11 DD - How often would you insist on showering / bathing?

[dabdab]

She is not very sporty / active, and resists like mad!

[Mrsrobertduvallsaysboo]

Definitely every day.
Hair every couple of days.

[sunmoonstarstoo]

My 11 yr old dd showers and washes her hair every other day, she has eczema and her skin flares up if she washes every day. However, she does not smell at all!

[OhThisIsJustGrape]

Every day! She will be going through puberty soon and you need to instill good personal hygiene well before that happens.

My DC used to resist showers but it was non negotiable. They showered every morning, end of.

I've worked in a secondary school and I could tell every morning which kids hadn't showered in the last day or two - greasy hair and smelly.

Even if your dd doesn't smell now she will do once she begins puberty so it will do her good to have a routine established well before someone points out to her that she really doesn't smell too good.

[ByTheWay1]

it is only "normal" to bathe so often in countries that have water to waste..... that may have to change in future years.....

increased population in already overcrowded urban areas with less access to fresh water is already causing problems with droughts in the SE - if you have a family of 4 where all are showering EVERY day - sometimes twice - you can see where all the water is going.... especially if you multiply up to however many million live in London (say)... and we are all pouring shameful amounts of fresh, safe to drink water down the drain.

[brighthair]

I shower every other day, unless I've been at the gym or riding or feel sweaty. If I've just been pottering around the house then I go 36-48hrs without. Wash my hair every 2-3 days but it is insanely dry and curly

[sunmoonstarstoo]

IMO showering every day is a waste of water and only necessary after sport.

When I was young we bathed once a week and washed on the other days, we didn't smell and neither does my daughter.

[dabdab]

Well, I don't think that we are going to come to an ultimate answer to this as everyone feels so differently, but it has been an interesting thread - the upshot of which is that I am going to encourage her to wash more frequently! Elah11, you put forward your argument very nicely, with just the right tone - much more effective than more 'reactive' posts.

[throckenholt]

I often feel conscious of just how much a luxury it is when I am having a shower. And how much a waste it is - so much clean water pouring down the plug hole without barely touching anything on the way.

I didn't have that as a child (in the 60s/70s) and am conscious that none of my ancestors had that luxury either. It is interesting to speculate how much longer we will be able to take that luxury for granted in the west. Water is likely to be very much more limited per person in the future if we keep concentrating in big cities in dry locations. Also considering how much energy is required to provide clean water as well.

[Startail]

2-3x a week just like big sister and her parents.

This obsession with daily showers must be awful for the environment.

It's a total waste of time and money.

I find both my DDs are really good at having a shower when they feel they need one. That seems perfectly right to me.

[bubby64]

I tell my 2 DS (almost 12yrs) to shower every day, but, must admit, they sometimes skip it, especially if I am working, and not there to supervise!
I encorage it because, although they are not really smelly yet, they soon will be, and they need to get into the habit sooner rather than later!. They only wash their hair a couple of times a week, but that is starting to change now, as they have decided they want to "style" their hair, and they cant do this unless it is clean!