To wash my kids once a week?

[HuckleberryBlackcurrant]

I have 3 DC, DS 6, DS 4 and DD 4 mths.

When my first child was born, he had eczema and sensitive skin, we live in an extremely dry climate with weather extremes, so our Dr recommended bathing once a week.

We do not have a bathtub, only a baby one we put in the shower for our daughter now. The boys have of course outgrown it.

As our other children have come along we have kind of stuck to this schedule.

We of course wash them any time it is needed, for nappy blowouts, when they are ill, if they get extremely dirty or sweaty, or if they request a shower.

But barring any of these, a weekly bath it is.

Recently I was spending some time with my sister, she commented that she needed to bath her daughter. I said oh really, I thought you only bathed her yesterday! My sister said she bathes her at least every other day.

My sister lives in a different climate than I do, we were at my parents' for a visit.

My sister was shocked when I said we only bath/shower our children weekly, and brought up that they wouldn't be used to regular showers when they hit puberty. I replied that that is a conversation we will have at that time, but for right now they aren't producing BO and there is a lot of research to suggest that excessive washing dries out the skin and depletes natural oils.

Myself and my husband shower every other day unless we have been sweating a lot.

My sister said that she thinks this is a bit 'grimy'. I'm feeling terrible now that maybe we are bringing our children up with bad hygiene habits?! I never notice them smelling bad, apart from my 6yo who is learning how to wipe, and if this occurs of course we have him shower.

We of course wash hands and face daily, as necessary.

Genuine question - You wrote "twice a day...and extra after sports". Does that mean you sometimes bathe/shower THREE times a day?! Don't want to judge, just genuinely curious/surprised.

Jinx!

Yes, you are following medical guidelines. Not sure where in the world you are, but the general consensus seems to be that once or twice a week is fine for a full body wash. 👍👌

Brought up in the 90s, only had a bath on a Sunday night when little. Parents bought a shower attachment when I was about 9 or 10. My mum explained I would start to grow pubic hair and sweat in the next few years and I would need to wash and apply deodorant to prevent body odour. I didn't need to be bathed daily as a little child to understand that I would need to wash daily as a teenager. Was never called smelly or picked on by other children about odour. Always got laughed at for having unbranded bags etc so I most definitely would have received abuse if I did smell. We had a couple of children in our year who did smell and were picked on.

As an adult, I don't shower every day, and I still have never received comments about my smell. Some days I will shower twice a day, for instance if I'm on my period, especially if using pads rather than tampons, or if I have the sharp underarm sweat smell from being out in summer heat or exercising. If I've not exercised and my hair was washed in the last day or two I don't need to shower. If I start showering every day then my hair starts getting greasy by the end of a day, and my skin gets tight but I get more oily in certain areas! Showering every day does not suit my skin.

You are not unreasonable for not bathing your children every day and following medical advice. Another point is the doctor should be very alert for signs of child neglect, so would question you if your children appeared unkempt or smelled.

Twice a day everyday is excessive , nobody should be smelling that bad that they need 2 showers a day,unless they've done exercise or it's really hot.

I was also brought up in the 90s when one bath a week seemed to be quite common. Like PP I was never picked on or bullied for being smelly but it doesn't sit right with me to do that with my own

I do think OP that once a week isn't enough. You need to do every day, but maybe every 3rd day or so if they suffer with Eczema?

Every day is a must.

My DH has bad eczema and, given that it tends to run in families, we have chosen not to give our DDs baths very often when young. Once a week, or as needed has been enough. DD1 switched to daily showers before puberty and DD2 has suggested more baths and asked about deodorant (not yet hit puberty). So I don't think that infrequent baths as a young child necessarily translates to a shower dodging teen. But there may be a boy/girl divide.

I suspect that DD2 would have developed eczema if we had washed her more as her skin is otherwise like DH's.

When my LO was a baby we didn’t do bath very often (once a week or so). But as they got older we started nightly as it’s important to teach good hygiene. I went on dates with guys who washed every 2-3 days as adults and never wanted to see them again as I found them too stinky/ unhygienic for me; I don’t want my kid to grow into one of those.

It isn't ,it is terrible for for someone with Eczema , but also one a week is pretty grim. Somewhere in between would be much better

This must be an English thing surely? I know older generation aussies used to call English people soap dodgers which is nasty and cruel but I am guessing like all stereotypes there’s some truth to it then. My Grandparents were dirt poor and had no running water in their house here in the bush and even they managed to fill a tub once a day!

@LadyWhitwell im with you- in the morning before work to be fresh for the day. At night to relax and as part of night routine. In the afternoons I exercise (which is 5-6 times a week) another shower after exercise as normally go out for dinner after so can’t be smelling of sweat.

@Runhomejack

We see the pediatrician at least once a year so if he thought I was neglecting my children I'm sure a report would have been filed by now.

Honestly, I think that’s gross. My son is bathed every night, nice to wash the day off of him and have him clean and fresh for bed.

That's gross 🤢 a baby's bum not being washed for a week is disgusting. My children have a shower/bath every night. Once in a while might skip a Friday night but they would shower Sat morning and I change all the bedsheets at the weekend. I work and one of my children has additional needs and the shower difficult for her due to sensory difficulties but we still manage it every day. No excuse to only shower children once a week.

THREE showers a day for 5 or 6 days out of the week?! Apologies, but that's absolutely barmy. Not to mention an incredible waste of water. I'm genuinely gobsmacked.

That’s wrong. They should be bathed at least once a day. Once a week could be called negligent

I think it’s disgusting.

I think harsh soaps etc wouldn't be good but very gentle cleansing agent shouldn't strip skin.

It was, but they got a proper wash every day, sometimes twice.

Those kids must stink.

Do those who don’t bathe daily, not even clean the important parts at the sink?

I too wonder about that. I also think it is quicker to have a shower than faffing around with a flannel.

OP if you use a plate for food and it's not visibly dirty or smelly do you wash it? Eg a sandwich or some toast? Would you just brush the crumbs off and put it back in the cupboard or would you wash it up/put it in the dishwasher?

DS looks feral after a couple of days if he doesn't shower, and a shower is part of his daily routine, I don't wait for him to be visibly dirty or smelly to wash him.

Surely if you live in a dry climate things are dusty? Do your children not do arts and crafts , help to cook or play outside? Most children get grubbier than adults, albeit they don't have BO to contend with.

when i was a child a bath was twice aweek

Dd had similar skin condition as a baby. Took her to GP who said why you bathing her daily. I said thought you meant too. She has a bath twice a week now and her skin has totally healed up. She 7 now. Between her friends some bath twice a week, some daily... honestly doesn't matter. None smell. It change when she hits puberty obviously.

Exactly! I've never been to the US but have lived in ultra-rural Australia where life is really just a lot of dust and the occasional killer snake 😆 I spent my time trying to put moisture back in to skin, not wash it off.

i think you should change it to twice a week op
not daily though
until puberty hits