Baths for 2 and 4 yr olds

[DelphiniumDoris]

Go easy on me, as I've not been here for ages!
A Dad I know has recently been given recedency of his young children. Following court precedings, the mother has not communicated the children's needs, routines or anything that might help, beyond a few sentences.
She has said that the children have two baths a week. I'm shocked.
Iyo, what is a normal bath regime for children aged 2 and 4? Imo, it's every night.

Once every other night is fine. Unless they are filthy but mostly a wipe down with a flannel is ok for the days in between.

Think every night is too much.
I give mine 2-3 baths/showers a week .
I got a dip once a week as a child.

We were doing every night, but it was a lot of hassle and seemed a bit pointless. Now on every other night.

My 12 year old baths daily, My 2 seven year old's shower daily, my 5 year old baths showers daily, my 3 year old baths every day and my 14 weeks old baby baths every other day.

Me and dh shower daily sometimes twice.

I wouldn't have it any other way

my 2 wash every 2 days age 11 and 8. When they were younger they got washed maybe twice a week

DS showers every 3 days, he's 6. At 2 and 4 similar - twice a week or so. He hates getting wet and it's a huge battle and takes forever, so no I wouldn't do it every night.

I suspect I'm being a mug for answering this, but here goes. No, I'm not shocked at 2 baths a week. It's a perfectly reasonable bath regime. Nightly baths really are just a fashion, and not at all necessary - in fact can be quite harmful if the children tend to dry skin or excema.

If your question is genuine, and you're in some way involved with the situation, then do bear in mind before you go in all guns blazing that these young children have just had their worlds turned upside down. Go gently and with compassion.

It's better now he's older - he has a chart so we can point at the chart and say nope, it's shower day and he can't argue with that like he used to argue with us.

Seriously you would think I was trying to drown him

Bath once a week, shower 2/3 times depending on sports. My boys are 5 and 9. every day is way too much, effort and for their skin.

Interesting. Twice a week is minimum surely.
We had a bath/dip every night, it warms you through and is a nice ritual.
Now that mine are older, I enjoy a nice half hour soak with all the hot water every morning. With rose petals preferably. Lol

If the Dad thinks 2 baths aren't enough; then he just bathes them nightly...
What their Mum used to do isn't set in stone, is it?

Yes it warms you and is a nice ritual but not required for hygiene at that age. If they get dirty knees when wearing shorts, you can clean them with a flannel. Too much cleansing is bad for the skin. As is too little, but twice a week is fine.
Also, if he wants the kids to have a bath every night they are with him, that's probably fine too, but he may need to check how their skin is.

My 4 year old baths every other night. Occasionally it might be nightly and occasionally it might go to third night. We used to bath religiously every night when younger but he tends to not really get dirty as such, not liking messy play so think that on the whole, every other day is ample. In the summer, it would be daily because he would wear suntan lotion and sweat and therefore look like he needs a bath at the end of the day.

twice a week is fine - if we bath DS1 (4) more than that he gets scaly dry patches on his skin. DS2 (1) still gets dry bumps on his arms with just that! (we use E45 bath oil). Their hair gets washed even less than that - perhaps once a fortnight, and it's lovely and glossy and healthy (it gets rinsed in between during general bath/shower shenanigans)

If they're dirty, wash them. Otherwise leave them to it is my opinion.

That said, when we lived in tropical climbs DS1 often showered a couple of times a day, or on particularly cold days a nice warm bath to warm up before bed also does wonders - just not required for hygiene.

twice a week is fine - if we bath DS1 (4) more than that he gets scaly dry patches on his skin. DS2 (1) still gets dry bumps on his arms with just that! (we use E45 bath oil). Their hair gets washed even less than that - perhaps once a fortnight, and it's lovely and glossy and healthy (it gets rinsed in between during general bath/shower shenanigans)

If they're dirty, wash them. Otherwise leave them to it is my opinion.

That said, when we lived in tropical climbs DS1 often showered a couple of times a day, or on particularly cold days a nice warm bath to warm up before bed also does wonders - just not required for hygiene.

Having said all that, just do what works for the family - it's neither here nor there in the grand scheme!

ugh - sorry, dunno what happened there..

Every night. Just part of our routine. Have tea at 5, bath at 6pm and bed and 7pm. They enjoy it, and I get to do the ironing watching them :)

I don't think that's that unusual, is it?
Mine used to have baths anything from nightly to twice a week, depending on how much we were relying on the bath being part of a bedtime routine/them wanting a bath to play in and necessity. They went through phases they did not want a bath, so they were bathed less often.

Children often do get over washed nowadays IMO- they don't play outside as much/as dirtily as we used to and skin does get dry.

Also, if communication from the mum was poor, then they could have had 2 baths a week + showers/sink washes in between times?
IME chronically unkempt children look/smell entirely different from a child who has missed the odd bath.

Well my older one doesnt like baths and my younger one (who does) has v dry skin. So we tend to go for once a week here. We shower at and after swimming which we do twice a week. And if they were dirty or needed it more often!

I think twice a week is fine. I don't get the warming thing. I'd hope my children are warm anyway.

I tend to bath mine every other day unless they're really filthy from playing out. A good hands & face wash is sufficient when it's not a bath night

I'd love if we could get away with twice a week, but DS is always caked in dirt by the end of the day, and it's the only way to get under his nails properly clean. DD gets stroppy if she's left out. I revel in the very rare nights we get away with hands, face and teeth.

Thanks for the feedback. Seems I'm in a minority.