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?

Wow this blew up while I was away! To answer a few questions!

yes I know it’s a lot of clubs. Trust me, I know. There’s two of them, so they don’t do the same clubs, but I’m a single parent and they’re young so I have to go to both sets and they come with me, even if they’re not participating. Oldest does cubs/football and swimming. Youngest does dance and swimming.

we tend to get back late from activities. We live rurally, so finishing work, picking them up, they play, then feeding them and then out to clubs. Get home around 7 most evenings and bedtime is 7.30-8. There would be time to wash them, but it makes things even more busy and this is why I’m trying to gauge if I need to.

they definitely don’t smell, they have lovely shiny hair, they wash their faces, brush hair and teeth etc every day. They have clean nails, clean clothes etc. they’re still young KS1 and not at the sweaty teenage smelly stage yet

lastly, to clarify. They get two proper baths or showers a week (each!) they then also get showered after swimming, but it’s four shower heads in a communal shower thing and loads of people queuing and waiting their turn. So it’s more of a quick in, rinse off, wash the arms/legs/pits and out. No hair washing and keeping costumes on

You should be washing yourself at least once a day and kids are no exception.

Well I recommend you get them used to having a quick 5 minute shower in the morning. This is what they will need to do when they are high school aged and have the normal teenage smells.

My nearly 3 year old gets three a week minimum - Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday (these last two are his nursery days). He will however bathe on other days if he's dirty / been playing outside for a few hours / put his dinner in his hair. 3 is just our fixed minimum.

Mine are 5 and 1 and have baths 2 or 3 times a week

My son is 9 and he has a shower everyday.

I don't think twice a week is enough.

It only takes 10 minutes to have a shower so no reason it can be done every day.

Lot of nonsense being written on this thread.
You're fine op. They haven't hit puberty yet, they won't need a daily bath or shower unless they get very grubby. Washing hands and face daily of course.
You get nits in clean hair actually. And excema irritated by constant washing.
We do two baths a week and a shower at swimming.

Prepare for the onslaught of 'anyone who doesn't wash daily is unclean and smelly' comments...I think it totally depends on how messy they get, but personally ours aged 1&6 have a bath every other day, (occasionally they stretch another one) and in the summer they quite often need a daily bath as they are less covered up and getting more grubby outdoors.

Once a week on a Sunday back in my long and distant past. We never looked dirty, never smelt awful. Don't forget we never had constant hot water for showers and baths every day. We just had an immersion heater that cost an absolute fortune to heat up. People don't realise what it was like in the 40s and 50s when I was a child. Plus the bathroom was like an iceberg in the winter with no heating in it then and we shot down the stairs to the one room that was warm in the whole house wrapped in a towel.

Doesn’t it depend how dirty they get? Our rule of thumb is 2ce a week, but more if they’re any way dirty or sweaty for the younger two, the teenagers are everyday/every second day at the moment but they’re at the awkward age where sweat and smell is huge (they wear shirts and jumpers in school all day and stink no matter what deodorant they use)
We never did daily when they were babies, only every second night or when needed, I just couldn’t reconcile with that amount of water usage

You should be washing yourself at least once a day and kids are no exception.
Adults sweat differently to children surely?

Give it 5-6 years and all these “my kids only need bathing twice a week” posters will be back complaining they can’t get their teenagers to shower.

Young kids dribble pee, don’t wipe their bums properly, climb/sit/roll in all sorts and who knows what else. It’s not just about visible muck or smelling.

It's fine as long as they dont smell.

They will need more in summer though with daily suncream use.

Mine bath every other night with hairs washed and in between with no hair washed if they want/ask to.

But, we also don't do any after school clubs. We're limited in our town anyway and tbh I just can't afford it but we do plenty of free activities after school, we're lucky to have a gorgeous coast line, parks etc and sometimes we just do nothing.

2 nights a week with your schedule is not enough at all.

It isn't true that little children don't smell. Some definitely do. Of urine mostly. Or poo if they don't wipe themselves properly. Some smell of cigarettes of course. And some smell of sweat.

I'm a nanny and thankfully every family I've worked for (6 and counting) give their children daily baths/showers. Only on MN do people have every excuse as to why their children don't need a daily wash.

And yes, children smell. Cheesy.

DD (3) has one every other day, she has really long thick hair (not wispy, it’s adult textured and when put in a ponytail the hairband is wider than a 10p coin) which has to be combed out and blow dried. Should I be giving her a daily bath in between with the hair tied up? We already do a thorough hand and face wash in between, and she wears clean clothes every day, and clean pyjamas every other day.

I think it's fine if they don't smell. Everyone is different. And it doesn't take 5 mins does it. You have to chivvy them in the bathroom, wait for them to get undressed whilst they get distracted or chat too much and stop what they're doing, make sure they've washed properly if they're small, dry them if smaller, wipe up and clean up after, some of that x 2.

We are twice a week plus swimming.

Works fine for us.

Little kids don't sweat like adults, they don't need daily washing unless they always get mucky. We wash DD (4) 2-3 times a week usually

This. MN is fucking disgusting and people are disgusting.

babies need daily baths because they have nappies and milk in folds. Toddlers the same + food and mud from playing and all sorts of stuff. Children run and play and sweat.

I honestly can’t understand how people think it’s ok not to wash their children, but then most people don’t do nightly stories and I doubt brush teeth thoroughly etc so what can you expect. Foul.

How old are they? Surely you could run a bath and let them have a wash while you get dinner ready, if they're not really young?

DD is 15 and showers every day.
At 0-6 months I popped her in the sink with warm water.
3 Years plus a bath and hairwash once a week. (Unless dirty)
Summer months she was in the pool every day (Spain), so quick shower after.

People are obsessed with baths at bedtime IMO. Teeth and face. Basta.

2-3 times per week. I used to do everyday but one of my children was getting dry skin. Limiting bathes has cleared it up completely.

What? How superior can you possibly be 😂. My children brush their teeth properly and have a story every night (as do most children I know). That has nothing to do with not wanting to strip natural oils from their skin by bathing them every night.