This is really grim, isn't it?

[MolliciousIntent]

Just realised DD2.5 hasn't had a hair wash in a fortnight. She has a bath every other night, and DH and I take it in turns to do them - she hates having her hair washed and apparently for the past weeks we've both been assuming that the other had done it... To be fair to us it only started looking awful today, but still.

Had to bribe her with bathtime ice cream to get her to let me do it. Urgh.

Ha ha, think she might survive

My DD is younger, not quite 2, but we only wash her hair when it’s visibly crusted with sun cream/yoghurt/scrambled egg - which is not as often as you might think judging by the state of her face/clothes/the kitchen floor - and I’m ok with that! Maybe every 6 weeks… 😳

Ice cream in the bath sounds great though 🤤

My 5 yo long-haired son went through a 6 month period of bath refusal. We washed him down with soapy cloths every night but couldn't do his hair. After the initial two weeks it was shiny, fresh-smelling and silken. It was almost a shame when he started bathing again!

You would be amazed how kids' hair can just go on looking lovely without being washed... speaking as the mother of a girl who used to hate having it done! I wouldn't think anything of two weeks tbh. Maybe that's really grim but I don't really care!

It's a bit long for my liking but whatever works for you.

6 weeks to the PP is a bit extreme though. Not sure if they were being sarcastic.

That's fine. Best not to wash it too often as you'll strip the natural oils etc from it. Unless it's got yoghurt/unidentified stickies etc then it doesn't need washed.

That is a bit manky, but a quick wash and it's good as gold. Hair washing is not optional, especially if you are applying plenty of sunscreen - she doesn't have to like it, but it does have to happen.

It's a bit long for my liking too! Once a week, usually!

I remember DS going through this phase. They can get away with it surprisingly long - do you ever go swimming? That helps rinse out any dirt or smells. Kids don't really get greasy hair till puberty kicks in.

😂😂😂😂

My son hates baths. Or showers or any water really. I manage to coerce him in once a week and I just wash his hair with water. I don't even pour water on it. Just get it soaking with small handfuls of water as he plays. Then I sort of buff it with the towel and it's soft, shiny, no smell and his scalp is lovely and healthy. Sometimes if he's really cranky I skip the hair wash and it still looks fine. It's only the edge that show grease from suncream and that's only been an issue for the last month or so. Just rinses out. No soap needed.

Apparently these are really good for hair wash refuseniks prevents water and soap getting in their faces: www.amazon.co.uk/Shower-KAMHBE-Adjustable-Washing-Shampoo/dp/B09GXL52GZ/ref=asc_df_B09GXL52GZ/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=535917708887&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14642941388677133091&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045880&hvtargid=pla-1463450673500&psc=1

DS 5 only gets his hair washed once a week. I keep telling myself I ought to do it more but to be fair, it looks and smells fine so I keep forgetting

Modern child rearing never ceases to amaze me! I had my DDs 30 years ago, and I would never have considered baths or hair washes to be “negotiable”. Bath happened every night without fail, as part of bedtime routine, and hair wash once a week - more often if they had got it muddy, or salty/sandy from the beach.
I did make bath time fun with boats, rubber duck, and foam rubber alphabet letters, but I wouldn’t stand any nonsense about refusing to have one!

@Babdoc yes, the notion that children have bodily autonomy is a modern one.

Sorry but I agree with @babdoc - bodily autonomy is one thing but to not wash properly is unhygienic. Routine baths/hairwashes sets them up for good hygiene habits for life.

My 2yo one went over 2 months without washing her hair. It was because she was having multiple brain surgeries during that time, but it kept in surprisingly good condition.

I mean, it didn't get mud or much dirt on it, but would have had blood and brain fluid (seriously 🤢) in it frequently. We just used detangling spray, and very carefully brushed and plaited it. Her hair looked better after 2 months of not washing, than mine does after 2 days.

Kids hair is funny stuff sometimes

I aim to wash my kids hair at least once each school term ... And it looks fine! They do go swimming and get it wet in the bath fairly regularly.

Totally agree with @Babdoc
There's a reason the Brits have a reputation for having shite teeth and poor hygiene, and it's down to parents who raise kids that "don't like" having a wash, who then become adults that stink out entire train carriages and offices.
🤢

It was a non negotiable for me. I think twice a week was usual with hair also getting wet in baths in between.

Doesn’t seem to matter when they’re little unless they’ve got food in it. It doesn’t start getting manky until they’re getting towards puberty.

It’s not a modern thing, it’s a different families thing. I’m younger than 30 and grew up having a bath and hair wash once a week - not because I refused one, that’s just what our routine was. At no point did I resemble Pig Pen from the Snoopy cartoons 😉

A soapy sponge would surely do the trick if a full hairwash is hard.

I never washed DS3’s hair- just rinsed it. It was beautiful.

Definitely not a modern thing. I only had a bath once a week as a child too and so did most people I knew. In fact, I remember once someone at school telling our teacher she had a bath every night and the teacher being shocked, saying it was bad for her skin and she’d be washed away 😂
And going back another generation, my grandmother had a tin bath they took out on weekends and it had to be filled by hand with warm water. That was certainly never going to be a daily occurrence.