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Original poster

is one bath a week enough for a 4 year old?

224 replies

traceface · 17/03/2009 20:36

My dd1 used to have a bath 3 or 4 mornings a week when she was at nursery. She loves a long soak and a play. Since starting school we don't have time in the mornings and she's never really liked baths before bed, so now she just gets a bath on a weekend. Is this really gross and neglectful of me?

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traceface · 17/03/2009 21:33

oooh thanks everyone! She does get a good wash before bed each night and we wipe her bum with a wet wipe before bed each night incase she hasn't wiped away a number 2 properly at school! Obviously if she's been extra hot or mucky she gets a bonus bed time bath (indoor play centre, party...sweaty stuff!) but it's just not a strict routine! Can't really do it in the morning at the mo - got a 12 week old and am just mastering getting us all up and out and to school on time! Thanks for the thoughts

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SecretSlattern · 17/03/2009 21:35

DD is bathed on a Sunday night and a Wednesday night religiously and depending on how the wind blows, maybe on a Friday night too. She has really unruly, curly hair so that has to be washed 2-3 times a week purely to get the brush through it, plus she starts to look a bit grubby. She doesn't like full on body washes because she gets "cooooooooooooold" .

DS on the other hand loves a bath and will happily have one every night. He is bathed same nights as DD but during the teething times and growth spurt times, he has one every day because it helps with the sleep thing.

HaventSleptForAYear · 17/03/2009 21:37

We sometimes leave it a whole week.

Not on purpose but I generally bath the boys on a Wednesday and on the weekend.

We don't really wash them in between - it never occured to me!

I still wipe the 4 yr old's bottom so it's done properly.

I don't think he's whiffy!!!

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tiredandwornoutmum · 17/03/2009 21:37

Ds has a bath every school night and once over the weekend. And yes, you can spot the children straight out who don't have baths at least every other night.

So I don't think it's fair on the child to go a whole week without one.

Blarbie · 17/03/2009 21:43

When I was about 7 I had an argument with a girl at school as her parting insult she said "I bet you haven't even washed your hair in a week" I smiled quietly thinking "I haven't had my hair washed in a month!"
Looking back I was pretty neglected I guess!

CompareTheMeerkat · 17/03/2009 21:47

When I've been listening to readers at school, I haven't noticed anyone smelling unwashed. But maybe they are all having more baths than my children.

Original poster
traceface · 17/03/2009 21:52

she is not unkepmt! She still has her hair in neat bunchies and her smart uniform on - and I really don't think she smells - I hope someone would tell me if they thought she did!

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Hulababy · 17/03/2009 21:55

tiredandwornoutmum - how on earth can you tell?!!!

I work as a TA in a y1 class. I also help out in DD's infant school regularly. I have no idea and no way of ever knoing how ofen each child has a bath or shower!!!

Original poster
traceface · 17/03/2009 21:56

I meant unkempt! Too tired...must go to bed...dd2 will no doubt awaken for milk as soon as I drop off!

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MollieO · 17/03/2009 22:05

Ds has a bath every other day or every third day if his eczema has flared up. Every morning (and nights when he doesn't have a bath) he has a proper wash with a flannel - face, hands, bottom etc and feet (feet only in summer if it is hot).

NotAnOtter · 17/03/2009 22:07

Sitting next to a child whilst it reads

I can smell

1.their breath (teeth falling mouths are worse!)
2.frequency of bathing
3.Over use of fabric conditioner
4 smoker at home

mrsruffallo · 17/03/2009 22:09

I think it's plenty

ThingOne · 17/03/2009 22:26

I'm sure once a week is fine with the tops ups you do in between. I prefer more often myself but I mine are bathed more often than they need because they like it. And because the toddler often has secret stores of mess and dirt about his person .

Hulababy · 17/03/2009 22:30

Honestly I sit very close to infant school children 5 days a week and I really haven't noticed. I am quite confident my sense of smell is fine. I have also teaught in secondary and only ever had one issue - one sixth former with dreadful odour issues (not BO, more related to toileting )

Worst place was the prison - a whole bunch of male adult prisoners. Yuck! Noww hygiene was an issue there.

However with little children I don't think there is going to be any issue with bathing once a week, and regular top and tail washes rest of time.

NotAnOtter · 17/03/2009 22:32

i am probably odd hulababy
( scrub the 'probably' bit!)

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 17/03/2009 22:33

DS1 would have a green meas me around him if he only had a bath once a week. He is in the bath for about 20 mins every night.

ABetaDad · 17/03/2009 22:34

To be honest we shower DS1 and DS2. They have every day since age 4 and we are trying to train them for when they are 14 that a shower every day is essential.

DS1 (now 9) went on a 3 day school trip and he said he was he only boy who got showered every day. I feel unreasonably proud of him for doing that on his own and no doubt under a lot of peer pressure not to from his mates.

Hulababy · 17/03/2009 22:35

lol NAO Maybe it is me - maybe the prison experience has lowered my expectations on the hygiene smelliness front. The thought of some of them still makes me gag!

DD has a bath or shower a couple of times a week, sometimes 3. She does have a proper top and tail wash at the sink rest of the week though.

PortAndLemon · 17/03/2009 22:44

How do you know that you can spot the children straight out who don't have baths at least every other night? OK, so you can spot some children who smell, but there could very easily be other children who don't have baths every other night but who don't smell.

DS brushes teeth regularly, we don't use fabric conditioner, and none of us smokes. But he does only bath once a week. He really doesn't smell. He has been sniffed by experts, who believe me would not hesitate to criticise my parenting if he were pongy. He does have very dry skin, though (which is one big reason I don't want to bath him more often at the moment) and seems to hardly sweat at all, so maybe that's a factor.

I bath or shower every day, or sometimes twice a day if it's hot and I feel I'm getting whiffy, so it's not that I have particularly low standards, I think.

ChasingSquirrels · 17/03/2009 22:47

don't have to worry about whether my 6yo is whiffy in school then, no one ever seems to hear him read.

NotAnOtter · 17/03/2009 22:57

i am sure i can...
my bf ( best friend) is a teacher and we agree on this...i probably AM odd - but i am v sensitive to this..

the more children i have had - the more i like to make unnecessary work for myself bathe them

NotAnOtter · 17/03/2009 23:00

Portandlemon just re read your post and as an aside....

i have always had dry skin and as a child and teenager had dreadful eczema

I do not sweat at all... and do not have underarm hair so could be the same with your ds!

as an adult i have found an odd odd thing..just bath water or showering dries my skin

however bathing with very mild baby bath or somesuch - does not dry my skin at all

i bathe twice a day now and skin soft without needing to moisturise

PortAndLemon · 17/03/2009 23:02

But do you get the parents to fill in questionnaires on how often the children are bathed (and make them tell the truth)? Because if not then the fact that some smell doesn't tell you anything about the bathing habits of those who don't.

Many of the people who get to sniff DS are teachers too .

ladylush · 17/03/2009 23:03

We don't bath ds every day - it's 2-3 times a week. His top half is washed daily as are his feet. We wash his bum daily because he's hardly thorough when he wipes himself. He isn't a sweaty child and afaik no one thinks he smells.

InSearchOfLostKeys · 17/03/2009 23:05

Have to bath 4yr old ds at least every other night as he just gets so grubby, and that's with separate washes as well.

Plus he loves his splashy baths with dd.