How often are you bathing your primary aged children?

[RedRobyn24]

My daughter is 4 and has just started reception. I also have a 9 month old.

At the moment I bathe both of them (sometimes together usually apart) every other day. Is this what other people do? I try not to wash DD1’s hair more than once a week

Are other parents really doing this every day?

To be honest this is a wider question about how the heck parents find the time for everything. I’m a SAHM as well, don’t know how two working parents do it AND make sure their children are eating well and the house is cleaned and the dog it walked and the reading home work is done… but also the child has downtime to just play as well 😬

Every day for us. It’s a good habit to instill before stinky teenagerdom, I have a boy who does get pretty filthy at school (they seem to roll about in the dust), and actually he plays with bath toys in the bath in a way that he no longer really plays with toys outside of the bath (he’s 9). He is old enough to do most of it himself, we just check he’s rinsed all the shampoo out.

He goes up to the bathroom at 8pm, and usually finishes school lat 3:30. So fair amount of downtime. He does do a fair few clubs and hobbies, but he likes them. Homework/reading/cello practice is done at the weekend (he does cello 3x week at school).

I don't have children, but I remember growing up that I would have a bath once a week, on a Sunday while Songs of Praise was on the telly.

Weird the things you remember

It really varies for us. But with additional needs and eczema we can't do daily full on baths. It would just take so long with moisturising afterwards etc. I feel utterly exhausted as it is from herding everyone to eat wee bathe blink etc
Some weeks it's definitely once a week then others it's twice, thrice. Summer it's daily.
None of mine are getting particularly dirty though no mud or sweat. I concentrate on my eldest mostly as he needs to get into that more regular routine with the teenager years approaching.
We are very much a just barely surviving family and have to keep strict bedtimes otherwise the whole ship sinks. I remember when I was little my grandparents would have me for the weekend and do a full on bath hair wash etc with me. What I'd give for some extra pair of hands now.

Mine are 7 and 10, they shower every other day unless they are particularly dirty and bath once a week.

Every day. It’s the bedtime routine we do, bath, teeth, reading, tonie, sleep

for primary it will depend on if puberty has started….. yes tween / teen kids can stink!!

Here pre puberty.:…
Shower 3 times a week - on days they have sports.
Bath once a week.
Hair wash for long hair only once a week. Short hair every shower / bath

now older child is in secondary they are supposed to shower every day. I doubt they do!!!

DS is 7 and has a shower on days he has football/ice hockey/wrestling training and on a Sunday evening. Washes his hair once or twice a week (I aim for twice but he's very reluctant and sometimes its not worth the battle)
I've never done daily bathing with my children when young, not good for their skin, though my teenager showers daily now because puberty makes that necessary.

I was doing it every other night then the pediatrician told me I was doing it far too often. Once or twice a week is enough for younger chuldre. I now bath them twice a week, Sundays and Wednesdays. Seems plenty now I've started doing it.

Swimming once a week with quick shower after. Bath once a week, hair washing maybe once a week or even every two weeks. Kids 6, 3 and 10 months. But the older ones are prone to bad eczema flare ups and we were advised to not bathe every day and twice a week as the max really as it is terrible for their skin as is using any soap or shampoo. I actually think daily bathing is not that healthy and strips the skin too much.

I’ve a four year old and a 7 month old. 4yo has a bath one day, shower the next and repeat. He’s a grubby little gremlin and we live on a farm so anything less would be not ideal! Baby has a bath same time every other day and sits in her little chair and just keeps us company on shower nights.

Mine all shower every day. Youngest is generally grubby from playing, older 2 do a lot of sports.

Yes same. If her nails are dirty I always make sure they are clean when she gets home from school

I’m envious of those who don’t have kids who get thoroughly filthy at school! My 6 year old comes home looking like he’s been rolling around in mud. No way we could get away with anything other than a daily shower!

Bath twice a week for ours. My 5yr old has bad eczema and it dries her skin. We have just started baths separately for them her brother is 3. They brush teeth, wash hands, face and privates before bed every night so they're clean. She can't even have soap, she has a soap substitute.

That’s what I did too

The American academy of dermatology recommends a bath or shower twice a week up to the age of 11.
I tend to do a bath and hair wash on a Sunday then a shower and hair wash after swimming lessons on a Wednesday. Then everyday before school and before bed we do face and nails along with brushing teeth.
My kid always looks and smells clean.
they can wash too often and dry out their skin.

Every other day, with additional as needed.

Every day as part of bedtime routine for my 16month old. She loves her bath and it’s working as she’s asleep for 6.50 so I’m sticking with it

Every night, but he is 4 and gets stinking

She said primary school age

Same here.
However there are exceptions maybe like once or twice a month if we're all knackered or it's way too late

Ours have always had a bath or shower every day as part of the bedtime routine. Now teenage/older primary age and I think I can count on one hand the times they have missed it in their lifetime (getting home late from a day out at a theme park so then had a bath the next morning etc). I never go to bed without feeling clean so I suppose I feel the same way about the kids. Lots of friends also do the same and I think bathtime really does help settle them when they are little.

We always do baths/showers before dinner, into pjs, then homework after dinner. When the kids were little, into the bath after a day out made life so much easier (plus kids that have been running rpund a muddy park, soft play, pre-school, school etc) need a good wash!). They would come home from wherever we’ve been, into the bath, chill out time to play/watch tv, that freed up my time to get dinner ready/do some jobs. Also, always used bathtime to sort and fold washing next to them when they were little.

Once its part of a routine, you really never skip it. Plus two young kids can go in the bath together which also saves on time.

Every single day head to toe, anything less is disgusting. Schools are filthy places and smell so bad! Probably because most children don’t seem to get a wash going by the comments! No wonder there’s so many adults with terrible personal hygiene. Anyone who says oh but their skin, no one’s saying lather them up with boiling water but a quick hair wash and body rinse in the shower is a minimum, you can moisturise after. Stop being lazy and smelly.

Bath 2-3 times a week with a flannel wash every evening in between. Hair washed once a week.
My DDs are 6 and 7.

What a poor excuse. Organise yourself better. Takes 5 minutes to shower a child.