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?

We bath/shower our kids daily, hair wash every 2-3 days. If you can’t fit a shower or bath in for your child you’re hugely over scheduled and need to pull back.

Mine twice a week, unless they have been doing sports/playing out and got filthy. Also more in the summer, maybe every other day or every day. But in general twice a week. They wash their hands and face and brush their teeth every night.

Now my DS is getting older (9) we had the conversation the other day about puberty and having more showers which is what we’ll do.

Or have that whiff.

Depends on what we are up to. DD age 4 is filthy today from being outside playing as the weather is lovely but then got quickly overtired so a swift bedtime was needed. Usually about twice a week for them but DD aged 10 now needs a shower more regularly.

What exactly would be the harm in that?

@BBonesBrennanz leaving chlorine on might make their skin dry- can be awful if they already have dry skin or excema

honestly - if you are considering dropping basic hygiene is place pf an activity you are doing too much.

My kids have excema so docs have said to limit full baths as it's so drying on skin. They swim twice a week and come home and bath after that. Have one other bath/shower a week. They get a full strip wash morning and night and clean jammies etc.

We bathe DS, 4, every night and have done since his first bath at 2/3 weeks old. We’ve missed bath time about 6 times since then due to being home late/asleep in the car etc, but it’s rare.

They get filthy at nursery and school, especially in summer (sweating, playing sports, sticky hands and faces, night nappies in nursery years). Every other day is fine, but twice a week isn’t really enough in my view.

I bath my kid about once a week 🤣.
He has a wash in the sink every evening before bed. If he does a bad poo I wet wipe him there and then.
Really don’t understand the obsession with having a bath or shower every day.

Actually can't believe how many people don't wash their kids once a day, twice a week is shocking !!! Being clean is way more important than 10 mins of play time

Ds has a shower every day but dd doesn't x3/4 a week. She has eczema and can't or her skin gets really irritated.

We also have a lot of clubs between both kids but wouldn't struggle to find time to make sure they're showered and clean.

Then you have never seen the delights of a primary school toilet. Covered in wee by playtime.

Baths - 2x a week

plus wash from the sink for face hands, pits and bits on non bath days in the week

or

shower at the weekend or in the morning if we have time.

They are washed in varying forms every other day on average (hands and face always cleaned daily). But if we don’t have time for a bath in then evening then it’s a shower or full sink wash in the morning.

Not targeting you specifically as lots of people have said it, but I don't see how washing your pits and bits in the sink would be quicker than popping in the shower? It seems like something that would take a similar amount of time and be less efficient.

Bath every night and wash hair on Saturdays

A shower everyday for a 1 week old baby is very extreme and strips natural oils, that is a fact, it's lucky your DD hasn't been affected by this.

Mine go to bed slightly later on the night where the club doesn't allow time for a shower and normal bedtime.

I'm fine with young children having a bath 2 times a week but I do think it's important for children to bath/shower after they've done a physical club, pe, or just hot and sweaty.

As said by others this is total nonsense. Headlice, worms and utis have nothing to do with how often you bath. And eczema is well known to be exacerbated by too much washing with harsh soaps and is absolutely not caused by dirt!!

Daily

Mine shower daily, always have. I've worked in a school and seen the toilets, no way they come home clean 🤢

No, still pre-school. I am intrigued to know how you know the primary school toilets are covered in wee by playtime though. Wasn’t aware parents spent a lot of time in school toilets

In answer to the OP twice a week for pre- pubescent kids is probably fine. Although kids get mucky at school/nursery/playing, surely they are wearing clothes so the only body parts that are getting dirty are hands and faces which are easily and quickly washed in the sink. Before puberty most kids don't have any body odour or get particularly sweaty. If your child seems like they need a bath on a day when it's not "scheduled" then just do a quick five minute shower.
I certainly wouldn't be dropping extra curricular activities to fit in a longwinded bath. @DirtyDuckCleanDuck