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Original poster

Personal Hygeine - kids

19 replies

roisin · 08/09/2004 19:20

DS1 had a bath every night until he was about 6, but since then he's turned into a stereotypical boy, and has to be dragged kicking and screaming towards soap and water. (He's now 7).

What does your junior school aged child do in terms of daily/weekly washing?
What do you think is vital/desirable?

OP posts:

KangaMummy · 08/09/2004 20:03

DS age 9 has bath every night apart from Mondays when he has fencing club and is home at 9pm. Hair wash after swimming on wednesday. HTH

StickyNote · 08/09/2004 20:26

Would he object less to a shower? A lot quicker...

Original poster

roisin · 08/09/2004 21:05

He's happy to shower at the swimming baths, but doesn't like the shower at home because it takes longer to get it to 'the right' temperature.

I was just wondering whether anyone else had a filthy oik ... obviously not

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hercules · 08/09/2004 21:06

Ds (8) moans every time he has a shower. We make him have one every other night. If left to him he would never.

MeanBean · 09/09/2004 09:07

I think every day is vital, not because little kids are dirty and need it, but because it gets them into the habit so that when they are older and do need it, they're used to it and the message has always been that anything less than once a day is social suicide. But I'm feeling very militant about this issue at the moment!!

Original poster

roisin · 09/09/2004 09:49

I'm tempted to have a huge battle and tell him he has to have a bath or shower every day, as once we get over the battle he'll probably accept that quite happily into his daily routine.

BUT just out of interest - What's the alternative? Those whose children do not bathe/shower every day: What do you/they wash? Can you get them to 'wash properly' without stripping off and having a bath?

OP posts:

taramac · 09/09/2004 09:57

I only wash my 2 ds's about twice a week and we do face hands and teeth every night. If they are particularly grubby or hot I tent to give them a quick shower. Just in case you think I do the same I don't - I shower every day!! Just can't see the point in washing the kids every day.

binker · 09/09/2004 12:01

Ds is 7 and has a bath every evening, plus a hair wash (as hair,esp in London gets as grubby as skin) Also try to get him to clean his willy properly ! So far he seems happy to be nice and clean.

discordia · 09/09/2004 12:05

My 7 year old has a shower every night (unless we've been out and get home late) and hair wash once a week. She's a girl so maybe it's easier!

hasbeen · 09/09/2004 15:11

My two have a bath every 2 or 3 days.hairwash is once a week.When I was a kid we only had a bath once a week.Then we used to share the water.

KateandtheGirls · 09/09/2004 15:29

My two (2 and 5) have a bath and hairwash usually every other day. If I'm feeling lazy it stretches to 3 days, but that's the most.

blossomhill · 09/09/2004 16:00

ds and dd have a bath or shower pratically every day. Unless, like last night, my mum babsat and it's too much to expect her to do it. I only wash hair about once/twice a week though.

WideWebWitch · 09/09/2004 20:39

roisin, my boy (7 in a month) doesn't want to bath either, unless he thinks it will delay bed time, which is when we don't want him to either. I bossed him into the shower this morning, can't even remember how but only because the last time I can remember him having a bath was Friday. Eeek! But he was at his father's this weekend so may have bathed there (yeah, right!). So he doesn't get a bath that often really. He still likes to have one with me sometimes at the weekend, would yours do that (if you could stand it but we have nice chats and he practices writing with stick on the wall letters).

WideWebWitch · 09/09/2004 20:40

Hadn't read your reply but he washes himself and I nag (make sure you do your bum and your willy). Gawd!

Original poster

roisin · 09/09/2004 20:42

Thanks WWW - I'm glad we're not the only ones!

Can I ask, on the days he doesn't bathe, does he get washed at all? Other than hands and face?

Thanks everyone else too: Gives me some ammunition in trying to get him to wash more often

OP posts:

Original poster

roisin · 09/09/2004 20:43

Oh crossed posts - you answered my Q already. Thanks!

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Lonelymum · 09/09/2004 21:00

Mine all have a bath pretty well every day unless there is something else going on, eg out late. I think that is probably too often. My mother used to make me bath every other day and I think if your ds doesn't like baths, you shouldn't beat yourself up about getting him bathed every day - every other day or even every three days probably won't kill him. Mine wash their faces (or so they tell me!) every morning. Again, my mother used to make me do it morning and night but unless their faces are visibly dirty (eg food) I leave it at night. My eldest ds is 8 and he still likes his bath very much. In fact, now that he doesn't have to share it with ds2 (aged 6) he likes it even more. I tend to leave him to lie in the water and only occasionally stand over him to make sure he washes. Afterall, if he lies in the water for 10-15 minutes, most of the dirt must come off anyway. Hope you work something out. FWIW I hear that teenage boys are very particular about their personal hygiene these days so maybe you won't have too many years with a dirty oik!

WideWebWitch · 09/09/2004 21:01

Hey roisin, not even hands and face on the days he doesn't bath/shower!

Original poster

roisin · 10/09/2004 14:28

Thanks you two.

The odd thing is ds1 actually enjoys lying back and relaxing in the bath ... it's just getting him to that point that's the tricky bit. I think he resents it as a "waste of his precious time".

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