Do I bathe my child enough?

[Mel2023]

How often do you bath your toddlers?

My DS is 2.5. We’ve always had a routine where we’ve bathed him twice during the week (usually Tues and Thurs) and once on the weekend (usually a Sunday). This is a full body and hair wash. That being said, in the summer it was a lot more often due to wearing sun cream most days, and if he comes home from nursery particularly mucky or has a messy tea time we’ll bath him regardless.

I’ve recently noticed he’s developed cradle cap again (he had it when he was a baby) and it’s quite bad. Everything I’ve looked into online says it’s not unusual for toddlers his age to have it, especially if they had it as a baby. I mentioned it to a family member and she’s said it’s because we don’t bath him enough and she’s always thought this? Do we not? AIBU to think that a bath 3 times a week plus extra if needed is ok?

Oooh, a classic. Angry Mumsnetters calling each other disgusting and dirty over children's bathing habits.

My twins got a bath once a week when they were that little, with visible dirt/poo/ whatever cleaned off properly as and when it happened, and now they are older it's 3x a week.

Cradle cap has nothing to do with unwashed hair/scalp. It's an overproduction of sebum in the oil glands and hair follicles of unknown cause, and it will clear up as he grows.

Every night during the week, whether that is a bath or shower. They come home from school pretty grotty in my opinion.

However, if we do skip it's a flannel wash. Face, hands, bum & feet so may as well just hop in the shower for 5 minutes!

DS won't bathe or shower at all - also ND. We get him to wash by taking him swimming regularly. Which is also the only way to get him to change his clothes.

When he was little I'd get him in the bath twice a week, but as he got older I'd end up locking the pair of us in the bathroom while he had a meltdown then bathe him, but his meltdowns got too violent for me to manage. It's sensory issues, but he can't articulate what the problem is with baths, except that it feels cold - yet he'll happily spend hours in a paddling pool outside. Whatever it is it's not worth me spending time in A&E over.

That sounds incredibly difficult for you all. It’s awful watching our children struggle with every day tasks, and doesn’t help when you read judgement from others about what they think should be typical. My middle child went through a phase of hitting out when getting dressed as well, these days he goes deadweight which is easier for him, but my back is wrecked.

That's about how often I bathed mine at that age, too often is bad for their skin

DD 7 bathes every day. Kids get mucky, plus it’s good to check on anything that looks amiss, like cradle cap. Try Aveeno shampoos/body wash if he has cradle cap. Turned out our DD didn’t have it, but was having a reaction to supermarket kids products.

In the time it takes to wash at the sink, why not just jump in the shower for 3 minutes?

Rinsing out a poo-stained flannel in the basin where people clean their teeth sounds rather grim.

Why? Where do you wash your hands after changing a baby's nappy?

3 times is plenty. It's proven that excessive washing can cause skin issues especially if using products

Every other day is fine when young and much better for sensitive skin. When they approach puberty then yes, showering every day as they start to stink at that age.
Not bathing everyday doesn’t mean not washing everyday. I’d think it’s better to teach children to wash their hands regularly throughout the day than just to bathe everyday.

How often do you bath your toddlers?

Twice daily has always been the norm from the moment I brought her home.

Flannel every day and baths twice a week for my two. My daughter got a patch of cradle cap around the same age - aveeno shampoo cleared it up. She's 5 now and it's not come back 😊

I always bathed mine every day and I couldn't think of anything worse than having a nappy on and not being totally clean at least once a day. I encourage them now to shower every day (as I do) now there are older, but that is a bit of a battle.

I was the same, I was only bathed once a week and it really wasn't enough, I was often very uncomfortable.
My children all had daily baths and it was such a nice relaxing playtime just before bed.

Various medical professionals have said 2 to 3 times a week to me as my child has very mild eczema. They say more often is unnecessary and can disrupt the skin's microbiome.

Good job your opinion counts for shit when it concerns my daughter😄.

Every other day is far too much in my opinion. Drying her skin out unnecessarily resulting in the skin conditions i have just isn't worth the risk.

3 times a week is plenty. Especially as you do it more when needed. My 8 yo is very sweaty so gets a quick shower daily, but my 5yo is bathed every few days, roughly 3 times a week.

My dd has a bath every night, she has a drop of dettol in it a few times a week

If you google it all the advice is 2-3 times a week but keep their hands and genitals clean.

3 times a week is fine unless they've had a very hot active day or muddy work. Don't listen to the naysayers who don't even realise kids that age barely sweat! The fact they don't sweat much is linked to their inability to regulate temperature and why we fuss about bedroom temperature etc. Flannel wash every day. Too much washing is bad for skin and hair. Poor kids.

Every night without fail - they're always dirty and need it. Same for us, I couldn't get into bed if I haven't had a bath or a shower.

Do you think that humans throughout the millennia had baths and showers every single day? Did they survive?

It is not 'disgusting' and lazy. It is perfectly normal.

Your cleanliness obsession is the result of advertising since the 1950s to sell products (aka capitalism).

I've noticed on tv, especially Channel 5 that the cleaning adverts (for both body and house) are relentless.

This @LookingAtTheBox It’s not lazy or disgusting.

Bathed every night

Babies don’t need daily baths, but by 2.5 years old they are proper feral. I say that as a mum of fairly clean, well behaved, girly type. She still needed a daily bath or shower at this age. But I also can’t abide by any people that don’t shower/bath daily. I can smell it, it’s gross. 🤮