To think a pddling pool is not the same as a bath

[JauntyJinty]

I don't think this counts as a threat about a thread - definitly inspired by one but I didn't want to hi-jack! Judging by the repsonses on there I'm kind of expecting to get ripped apart but here it goes:

Lots of other posters in another thread were saying that if the kids have been in paddling pool they don't need a bath that night. I htink I;m fairly relaxed and don't always bath my kids, but will after they've been in the paddling pool. It's all full of grass and mud from their feet, and the water with no soap in it makes their hair go all rank and limp. And that's just water, I know lots if people put chorline in, which I thought was supposed to be really bad for hair! Also people are saying their kids go in every evening at the moment (as do mine!) so are they not getting bathed with soap at all?

So am I alone in this and a bit precious or do others think kids need a bath/shower after being in a paddling pool

YABU = Just paddling pool is fine
YANBU = They need aproper wash after playing in water

They could do with a bath or a shower after the paddling pool but the world won't end if they don't. Especially in school holidays or weekends is they don't have school the next day.

I always make mine have a shower after playing in the paddling pool. As you say, they get covered in bits of grass etc and if it's hot enough for the paddling pool they're covered in sun cream too.

Mine has a proper bath/shower after, sitting in a paddling pool won’t remove suncream residue etc.

To be fair I probably won't either if I know they're staying home the next day and going to be jumping straight back into the pool anyway

I wouldn't have even thought of it... like you say the pools always have bits of grass ect in, they get out barefoot and run across grass/mud. Whenever DS wears suncream it seems to leave a sticky residue in the crease of his neck, I have tried different ones. If there's no nursery the next day I'd still give a wash the odd time, if he's tired, but often not worth the agro... kid loves the bath.

Unless they meed a hair wash I dont necessarily bother. It is a chlorinated pool though, and doesnt have mud or grass in it, and they rinse their feet before going in each time (I'm pathetically obsessed with keeping it clean).

They dont have a bath every night anyway (probably about 3x a week). Being in the pool means im less bothered about them missing a bath, bur I dont think its a straight replacement due to the chlorine and lack if actual washing.

I only make my kids have a bath/shower once a week. They sometimes choose to have more.

The pool is a happy extra bath in my view. I still insist on the weekly bath!

We have a backyard swimming pool (live in warmer climes!) so this comes up quite a bit, though my kids are older.

I reckon you aren't 'clean' when getting out of the pool - as you say, grass, muddy feet etc, plus in our case dead bugs, windfall mangoes & random dogs in it...

So my theory is that if it's a school night, a shower is needed. If holidays & likely to be straight back in next morning, meh, we slob out (& can go a couple of days without an actual bath on occasion, if just hanging out at home & in/out of pool all day).

If we are going to be home for the weekend and use the paddling pool the next day I do treat it as a bath. I’ll wash their faces with a cloth though. I feel like they won’t be squeaky clean but they won’t be minging either.
If we are going somewhere the next day or not going to be using the paddling pool again I won’t treat it as a bath and they’ll get a proper bath in the evening IYSWIM.

Once a week is not enough. My family were once a week washers when I was growing up. My shoes stank as my feet would be unwashed most of the time and my hair would be limp and have that unwashed hair smell which kids would comment on if they got too close. Don't make your kids the smelly ones.

We have a foot tray so no bits in the pool. I wouldn't bath them just because they had been in the pool.

When we had a non-chlorinated pool, I would let my daughter skip a bath if she physically looked clean however now we put chlorine in our pool she has to shower after every dip. She gets eczema as well so that's another reason that she has to wash off the chlorine.

Yeah a paddling pool isn't the same as a bath

It's not 'the same' as a bath but I don't think it's the end of the world if a kid misses the odd bath here and there, really.

Ours always have a bath or shower after being in the paddling pool. They're always grubby from running round the garden, have sun cream on etc. It's not so much the water as we use the mains tap. Also, it chills them out a bit after all the excitement! If ever they were up extremely late though, I wouldn't worry too much if they just had a quick wash down with a hot flannel.

Mine bath or shower after the paddling pool .

Not your kids, not your problem