Question for child health experts: Does a tween/teen HAVE TO shower every single day?

[Anonymous]

Every three days is too little. Every day is just a better routine as well, same as making your bed every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the teens and adults I know who only shower every other day or third day do in fact smell. They think they don’t, but they do.

Didn't take you long. You must have an alert set for shower posts.

Admit it, you're the 3 times a day underwear changer.

OP, it's perfectly fine to not shower every day. Ignore these nutjobs.

Look, just because you are nose blind to your own pungent funk doesn't mean others don't notice it.

DP here. I have one teen that needs a daily shower and one that doesn’t. Sorry nuance is hard for you.

[Anonymous]

I’m a therapist who has adult clients who are challenged to shower. They are never shamed by me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the teens and adults I know who only shower every other day or third day do in fact smell. They think they don’t, but they do.

Didn't take you long. You must have an alert set for shower posts.

Admit it, you're the 3 times a day underwear changer.

OP, it's perfectly fine to not shower every day. Ignore these nutjobs.

Look, just because you are nose blind to your own pungent funk doesn't mean others don't notice it.

DP here. I have one teen that needs a daily shower and one that doesn’t. Sorry nuance is hard for you.

Just says one of your kids is inactive and lazy.

[Anonymous]

To answer re: if therapist is out of line we need to know what DD is there for? Is she having trouble making friends? Being bullied? Ostracized? The lack of daily bathing could have something to do with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a therapist who has adult clients who are challenged to shower. They are never shamed by me.

If their smell could be adding to their issue, would you mention it?

[Anonymous]

Yes, teens should shower daily:

Thankfully, most kids want to bathe daily once they hit puberty. Dermatologists tell parents that once puberty starts, kids should:

Shower or take a bath daily
Wash their face twice a day to remove oil and dirt
Take a bath or shower after swimming, playing sports, or sweating heavily

https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/care/child-bathing#:~:text=Tweens%20and%20teens%3A%20Guidelines%20for,to%20remove%20oil%20and%20dirt

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-often-should-your-kids-take-a-bath-or-shower

Tweens and teens should shower daily. (Their newly stinky pits will probably clue you in when it’s time to step up their hygiene game.) They should also wash their face twice a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every three days is too little. Every day is just a better routine as well, same as making your bed every day.

Yes, this. We said every other day until age 10 and now it’s every day. If we are home on a Sunday and they miss it, that’s fine. But yeah, if they are going to school, meeting friends etc, they should be showering. After a couple years of enforcing it, we no longer have to. They do it on their own. We want them to be adults who do this on their own.

And honestly, even if you’re just bumming at home, it is much more relaxing to be clean and cozy rather than unshowered.

[Anonymous]

On a personal level I think a daily shower is needed and my 11yo DD showers daily. Professionally though if hygiene is not the issue I wouldn’t say it’s needed every day.
I grew up in England in the 80s and not everyone had showers, we had a bath. But only had a bath every 2-3 days as teens. I think most of my friends did too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That tgerapist needs to apologize and that 15 year old needs a new therapist.
It is 100% inappropriate to hygiene shame a 15 year old girl whose hygiene is objectively not an issue!

This. That therapist sounds terrible and I appropriate. Get a new one asap.

[Anonymous]

Forgive me because I am not a professional.

When I read this I think the therapist was working towards setting a routine. Unless they told the child they stink, I don't see anything wrong with saying a daily shower is required. It will help eliminate potential issues due to smelling bad and a good routine can help with getting a good night's sleep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All the teens and adults I know who only shower every other day or third day do in fact smell. They think they don’t, but they do.

Didn't take you long. You must have an alert set for shower posts.

Admit it, you're the 3 times a day underwear changer.

OP, it's perfectly fine to not shower every day. Ignore these nutjobs.

Look, just because you are nose blind to your own pungent funk doesn't mean others don't notice it.

DP here. I have one teen that needs a daily shower and one that doesn’t. Sorry nuance is hard for you.

Just says one of your kids is inactive and lazy.

Jesus woman. You are a massive b1tch.

[Anonymous]

My dermatologist told me I should shower every other day for my dry skin. My teen has the same dry skin, so she does the same.

[Anonymous]

This thread is utterly ridiculous. In most of the world people don’t shower daily. I don’t shower daily. I don’t sweat unless I’m on a beach or something. I’m perpetually freezing and my body temp runs around 96 degrees.

I have one teen that absolutely needs to shower at least once a day. My other teen only showers a few times a week when she has sports practice. She doesn’t smell. People really vary in this.

[Anonymous]

My 10 yo showers three times a week: Sunday night, Tuesday night and Thursday night. It's fine. She doesn't smell. Those times correspond to sports practices, so she's clean after swimming or sweating.