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.

I think you'll find the dermatologist would be quite happy with once a week, and certainly no medical professional would recommend washing your genitals with SOAP!!??? 🤣🤣

I think it's a bit sad for the dc not to have a bath regularly as much for fun as cleanliness. My dc loved to play in the bath and later just to relax and enjoy the water. It helped them relax and get ready for bed.
Also l never checked if my dc were clean...l knew they were from their regular baths.

Huckleberry not everything has an obvious smell, and to be blunt, you'll be quite used to how your own children smell and won't notice.

@Nosleepforthismum

If there is stuff stuck in their hair that's definitely needing a shower. Hands and face I take them to the sink and wash with a cloth.

@junebirthdaygirl

We do not have a bathtub. The kids love baths though.

Our kids frequently shower more than once a week. It's just not scheduled.

@VenhamousSnake

I don't know. Kids of that age don't have BO. And I always know if they smell of poo/wee and of course wash them.

I believe if kids have eczema then soap isn't recommended?

When my DD had skin issues we were told not to use soap but use aqueous cream instead, but continue washing daily.

@Octavia64

I will look into that. None of them have eczema currently but it's good to know.

Every day washes here. I'm sorry but that's just disgusting.

I think you're missing the point that it shouldn't even get to the point that they actively smell. That's when the bacteria on their skin has multipled to such a level that you can smell it on their warm skin.

Its not BO. There's is just quite a stale smell unwashed children tend to get.a mix of foody smells, earth, urine, saliva and snot because they aren't terribly hygienic. Children that age do sweat as well, especially in bed, and dried sweat has a distinct sour, musty smell.

Children are quite sensitive to smells and children have their own odour. Uk school children can often tell who owns an unlabeled school uniform jumper by sniffing it.

@spriots

I rarely see my sister but maybe I should ask my MIL.

If their skin gets dry you could always use a shower oil (bioderma do one) or something like a soap substitute
My skin gets dry in winder so I do sweaty bits with bar soap then all over with a shower oil

Ps honestly you won't notice their background odour because ita so familiar to you.

My dc was in hospital for a couple of weeks once. She acquired quite a chemically smell, i didn't notice it because i was with her, but visiting family/dh noticed it immediately!

I wash my children twice a week on average. Water only using washing hair, which is about once a fortnight at most. I think soap is the most drying. In the climate you’re talking about I can see why you don’t wash them often. Have a Google about the affect on your microbiome of too much washing

@Paw2024

Thank you, I will look into it.

I've had skin issues all my life and especially since moving here. I guess in being so scared of drying out their skin I went too far the other way.

It’s fine.

By the age of 8-9 it should be 2x a week at least, by 11 or so every day.

But 6y olds do not smell, and too much soap is bad for their skin.

I was only bathed once a week as a child but managed to shower/ bathe daily as a teen and adult. I've even managed to get married and have a child. I've never been ostracised at work either. What a strange comment.

2 of my 3 have eczema so we bath 1-2 times a week. They don’t smell. They just don’t. They’re young kids.

@LegoDeathTrap

My oldest is about to turn 7 and I had planned to start scheduling him for 2 showers a week and kind of gradually increase it. I don't plan to suddenly hit puberty and start showering each day. I agree that's unrealistic

I bathed all 4 of mine every day when little, then shower every day as they got older. They're very clean adults/teens now, who never smell or look grimy. They're also taught to wash bed sheets weekly.
Kids get dirty, and they often sweatblots in the night. Aside from that, the routine of a calming nightly bath helped them greatly with bed time.
Weekly is just grim, no matter the climate, sorry.

@Illbebythesea

I really don't think I let my kids walk around smelling either. But apparently people here disagree and think we must be a family of swamp monsters haha.

That’s so gross. Are you trying to save water or what?

Dry climate is not an excuse, you use a mosturizing cream after you shower daily and you will be fine. Or do you only cream your skin once a week as well?

You've said 3 different times that if/when they stink then you wash them. That's disgusting.

Sorry that's not good,at 4 and 6 they need a shower every day or every other at least.my dc 7 &10 shower every school day