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Original poster

To wonder how you can not bath or shower kids every day?

509 replies

Kalitall · 28/03/2017 17:54

I know this ones been done, and I don't think anyone is dirty for not bathing every day and I understand about skin conditions.

I just don't know how everyone gets away with not bathing children each day. Especially little ones.

My two boys seem to get filthy. They both play outside every day and end up muddy. The toddler gets really mucky eating meals, usually ends up with food everywhere even in his hair. Also often ends up with paint over him from nursery. He poos in his nappy every day and even though he's clean up is usually still a bit smelly. In the Summer they both get quite sticky.

I find it easier to run a bath or put him under the shower than to top and tail to clean all the muck off.

Like I said I'm not accusing anyone of being dirty, as an adult I could probably get away with not showering each day as I don't sweat much and don't get mucky.

Do other children just not get in a mess?

It's the same with washing clothes. I reuse my own clothes but I could never not wash the dcs clothes, because they're always covered in food or mud.

OP posts:
hazeyjane · 28/03/2017 22:13

Ffs. 'eczema excuse' Some peoples eczema responds well to less bathing. Mine (as I said earlier) is controlled better with daily baths, it doesn't mean I poo poo those who say theirs or their children's are made worse by bathing daily.

Notcontent · 28/03/2017 22:16

Also, sorry to lower the tone but - all children wee and poo daily, and let's face it - human bottoms get a bit wiffy if they don't get a proper wash at least once a day...

ElisavetaFartsonira · 28/03/2017 22:16

Do you think children are calmer and sleep better for a bath even when they don't crumbs?

bostoncremecrazy · 28/03/2017 22:16

we bathe once or twice weekly here....only in the summer do we bathe daily and that's remove suncream etc.

in other seasons 1-2 weekly is fine, the rest of the time a hot flannel works well for hands and face.....and babywipes for bums if needed.

i can't be doing with the faff of bathing - we need to add oilatum to one bath, epaderm to another....clean the slippery bath in between - x 5 kids...its a faff!!!

we have 2 who have sensory issues who take at least 20 minutes of persuading to get into the bath.....then another 10 minutes of yelling before putting the head under the water to wash the hair!
then once bathed and out of the bath we have to change a bloody colostomy bag!!!

so for some kids its definitely not 5 minutes per bath - more like 2 hours of bathing, faffing and changing to get them all sorted.

but yep i could bath the baby in 5 mins :)......not 4 fussers!

deadringer · 28/03/2017 22:18

Our youngest has eczema and we were advised to keep baths to a minimum but she is 8 now so perhaps the advice has changed. Lots of pp have mentioned Spain which i find interesting; we take Spanish students (age 13 to 17) every summer and none of them have showered daily despite being encouraged to do so. I always assumed it was a cultural thing.

BalloonSlayer · 28/03/2017 22:20

"Eczema excuses" ?? Well "wow" right back at you, Haffiana Hmm

SomewhatIdiosyncratic · 28/03/2017 22:23

I started off giving DS1 frequent baths as a baby as he enjoyed the playtime. Then he became absolutely covered in eczema all over his whole body, so I reduced the frequency. He had oils for his bath water which easily built up into a slip hazard for standing for a shower, so constant bathing/ oiling/ deep cleaning the bath wasn't ideal.

He was showered as needed after each explosive nappy change (food allergies were the route of the problem and it took a long time for his system to settle). DS2 loathes our shower and will just about tolerate the one at swimming.

At 4 and 6, they enjoy playing in the bath, but it's not a quick job. Reading is a more restful bedtime activity for us. Baths drag on too long and are too excitable.

They don't get mucky quickly. I spot clean with cloth Cheeky Wipes, but wearing fresh clothes they don't build up grime or smells. Sometimes I can reuse clothing as it is unmarked, but school t-shirts are clean each day.

They spend time outside, we walk around the local area a lot, and the younger one goes to buggy fit twice a week as well as playing out. They just don't seem to get grubby most of the time. They do more in the summer when it's dry and dusty and it sticks to sun cream, so they'll get extra baths/ showers then. But most of the time daily showers/ baths are unnecessary for cleanliness and too awkward to fit into our routines.

PunkrockerGirl · 28/03/2017 22:28

hazeyjane Flowers Flowers
So much judgemental shite on this thread.

eternalopt · 28/03/2017 22:32

I agree with you.

One year old is has always got food in hair and baby wipes don't get rid of all of the smell after a dirty nappy so he's only properly fresh after a bath.

4 yr old - could get away without, but did it everyday for so long, it's the evening routine now, which works well so I'm not going to disturb it!

angelikacpickles · 28/03/2017 22:41

If your toddler in nappies has a smelly bum after you've cleaned it, then you haven't cleaned it properly.

My younger child is still in nappies and his bum is cleaned with water and cotton wool at every nappy change. His hands and face are washed with a cloth after every meal. He doesn't rub food in his hair. He is fine with a twice-weekly bath.

zoemaguire · 28/03/2017 22:43

"eczema excuses" there's always one isn't there Hmm. For what it's worth, our other two elder children have baths or showers every other day, so not giving the littlest a bath is hardly laziness. You wouldn't give a damn what the 'official' advice was either if following it left your child clawing and ripping up their own skin.

