To wash hair once a week - disagreement with Mil!

[Enidblyton1]

Just wondering how often your DCs have a bath/shower and wash their hair? Mine (aged 5 and 2) have a bath most evenings - at least 5 out of 7 days a week - and wash with soap. Hair wash once a week on a Sunday.
Mil was horrified to learn that they don't have a thorough wash every single night and appalled that hair is only done once a week.
Now I'm beginning to doubt my routine..... AIBU?

My ds2 and ds3 shower and wash their hair twice a week. The oldest showers every other day but he is 16. My Dd is only 4 and also baths twice a week. Dries the skin to bath too often

Whether they sweat and SMELL or not smell its still grubby to not wash their hair for a full week. Its upto each parent but as the OP asked for our views im with MIL and think its abit manky

I know a few people who insist that they don't smell and wash their hair only with water/once per rotation of the galaxy.
All of them smell. I think I have a very sensitive sense of smell but everyone I've known over the last 15 years or so who does this has proudly told me about it whilst insisting it doesn't smell. And it does. Not 'arctic expedition not washed for a month' bad but it isn't pleasant.
I think people are so polite they would rather do anything but tell others they smell.
Don't let your kids be the ones at school that look and smell unwashed, it's so cruel.

Surprised at once a week. Mine bath every night unless we have a really late night and hair wash every other night. They are older 9 and 11 and definitely need need this routine. I like their hair to smell nice and it doesn't after a few days

When I say once a week hair washed, that doesn't mean it doesn't get wet in between but that only shampoo and condition once.

My children swim a few days and just rinse hair in showers before and after swimming ( rule is no soap products at our pool as it contaminates water for pool).

And if they shower they often get hair wet. So in general any dust or mud in hair would just rinse out. But it's not actually washed washed. When we do wash it it's a good 5 mins shampoo and clean of scalp, then 5 mins conditioner. Compared to most people who I think throw shampoo on for 20 mins and rinse without even lathering it into head and all hair. Or cours rig for whatever reason it's dirty beforehand it's shampooed etc more often. But as a rule once a week is fine, and it doesn't smell at all, it's rinsed with water, brushed, and bodies washed with soap daily

Yes I suppose I wash hair twice, Wednesdays and Sundays but it's as a minimum, it usually gets rinsed without shampoo on the other times, but goes without saying would wash in between if needed.

I do think it's good to get them in routine of doing it. You can tell when kids don't bath or shower regularly, you really can and it is important they know what's required to take care of themselves in that way as they get older.

I do think only washing hair once a week is a bit mingy. I know kids hair doesn't get greasy like most adults, but what I've noticed is that it does get really dry and dull.
Kids often get sticky stuff in their hair as well, or if they're playing out will get mud in their hair etc.

I think hair needs to be washed more than once a week.

Not to mention that kids do sweat. Someone said earlier they don't get sweaty? Well mine does, if she's out running about, or if she gets too hot and sticky her hair stinks! So that's another reason to wash it more than once.

Full bath and hair wash every second night here.

My kids Hair smells 'unclean if not done even second day.

But if I bathed them every day like I want to, dad's skin would dry out.

Dd not dad. He baths himself I'm sure

Kids sweat, but we have 2 kinds of sweat glands, eccrine ones that produce water-based sweat to cool the body; and apocrine glands that produce this smelly sweat, oily substance mixed with sebum. Apocrine sweat glands are inactive before puberty.

They need their hair washed properly even more so if theyve been swimming. All that chlorine and other peoples piss in their hair 😷

It's an a salt water pool. Water alone will wash out salt or chlorine. Shampoo isnt allowed anyway as mentioned. They wash, dry hair and get home for 8pm. I'm not going to start washing hair a second time when it doesn't smell and is clean

I dont get if theyre in the bath why you wouldnt just wash it properly? Even if its getting wet its not being cleaned, my kids hair doesnt smell clean after 2 days so i really doubt they dont smell dirty after 7 days :/

Id take them home and wash them properly then including their hair. If im honest it sounds a little lazy i dont see what the issue is to just wash their hair. Anyway your kids xx

Mine have washed daily - bath in the evening in younger days now showers as they choose. DS had eczema but as we did a massage afterwards it didn't aggravate it.
Hair wash was twice weekly - Wednesdays and Sundays. One DD still does roughly this as she does ballet 3 times a week and dirty hair is easier to put in a bun.

I don't think there's a right or wrong number of times as if often depends on your own upbringing and circumstances.

The eternal battle between those who spend hours trying to achieve a clean standard, battling against non-existent unclean invaders and those slovenly slatterns who really don't mind.
Never the twain shall meet.

Once a week here. My DC do not look grubby, and always have lovely shiny soft hair. Neither suffer with any skin troubles. I certainly don't think they smell, and neither have any problem making friends and getting cuddles from people so I'm pretty sure they don't! Children do not need daily baths, it's bad for their skin!

It's hardly being lazy not adding shampoo! They have a bath or shower and often rinse hair with water daily, so already being washed yes. But I don't think excess shampoo and chemicals on them is good. They use baby soap still on bodies as most delicate, and that's enough at 5 years I think. They don't smell, and have healthy shiny hair. Their hair looks the same the day it's washed, as 5 days later.

My cousin is a hair dresser,he said hair is always overwashed and that's what strips natural oils and drys it, and usually only needs water to freshen up in between washes. He said he recommends max shampooing every 3 days. When you do wash is should take a good 10-15 mins to lather shampoo, rinse twice, then condition. Anyone washing hair in less than 10 mins isn't doing it right and might as well not bother using any products as they are just slapping on and rinsing. That doesn't mean you can't wash body daily though

My ds has sensory issues and will tolerate one quick rinse, but shampooing and multiple rinses he needs to gear up for. Hence we have set days so he knows what to expect. His hair is very thick so takes a lot of rinsing to remove shampoo.

Ok so you think its fine to wash their hair once a week some people think its pretty gross. Why ask then?

I do think only washing hair once a week is a bit mingy. I know kids hair doesn't get greasy like most adults, but what I've noticed is that it does get really dry and dull.
That's interesting - maybe it's different hair types. My kids' hair is dry and dull immediately after a wash, much nicer after a couple of days, and stays nice for the rest of the week. (Age 4 and 7, I'm sure that will change when they're older.)