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

[traceface]

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?

Bath or shower daily here. Have done since they were born.

A week would be unthinkable.

no questionnaire Portandlemon- just an 'aura'

Trace, my DD1 (also 4) goes through phases of being in and out of love with the bath. We do it every night when she's keen, 2x a week when not (with bottom, face and feet washing in between, esp in summer in canvas shoes) and she does not smell. Hair is a palaver which she hates (long, curly, tangly without attention) so that's once a week unless it gets yoghurted etc, when she has to grin and bear it.

I have enough of a rush to get my lot ready for the school run so would not get up earlier to do it in the am. As your DD doesn't smell, just keep going until she comes round to the idea of an evening soak again .

I think once a week is fine.
We aim for twice a week but it is usually sometimes longer.

Nice to know teachers get together and bitch about small childrens' personal hygiene

I am not a teacher !

My Dd is 2.2 and showers every morning. Last night I let her have a bath and a play just for a change. Could your Dd shower in the morning? I trained my Ds to shower every morning from the age of 3 or 4 and he does it now with no moans and groans, so I'm hoping for a 'dirty teenager' free life, but we'll see.

I bath both of mine daily - DS is normally filthy!! DD just enjoys it, it's a really nice time for them to play together

I bath DD(16 months) everyday and have done ever since she was past her dry skin stage as a baby, probably from about 3 weeks. I find it calms her down before bed and she really loves it, just becomes routine. My DS(8) also has a bath every day.
Also when DD was a baby at about 6 every evening she used to have her daily poo - which was more like an explosion! Had to bath her after that and have just carried it on. If my children suffered from dry skin I wouldnt bath them as much.

i bathe dd after swimming which is once a week. she doesn't smell. i did shower her last night after a none wiping incident [boak]

My daughter (4.4) has 3-4 baths a week and a shower on the non-bath days.

I like to soak her bottom, feet and hands before a good soapy germ-busting wash. And I like to wash her hair and check for nits. And to give her ears a good clean.

Children are quickly pretty smelly.

I used to hate week day baths because DD1 has really long thick hair so used to take an age to dry even with hair dryer making her later to bed, now I put them in the bath after DD1 gets home from school after a snack, and they can play together for as long as the water stays warm. It is the only time they seem to play nicely without fighting, also gives me a lovely break to read my book on the bed. I think they see bath time as play time instead of a quick in, out and bed.

DS has a bath every 2 or 3 days - when it's been 3 days, he pongs. I couldn't leave it a week.

What Sazisi said, anywhere between 1-5x/fortnight here (plus shower at swim pool).

god i feel like i need to get someone to come and sniff my child now.

lol, JCMGoat. Me too. Let's not go there, eh?

Dcs have a bath on a Sunday night, Tuesday and Thursday. If we are pushed for time then it will be a shower. Sometimes they have a bath after school if DH will be home late from work and we are eating together.

I couldn't let them go a whole week without a good wash.

Definitely depends on the 4yr old.

dd1 has smelly little pits in hot weather, or after rushing around, which is most days, so she needs washing most days. dd2 doesn't, but loves water and would never forgive me for washing her sister and not her.

So the pair of them get bathed/showered almost every day. Not a rule, though, just the way it works for them/us.

I honestly am at the once a week child bathers. This isn't the 1950s you know. We all have hot water on tap don't we? I can't understand it.

(My 8 yo and 5 yo have a bath or shower 4 or 5 times a week. It takes less than 10 minutes to do them both if they are showering).

4 yr old DS has a bath around 3-4 times a week.

You know yourself if your child is clean or not, so go with your own flow, I say.

Ha ha Minty! It's clear from all this if your child is fine with once a week bath it's best not to let on as some Mums will be horrified.

My dd has a bath once a week - and it has gone longer. She hates it, I hate it, she does not smell at all [obviously I would bath her if she did] and we don't seem to thrive on routine in this house!

I wouldn't ever bath for the sake of it. But then we are in hard water from hell and she gets very sore skin following long exposure to the water.

I think it is fine if your child is otherwise adequately washed, but be honest - is it really as thorough and easy to strip wash a four year old? What is so hard about bathing every day? Get them up ten minutes earlier.

it is not because i am too lazy. i just don't think she needs it and i worry about her skin - did i mention i don't use soap either......

I wouldn't be able to leave my toddler DS (nearly two) without a bath for aweek, but I do think a daily bath is complete overkill and unnecessary.
In time I think it will dry out their beautiful, soft, delicate skin. They say even adults don't need a shower or bath every day for the same reason. But I don't feel right without one. Yuck!