MilkRunningOutAgain · 28/03/2017 22:45

My DD (10) is going through a disliking washing phase but I do chase her into the shower 3 or 4 days a week, which is hard work but needs to be done. Other days she washes. She really can't shower daily, she has eczema, bathing is a real problem but a quick shower is OK if not every day. I am a bit worried about what will happen to her scalp when her hair gets greasier and needs washing more frequently as she matures. I'm afraid there may be a trade off between her scalp and her hair.

JonesyAndTheSalad · 28/03/2017 22:48

I used to feed DD in a hat! A wooly hat with all her hair tucked up. Then the hat would be washed.

Crumbs1 · 28/03/2017 22:53

I do ElisaV, I think warm gentle baths, soft lighting, lavender oil if you must, and fluffy warm towels give a potent message about appropriate behaviour as bedtime approaches. Followed with sleepy cuddles and stories in a dimly lit room. Heavenly.
Play baths are lovely too but need quieter finish to session or they'll be up all night.

workallweek · 28/03/2017 22:54

I always bath the baby every evening partly because he is a bit grubby by then but also he is probably feeling grubby himself, we know how we feel when we are grubby and how good it feels after a nice hot shower or bath, especially if we'd gone through what they have in a day crying, vomiting, pooing in nappy weeing in nappy etc... he can't tell me when he feels like that (8mo) plus I love clean baby smell!!!!

workallweek · 28/03/2017 23:00

Hazeyjane absolutely!! Flowers We must always remember there are many many reasons why people do and don't do what they do and don't do xxxxxxxxxxx

intergalacticbrexitdisco · 28/03/2017 23:05

A nice bath with a bit of lavender relaxes my baby. Also cleans the nappy area completely, so we do it every day.

Xmasbaby11 · 28/03/2017 23:10

My dd is 5 and she's a bit better now but until she was 3 or 4 would need a change during the day, especially after a meal. Even now if she eats soup she needs a completely new outfit as she's sooo messy and even gets it in her hair. We are working on it! She also comes home from school most days covered in mud and paint and food!

NerrSnerr · 29/03/2017 05:47

'I think warm gentle baths, soft lighting, lavender oil if you must, and fluffy warm towels give a potent message about appropriate behaviour as bedtime approaches. Followed with sleepy cuddles and stories in a dimly lit room. Heavenly'

And that's nice- but different people have different bedtimes. If people choose to have a bath as part of their routine then that's fine, but it's fine not to. There are so many people who think what they do is they best and only way and do not seem to comprehend that people are different.

Most people on this thread who don't bath/ shower their children daily have said they still wash them daily- just in a different way. My daughter gets a daily flannel wash and is not stinky. I cannot believe the 'if you don't bath or shower how do you wash' posts too- have these posters never had the hot water go off, stayed somewhere without a bath/ shower, been in a hurry? There mush have been once in their lives they've needed to wash another way and had to figure it out?

JonesyAndTheSalad · 29/03/2017 06:25

Nerr also, try that in a house with more than one tiny baby!

My house is always full of loud pre-teens and a few 9 year old hoolies.

No chance for any of that!

MyGastIsFlabbered · 29/03/2017 06:28

Crumbs

If only I'd had more baths, I wouldn't be divorced Hmm

supermoon100 · 29/03/2017 06:42

Once a week in our house

FallenSky · 29/03/2017 06:46

I'm quite amused by how this thread has progressed. So much angst over other people's cleanliness.

Some children get bathed every night. Some have a shower. Some have a wash. Some have eczema that is helped with daily baths. Some have eczema that is made worse by daily baths. Some have sensory issues or disabilities. Some don't have time. Some find it relaxing. Some find it distressing. Some get woken up even more.

Can we not just accept that? Is it so hard to understand or believe that, actually, what works for your child may not work for someone else's? We all like to think that our way is the best way but that's not always true. Because everyone is different. I bath/shower every day but never late at night. Because it makes my skin itch and then I can't sleep. So no, not relaxing for everyone. I don't tell my DH he's wrong for having a bath before bed because it can't possibly be relaxing though. Because for him it is!

We're all doing our best and even if the reason you don't bath your child every night is because you can't be bothered, so what? As long as you are cleaning them in another way and they are happy, healthy and loved I really can't see why anyone is getting worked up over this.

BathshebaDarkstone · 29/03/2017 06:52

When my DC were newborn they were topped and tailed every day, bathed twice a week, hair washed once a week. When they were at preschool they had a strip wash every day, hair washed once a week (we didn't have a bath and they're still terrified of the power shower). Now they're at school they have a bath and hair washed once a week. They have a strip wash every day. Uniforms get washed every day, home clothes once a week. Grin

BathshebaDarkstone · 29/03/2017 06:56

To pps whose DC are calmer after a bath, I envy you! Mine get hyper! Envy

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