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AIBU?

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Original poster

How often do you bathe your kids?

238 replies

DirtyDuckCleanDuck · 19/05/2023 10:30

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?

OP posts:
Zola1 · 19/05/2023 18:41

Every night before bed, has always been part of routine.

Howabsolutelyfanfuckingtastic · 19/05/2023 18:41

I don't think that's enough at all, they're going to get sweating doing sports and after swimming in chlorine treated water they need a proper shower whether that be at home or at the swimming baths. Mine all get showered every night and I have 7 children. In my eyes it's important for personal hygiene. Would you shower only twice a week? If not then why would it be ok for a child?

bakewellbride · 19/05/2023 18:44

Minimum once a week is fine imo.

Ds has 3 times a week but only because he loves it so much.

Dd - bath daily but that's part of her eczema care plan put together by a doctor so we have to.

BonesBrennanz · 19/05/2023 18:47

For all those who are fastidious about daily bathing, just wait till they go on school residential. My child came home with a pristine suitcase which did not look like it had been opened. He was in all the same clothes he left in four days earlier. Yes he had daily baths at home but given the choice age 8 rebelled.

Louoby · 19/05/2023 18:49

I bath mine boys every other evening. Every day in the summer when it's warm and especially when they've had sun cream on to wash it all off 😊

Wishing4sunshine · 19/05/2023 18:53

My daughter is only 3 but we only do baths twice a week or more if dirty, she does have severe ezcema so bathing too often isn't great for her. However she has a wash down with a flannel every night. Can your children shower properly after swimming, at the pool?

Jaberwockky · 19/05/2023 18:55

A bath, but that’s only really due to them both having a skin condition and the dermatologists input. Otherwise we’d do every other day.

Parker231 · 19/05/2023 19:01

.

How often do you bathe your kids?
Libmama · 19/05/2023 19:13

My 9 year old DS showers everyday but that’s only because he is constantly filthy. He plays football every lunch time at school and the mud stains are baked into his knees 🙄

4 year old DS is bathed every other day, sometimes every third day depending on how dirty he is or how tired he is.

Baby DD is bathed every day but purely because I need to distract her between 5.30 and 6 or she’d want to go to bed too early.

Oliack1417 · 19/05/2023 19:14

Gosh mine have a bath or shower every night! Especially after sports etc. take 2 mins to jump in the shower

caringcarer · 19/05/2023 19:14

Just put the child in the shower after swimming at the pool.

Libmama · 19/05/2023 19:14

But I never bath them on swimming nights. In my opinion swimming equals a bath 🤣

23334jjcccc · 19/05/2023 19:19

Three year old bathes every other day , hair wash 2-3 times a week . Two times a week isn’t enough especially as children don’t tend to always wipe well after doing a poo. On the non bath days I at least baby wipe them.

23334jjcccc · 19/05/2023 19:21

@Libmama

Really? The chemicals and germs in that water is shocking. Then walking around barefoot on the manky changing room floors and straight into bed 🤮 It is not a shower.

caringcarer · 19/05/2023 19:26

My sporty 16 year old needs to shower twice a day and hair wash every day in the summer but he has short hair so its very quick.

27Mankinis · 19/05/2023 19:27

The whole issue of bathing and washing hair and wahsing clothes on MN absolutely baffles me. I am from a country where if you did not shower pr bath every day then you are considered unclean. If you do not bathe your child once a day (maybe missing a day at the weekends) then it is neglect.

I wash every day sometiems twice in summer. I have fine greasy hair so it is washed every day. I understand that some hair types should not be eashed every day- but that this is unusual. The idea that you just strip wash a child and bathe only 1-2 times a week is disgusting to me. I work with children- primary school and pre-teens and you can tell the ones who are not washed. It is a delusional myth that kids do not smkell and no-one can tell. I work with a woman who says she washes twice a week and I can smell when she has been in the room and left it before I get there. I can smell her hair from across the room.

Just wash. It's basic hygiene. It's basic care. Anything else is grotty and icky.

TooodleOoo · 19/05/2023 19:30

People washing their kids twice a week! They don't sweat but they are still grim.

Babies get covered in food, sun cream, nappy mess, mud under the nails, dribble

Small kids also get muck from outside. They may not sweat but they more than make up for it.

I might skip a day if they've not been out much but bloody hell. Also, children need SOAP because there will be people who are anti-soap too!

Tohaveandtohold · 19/05/2023 19:31

Mine have at least a shower every day. Sometimes it’s a bath that’s when we’re not busy but they have to have a bath everyday.

Both of kids suffered from bad eczema and dry skin and this was when I was giving them a shower twice a week as I was told by the GP that daily showers was bad. When I started giving a shower or bath daily with body well moisturised after, all the dry skin, eczema, etc has gone.

SamW98 · 19/05/2023 19:32

Always bathed my son every day. As soon as he hit his teens he started showering or bathing morning and night unless it’s during college holidays then he usually has just one shower in afternoon.

I’ve always been a twice a day shower/bath girl myself. If I’m wfh I can manage on one but I’d feel grubby without at least one shower or bath a day. And it’s not done my skin any harm

justanothermummma · 19/05/2023 19:34

Every night!

I can count on one hand the amount of times they haven't had their nightly bath. It's part of our routine and I think the consistency is beneficial and they sleep well.

ohfook · 19/05/2023 19:34

I do a weekend bath and then shower them at swimming too.

Muddygreenfingers · 19/05/2023 19:36

Every 2-3 days for my 3 year old.

As a kid I think I showered a couple of times a week.
Never seemed to harm me.

As usual on Mumsnet. Either wash every day or it's dirty/grim.
Nothing allowed in between.
Every other day is fine.

IDontWantToBeAPie · 19/05/2023 19:37

You should always fully wash them after swimming when they get home or they're covered I chlorine still.

shelbabab · 19/05/2023 19:38

My 2 wld smell awful if they only got baths twice a week. Well the downstairs areas certainly wld! They are 6 and 3.

I bath them most nights. Used to be every night but I've started making it about 5-6 nights a week. On the nights they don't get one I get them to lie down and use a warm cloth to clean them before pjs go on.

IDontWantToBeAPie · 19/05/2023 19:41

@lilacbunny people who grew up with eczema showered once a week because that's what doctors advise to prevent the loss of natural barrier moisture 🙄 Showering everyday aggravates eczema (which is an autoimmune disease NOT the result of not washing.)

As an adult with severe eczema I showered everyday before it got too bad as a kid. water hurts skin when you have eczema. Wind your fucking assumptions in.