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Original poster

How often do we really need to wash our kids???

314 replies

Bunny10 · 02/10/2017 20:59

So I read today that Vivienne Westwood only has a bath once a week to keep her looking young and to save water/help the environment. It got me thinking - how often do your kids have a bath or shower? I'm in the habit of giving my little ones a bath every night although they probably don't need it. It's just a habit/part of their routine. But I keep reading about how we need to stop wasting so much water in the home as water levels are low and am feeling guilty. Any tips on keeping kids clean without a nightly bath???

OP posts:
BusterGonad · 03/10/2017 19:44

My son (8) has a bath once or twice a week, I bath twice a week and wash my hair once a week.

Mayhemmumma · 03/10/2017 19:46

This is weirdly fascinating to me as I'm a little obsessive about cleanliness (having been the unkempt child myself)

I can't imagine washing my two only once a week (special skin conditions aside) they'd be filthy. And I really do believe washing DDs hair every other day and brushing twice a day keeps the nits at bay...from personal experience and from being a social worker who's worked with very vulnerable and neglected children I really don't believe nits prefer clean hair.

Also, no one thinks they smell do they? It's just your normal smell but others might think different.

Off to wash my hands....

BusterGonad · 03/10/2017 19:48

My son has never had nits!

onemorecakeplease · 03/10/2017 19:50

We have showers every second night or third night if not dirty for dd(5) - also wash her hair once or twice a week it takes so long to dry otherwise.
But ds needs one every 2nd day or his feet start to whiff a bit!

mishfish · 03/10/2017 19:53

DS (8) bath once a week and a shower after swimming

DD1 (2) lucky if I can get her screaming into the bath once a week

DD2 (10m) every few days

BillBrysonsBeard · 03/10/2017 19:57

7 month old- once a week.
3 year old- probably every 3 days

I shower every day so like to be clean, but they just don't get very dirty!

BillywigSting · 03/10/2017 19:59

Every day in summer/if he's been sweating because leaving the sweat on his skin is not only gross it brings him out in an angry rash.

Cooler weather between three and four times a week. Ds is four.

He doesn't necessarily get a full tub though, a few inches is enough to get washed in. He gets a proper soak in deep water with lots of bath toys about twice a week.

He only gets soap then too (and only a tiny bit of hypoallergenic stuff) because he has eczema and any more frequently than that literally makes him bleed :(

He doesn't smell, gets hands and face wiped down with a warm flannel twice a day.

He'll probably be on daily showers when he's a teen though, neither me nor dp can really get away with skipping a day.

Loulou0 · 03/10/2017 20:01

I bath my 5yr old and 1 year old every night. 5 year old also showers in the morning, and the baby gets a quick soap and rinse in the morning too. Feels weird to dress them in clean clothes when they haven't been washed.

justinelibertine · 03/10/2017 20:18

Shower every morning, we have a double shower and I need to wash too! She started coming in with me as soon as she could sit up/too mobile for the jumperoo and we just carried on. Hair wash once a week, for a child who likes showers DD HATES having shampoo on her hair and screams blue murder.

Bath every night as part of our routine and we do talking practice/singing there. Not yet diagnosed ASD and speech delay, it's the only way to pin her down.

ZippyCameBack · 03/10/2017 20:18

My four (ages 4 to 15) all have a bath every morning when it's a school day. Otherwise they get a bath when they smell. So, every morning!
At night they just get wiped/wipe themselves with a wet flannel.

Dancergirl · 03/10/2017 20:20

Why is this in S&B??

Liara · 03/10/2017 20:21

If I didn't get mine to shower every evening I would have to take a hammer and chisel to them after a couple of days, they would be so caked in mud.

We live in the country!

NotTheFordType · 03/10/2017 20:24

Totally depends on circumstances of where you live and how mucky they get.

My boy had a once a week bath until he hit puberty. If he came home having played in the mud then obviously he got bathed/showered that day. But generally a Sunday night bath was enough. He would wash his face and hands every day in the sink.

Once they hit puberty then they start sweating and really need a shower every 2 days minimum. But honestly once we got a shower put in I could only get him out of there with a crowbar!

becotide · 03/10/2017 20:26

Teens shower daily or they stink

HyacinthBooquet · 03/10/2017 20:26

Every morning wash her face and wipe round her bum area with baby wipes

Whats wrong with soap and water and a flannel?

Boomerangs · 03/10/2017 20:27

I'm disgusted that people don't wash their kids every night my 2.5 year old has a bath every night without fail

BluebellGal · 03/10/2017 20:29

This thread has made me feel better about my parenting habits. My young DD screams blue murder when I wash her hair, so it's only done once or twice a week. Ideally I'd bathe her every three days, but when I get home at 6pm from a long day at work, I can't face it and I push it back. Funny thing is I have vivid memories being exactly the same and only having my hair washed weekly until I was a teen, but my mum has conveniently forgotten!

She doesn't smell, her bits get washed several times a day along with hands and face.

Dancergirl · 03/10/2017 20:31

Gosh boomerangs Grin

EmGee · 03/10/2017 20:32

Perhaps because they don't think it's necessary Boomerangs and also some posters have said daily washing exacerbated their children's skin conditions like excema.

I don't believe in daily baths/showers unless kids have been playing in mud.

Mine have a shower after swimming and hair wash (once a week), then maybe two other baths or showers and one more hair wash. I think that's quite enough.

DH would have them bathed and hair washed every day. But I'm in charge so I do as I see fit.

I don't feel the need to shower daily - in summer I shower daily but in colder months, nope, don't need to. But I would say that I shower every other day. Hairwash twice a week.

notarehearsal · 03/10/2017 20:34

My now grown DC had a bath or shower every day of their childhood. For children and adults I don't think bathing / showering is all about cleanliness I also think it's a nice comfortable way to wind down, after the hustle and bustle of nursery then school before bed. When young it's also a great place for relaxed chat away from TV and screens

Lweji · 03/10/2017 20:35

Boomerangs

Not discusted, then?
Meh.

NeverNic · 03/10/2017 20:37

Roughly 5 times a week for my 5yo and almost 3yo who share a bath or are showered off. I'm not a sweaty person and so I bath/ shower every 2 to 3 days. I shower more on holiday. I also do like a hot bath on crappy weather days.

BarbaraofSevillle · 03/10/2017 20:39

Ha ha. I saw that Vivienne Westwood thing and immediately thought of all the 'how often do you wash' threads on here.

DN4GeekinDerby · 03/10/2017 20:44

The vast majority of water waste is industrial and would be better dealt by working for better legal requirements and enforcement. While many of us have been told to do so and it's good to fix leaks and avoid damaging pipes by not putting certain things down the drain, the amount of water saving an individual house can do is quite tiny comparatively to industries like agriculture and leisure stuff like golf courses and the like which use tons alongside unfixed pipework.

How often depends on what we've been up to and the weather and stuff. My older two are now starting to do it themselves regularly without too much fuss, which is amazing as my 10 year old used to be very fearful of any water (a mix of just doing it and sleeping over at friends' who loves showers seems to have helped). My 5 year old is the worst one now, he whines a lot and fights to get out before he's washed but nothing like the tussles I used to deal with.

HyacinthBooquet · 03/10/2017 20:46

Ha ha. I saw that Vivienne Westwood thing and immediately thought of all the 'how often do you wash' threads on here.

Even before knowing of her lack of bathing habits Ive always thought she looked filthy.

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