder responses. It's ok to say you're struggling and lots of posters will support you.

AIBU is a fast moving board and you'll get more robust opinions which won't necessarily be helpful to you.

Good luck - just make one small change at a time, post where you'll get support and you will get there.

YABU....they need regular bathing.

When I pop round to my friend's house I often chit chat to her while she's making her DC's dinner/feeding her and I will go upstairs and chat to her while she's bathing her OR I go round after the DC has been put in bed.

Either you need to start turning down some of the social things so you have a couple of evenings in the week to spend with your children, have people over for a cuppa after they are in bed (and therefore after any bath) or let them know you're happy to come over as long as they're okay that they'll be chatting to you while you're doing stuff.

Hi OP Good luck with your plans. I wonder whether the relatives who visit might be rather demanding of you and your time? I only mention it because it sounds like your childhood was tough and presumably these relatives were part of that time and didn't intervene?

As for the Judge Judy Come Lately crowd who are criticising the OP, Sweet Mary Mother of Cheeses RTFFT before giving yourself a judgy-pants wedgie!!

SkandiStyle "Other parents prioritise watching a bit more TV, or having another glass of wine over ensuring their DCs are properly clean and fresh."

That's the bit of your post that is snide and unpleasant and that's the bit the CatsMeow, I and am sure others, found objectionable about your post.