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

[Bunny10]

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???

I feel my baby needs daily bathing because his neck rolls get drool and nastiness in them,he poops himself obviously, is a messy eater with his baby food, and it gets him very relaxed and is a great routine.
BUT I've noticed his skin is sensitive and flares up easily.l just don't know.

It used to be "cleanliness is next to godliness" and people would scrub and wash and disinfect the ever living shit out of everything and killing the good bacteria and beneficial oils. I think now we are moving more towards a better balance. My first son was immediately washed at birth, while my second had his white baby goo rubbed in and let sit for 24 hours. Washing the crap out of everything doesn't mean you're more knowledgeable or civilized or whatever.

I found the sink wash took a lot longer than the shower. It was a lot quicker to get two bowls of water, one to wet the skin the other to rinse.
Sink wash wet cloth add soap rub onto sink. Rinse cloth to get rid of soap, wipe part of body to remove soap and repeat. Then of course the water on the floor because with a damp cloth it was even shitter.
So this meant either a towel on the floor or use a mop. Not requiring water. Then the wash cloth to go in the washer.

Compared to a quick shower or two bowls of water, which is quicker.

I do shower because it's quicker than any alternatives. Except a quick face and underarms wash at the sink, but that's only rare occasions.

DS has always been a clean and non-smelly baby and child.

His bottom was cleaned or washed properly after each poo, so no real need for any baths at the end of the day.

Things are changing as he's approaching puberty and he'll be having a regular daily shower.

My 18 year old is a challenge. He has additional needs and hates bathing. I still have to wash his hair for him to ensure its done properly or it gets greasy and smelly. I put shampoo in and then send him to shower it out and get clean. DS2 is 6 and has a hair wash and shower after swimming plus once in between. DS3 is 2 and is bathed as needed but not daily usually. Their skin tends to be dry and over washing makes it worse.

LOL! I'm not in the least bit neurotic in general about germs, we all need a bit for our immunity...personally I like to be properly clean daily and with DC they got the same habit from babyhood so as natural as teeth brushing and those habits continue forever once established.
I remember showering independently from age 5, my DC the same though I supervised hair washing for a bit longer.
Is that so unusual?

Agree that there's absolutely no need for things like clean towel each time you shower (mine get chucked in the wash after 3 or 4 uses) but all that faffing with a bowl and top and tailing when you can be clean all over in less than 5 mins far more efficiently and hygienically with a shower? Even a hand bath shower is preferable IMHO.
I'm very laid back but may have a very sensitive nose? That landlady scarred me for life , and yes culturally it was ingrained in me from a very early age.
I insist: those classrooms made my kids smell when they came home, I did change their uniforms daily too Think about the poor teachers!

I do get it in cases of extreme skin conditions but most of the cases I read here are not that at all! You can use low sulfate products if you're concerned about your skin and it's not Tudor England anymore when they refused to wash for fear of "humours" making you sick through open pores

My 7 year old has a bath every morning

This topic comes up constantly, I just can’t imagine only bathing my 4 and 2 year old once a week gross!

I don’t believe in a sterile environment that’s crazy but I feel dirty if I don’t shower daily!

At this time of year, my younger ones tend to be covered in mud by they time they are called inside. Baths are a daily thing around here for them.
Teens shower at least once a day (why do they smell so strongly?!), and adults the same.
I couldn't go to bed without having a shower, so it wouldn't feel right not to wash my kids too.

7yo and 2yo here, they get a bath and shampoo twice a week. Eldest also showers at swimming once a week. Faces get washed as needed.

If I bathe them any more their skin dries right out and youngest's eczema flares up. This keeps them clean enough (no stinky armpits yet). It also means I get to spend some time with them after work that doesn't involve water flying everywhere!

Hold on is it DD 6 yrs old or DD number 6????

I stick my dd's (6 and 8) in the shower about every 4 or 5 days. They both have bum-length hair, so washing more than that would be a pain, but the big one gets a bit smelly if she only showers once a week, and I might as well get them two of them done in one go. The big one is able to wash her own hair now, with a bit of supervision, which is great.

DH and I shower every day.

DSs2n3 (aged 10 and 6) bathe twice a week unless very muddy (flannel on legs if normal muddy). DS1 age 13 should shower everyday but is resistant......

I find the range of answers here very interesting, I had no idea there was such a wide range of hygiene practices! DS (8) has a bath generally every second night, unless he has been doing something extra-messy. Hair wash about twice a week. If he has been at swimming lesson (with no shower afterwards) then he will have an extra bath that day. If he has been swimming with me at the gym (with shower and hairwash afterwards) then he skips the bath that day.

I bath every morning, and wash my hair on average every second day (more if have specific work events at which I want to look extra smart). Before I had a baby I had to wash my hair every day but for some reason after that it became drier and I can mostly get away with every second day.

astoundedgoat (love the name btw)
Have you thought about plastic shower caps for your DD's?
It seems such an obvious fix that I'm not sure I understand your post very well...

Mine (8 months and almost 3) have a bath a couple of times a week, and hosed down in the shower if they get particularly mucky in between. The older one sometimes jumps in the shower with me in the morning if she feels inclined.

It's not the hair washing I'm thinking about but if I understood you it's the long hair that prevents you from asking your girls to shower every day? If that's the reason shower caps should be your friend...

It used to be once a week, unless she got very dirty. Now she's older, it's more like two showers a week. Her skin couldn't take more.

We're every other day. My LO loves playing in there for a good half hour. So it's more of a play activity rather than just getting washed and clean

Mine look like they live on the streets when they get home from school. They have a bath/shower most nights, occasionally if they have been indoors all day on a Saturday for example they may skip and they wash their hair every other day.

Clothes and pjs need changing every day too, as do towels as I use them to mop up the river on the bathroom floor. They are 9, 5 and 3.

Theresnonamesleft

Pick soap up, lather in hands.

Apply soapy hands to bit of body that needs washing.

Apply clean wet (but not too wet) flannel to bit of body thus soaped.

Turn on tap. Rinse flannel under tap. Turn off tap. Repeat as desired.

No spills, no real mess, takes a couple of minutes.

Children do not need a bath every night.
They need to wash their bits and outs every day, and a bath or shower 2 or 3 times a week is fine.
Why wash off all the lovely natural oils produced on the skin ?

pits - not " outs " !!

My point is vindicated I think.
With the exception of those with extreme skin conditions or special needs I think DC (like adults) really benefit from a daily warm shower or bath. Babies and little ones LOVE the relaxing and playing bath times as a prelude to sleep. It's a good hygiene habit to get into DAILY.
You'll also save older DC fights when they get to school age, they will always look forward to their showers and feeling fresh.
If you do it yourself: Why deprive your DC from the pleasure?
As far as the top/tailing lark goes I think it's a leftover from Victorian times and primitive British plumbing in prewar homes but a joyless and also not very hygienic practice: a little flannel spreading bum dirt all over your other body parts and a wash bowl? How do you rinse off all the soap?
Please...it beggars belief this discussion is taking place in the 21st century in a first world country...

Enough said!

Don't think so. HV advised against daily bathing in our area. Even if you use just water and not products why do that to a baby's perfect skin!!

But before you can lather up you need to wet the skin.
So that's still - wet arm, lather up arm, wet flannel, wipe off soap. Rinse flannel. Repeat on next bit of body.
And if the cloth is too dry it doesn't do a thing. As you are wiping down body parts, water is going to drip from the cloth.
If your doing it with a nearly dry cloth might as well use wet wipes