How often do you bathe your kids?

[DirtyDuckCleanDuck]

Finally got a call today to say there’s space in a class for DD to start swimming. Except the class is on our only free week day evening. I’m trying to get it all sorted out in my head, but between football/dance/swimming/cubs, there’s only time to put them in a bath or shower twice a week now. Is this too little? They jump in the shower after swimming, but it’s always a crush and it’s too much to wash long hair etc so it’s just a rinse not a full clean.

Two children, both primary school age, is two baths or showers a week enough?

It’s not enough in my book, children get filthy and don’t all wipe their bottoms properly! Urgh. Daily baths and showers here, zero skin problems as Mumsnet likes to claim

@Peacepudding wasn't that a myth debunked? Stop defending your children's dirty hair

Hmm, I do quick shower every day. Takes less than 10 minutes to do both at once. Hair wash every other day. I don't do baths much because they're much more time consuming (for me anyway!). I personally don't think twice a week is enough, especially in warmer weather and if they're very active. Showering can be super quick, I can do it in just minutes if needed. Soak them, soap them and rinse them!

2 baths per week at primary school age risks your child becoming The Smelly Kid.

It might be fine for some young babies and toddlers, especially as it's easy to top and tail them, but a child who's fully mobile, active and engaging in physical exercise almost certainly needs more cleaning.

It's also really important to wash hair after swimming. Chlorine is not good for hair, and needs to be washed out or it can leave hair brittle and damaged.

My 3 year old every other day unless sun cream or playing in something dirty. Thorough hand and face wash in between and she wears clean clothes every day. Baby DS (2 months) twice a week, will be every other day when he starts nursery at 1.

When my youngest excema was at its worst we were told to bath them as little as possible as briefly as possible.
My primary children now bath or shower every other day. My secondary school child showers every morning.

I used to do it every day but only because it was easier for me to have that routine and keep it up rather than doing it a few times a week. I don't think young children out of nappies and not pouring food down themselves need to have a daily proper shower or bath unless covered in mud from sports or have body odour. I guess it really depends what time you do bed time as my kids never had an early one but didn't do much to make them tired enough for one. Tried doing the showers after swimming but they are such hard work and you have to queue and have someone waiting for you. Prefer to get them home and in the shower.

Body shower everyday but hair washed once per week.

Shower ring twice per week isn't enough, you're risking your children being the smelly ones in class.

Find time to extend the shower time at the pool.
Bring some shampoo.
Pool water and chlorine needs to be washed off.
Go home in the pyjamas

A bath or shower every evening for my kids until they get older and then switch over to showers every morning.

3 times a week minimum. How old are your children. My youngest (twins) are 8 and when they go to rugby etc. I go to the gym then we all hit the showers in the ladies. It saves masses of time as simultaneous showers plus multiple hair dryers.

I don’t understand how there is ever ‘no time’ to shower. It takes less than a minute to do a quick in, get wet, wash your bits, get out. It’s not complicated!

I think kids need to wash daily. They dribble in pants in the rush to go and play, they don’t wipe thoroughly, they run around and sweat (yes, kids sweat even if thru don’t smell) and they get wonderfully dirty playing outside. A quick shower once a day is essential. If it isn’t a habit when young, you may struggle to get stinky teens to wash daily as it will be a novel idea.

Daily bath or shower. Twice in summer. Doesn't take long. Can't understand how periple don't want their children to be clean. Baffling

Eh. We run baths for our primary school kids twice a week plus daily wash with soap and a flannel. They do need a proper shower after swimming though.

They've never had nits, and a quick flannel over bits sort out any itchy bum issues. You need a stack of flannels as they can't share and need to be changed daily but it is much quicker and you can teach them to wash without a bath or shower.

Interesting user name 🤔

Mine are 4,3&3, and have a bath every night. A shower in the morning if before a special day out like a wedding.
I'm planning to shower my four year old each morning in addition to his bath when he starts school in sept

Bath or shower every other day unless they are filthy or smelly. Hair wash once a week after swimming.

Mine shower every other day unless really mucky and smelly.

Bath two or three times a week, but shower every day in between. We don't have time for a bath every day, but a shower wash and hair wash for a child takes five minutes, then into clean PJs and bed. Also signals the start of the nightime routine, winding down to sleep.
I shower every day so why wouldn't DS? Probably even more important if doing activities/sports.

I used to bathe my three every day, now it's either mostly every day/every other day or when they;ve had pe. In our home country it's seen as disgusting not to bathe every day.

And the level of activity is irrelevant - we do something every day, at the kids’ request, and are not stressed nor do we feel too busy. My kids like busy and I think that’s better than sitting on screens. Some may choose to do less or feel that’s too much for them but that’s personal preference.

However, I can’t imagine limiting activity so my kids needed to shower less. You adjust washing to the requirements of activity as you would as an adult. I wouldn’t not go for a run just because I’d need an extra shower in the day!

We bathe our 2 year old everyday, have done since he was a baby. We also shower or bathe each day. It was the same for us both growing up too. Hair wash every 2 days for me.

I never knew before Mumsnet that people don't bathe or shower everyday. Esp kids.

No skin issues at all.

For those saying wash down with soap and a flannel, is that because you don't have showers? I'm not sure how it's quicker than jumping in to the shower. You still have to wet and soap your body then wash all the soap off, a shower surely makes that faster not slower

Every other day for ds,11 here.

This!!! Washing is the key, not mode of washing. That’s personal choice.