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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well clearly that’s the case. Healthy active kids have better habits.

Nothing to do with “healthy” or “active”. The crap people just make up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

x1 million

WTF is wrong with you?

Facts. If you are sweating then shower. Get some exercise it will help you! Many more benefits than being so lazy you never break a sweat and would rarely need a shower. That is nothing to brag about.

That doesn’t answer the question: WTF is wrong with you?

- shower daily

Keep trying. No doctor recommends to not exercise to avoid showering.

I never claimed that. I exercise. I shower.

The question was: WTF is wrong with you? Why are such a massive B?

Why are you so triggered? The medical advice is clear: if you sweat you should shower. Insisting you never need to shower says you're not exercising and sweating. Grow up and stop being such a baby about it. Calling people names doesn't change the simple truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

x1 million

WTF is wrong with you?

Facts. If you are sweating then shower. Get some exercise it will help you! Many more benefits than being so lazy you never break a sweat and would rarely need a shower. That is nothing to brag about.

That doesn’t answer the question: WTF is wrong with you?

- shower daily

Keep trying. No doctor recommends to not exercise to avoid showering.

I never claimed that. I exercise. I shower.

The question was: WTF is wrong with you? Why are such a massive B?

Clearly the stick that's wedged up her a$$ has expanded with all the excess showering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

x1 million

WTF is wrong with you?

Facts. If you are sweating then shower. Get some exercise it will help you! Many more benefits than being so lazy you never break a sweat and would rarely need a shower. That is nothing to brag about.

That doesn’t answer the question: WTF is wrong with you?

- shower daily

Keep trying. No doctor recommends to not exercise to avoid showering.

I never claimed that. I exercise. I shower.

The question was: WTF is wrong with you? Why are such a massive B?

Clearly the stick that's wedged up her a$$ has expanded with all the excess showering.

The dirty birds are out in full force! This is probably the most exercise you've done all week. Is today finally a shower day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

x1 million

WTF is wrong with you?

Facts. If you are sweating then shower. Get some exercise it will help you! Many more benefits than being so lazy you never break a sweat and would rarely need a shower. That is nothing to brag about.

That doesn’t answer the question: WTF is wrong with you?

- shower daily

Keep trying. No doctor recommends to not exercise to avoid showering.

I never claimed that. I exercise. I shower.

The question was: WTF is wrong with you? Why are such a massive B?

Clearly the stick that's wedged up her a$$ has expanded with all the excess showering.

The dirty birds are out in full force! This is probably the most exercise you've done all week. Is today finally a shower day?

Clearly you have mental health issues. Not even trying to insult you. You really don’t sound well .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

x1 million

WTF is wrong with you?

Facts. If you are sweating then shower. Get some exercise it will help you! Many more benefits than being so lazy you never break a sweat and would rarely need a shower. That is nothing to brag about.

That doesn’t answer the question: WTF is wrong with you?

- shower daily

Keep trying. No doctor recommends to not exercise to avoid showering.

I never claimed that. I exercise. I shower.

The question was: WTF is wrong with you? Why are such a massive B?

Clearly the stick that's wedged up her a$$ has expanded with all the excess showering.

The dirty birds are out in full force! This is probably the most exercise you've done all week. Is today finally a shower day?

Clearly you have mental health issues. Not even trying to insult you. You really don’t sound well .

Why would I care what lazy gross people have to say?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

x1 million

WTF is wrong with you?

Facts. If you are sweating then shower. Get some exercise it will help you! Many more benefits than being so lazy you never break a sweat and would rarely need a shower. That is nothing to brag about.

That doesn’t answer the question: WTF is wrong with you?

- shower daily

Keep trying. No doctor recommends to not exercise to avoid showering.

I never claimed that. I exercise. I shower.

The question was: WTF is wrong with you? Why are such a massive B?

Clearly the stick that's wedged up her a$$ has expanded with all the excess showering.

The dirty birds are out in full force! This is probably the most exercise you've done all week. Is today finally a shower day?

Clearly you have mental health issues. Not even trying to insult you. You really don’t sound well .

Why would I care what lazy gross people have to say?

I don’t know. But you obviously do. Since you keep coming back for more. Go meditate or take a bath. Maybe it will relax you.

[Anonymous]

People have been around for literally hundreds of thousands of years without daily showering. A teenager can shower every other day and still be clean and healthy.

This notion that one has to shower daily (or multiple times a day!) is very unique to our particular culture and time. And frankly is only possible because of the abundant resources we have available to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

x1 million

WTF is wrong with you?

Facts. If you are sweating then shower. Get some exercise it will help you! Many more benefits than being so lazy you never break a sweat and would rarely need a shower. That is nothing to brag about.

That doesn’t answer the question: WTF is wrong with you?

- shower daily

Keep trying. No doctor recommends to not exercise to avoid showering.

I never claimed that. I exercise. I shower.

The question was: WTF is wrong with you? Why are such a massive B?

Clearly the stick that's wedged up her a$$ has expanded with all the excess showering.

The dirty birds are out in full force! This is probably the most exercise you've done all week. Is today finally a shower day?

Clearly you have mental health issues. Not even trying to insult you. You really don’t sound well .

Why would I care what lazy gross people have to say?

I don’t know. But you obviously do. Since you keep coming back for more. Go meditate or take a bath. Maybe it will relax you.

I don't take advice from people who are uneducated and misinformed on basic health and hygiene. Hopefully OP got her answers. The links posted prove daily showering is best. Ta!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, first of all THANK YOU for all the answers, I appreciate everyone who took the question seriously even though there was a range of answers.

To answer the couple of people who asked what the issue the meeting was to discuss, it was bedtime routines that will help her sleep better. It's not that I silently disagreed with a nightly shower as a way to relax, I get that. It's that the therapist said "How about you do ______ every night before you take your shower to save time, then take your nightly shower, then - " and the teen interrupted and said "I don't shower every night. Usually every other night." And the therapist was visually surprised and bothered, and instead of asking questions like "So, tell me about your choice not to shower every night, or is there something that stops you from doing it?" And she said "I just don't feel like it every night" and then the therapist went on to say she had to, that it was the only way to stay adequately clean and not smell. AS IF your genital health will actually be compromised and your body odor noticeable if you don't, in every case.

That's what I took issue with, since the therapist had been seeing the girl in person for over a year and no one had complained about any smell or odor, she'd never been bullied or made fun of about it (bullying wasn't an issue at all in her case), and she has many friends.

Again, I am fine with the idea of a shower every night to help relax and make it more likey she'll fall asleep faster (getting to sleep was sometimes an issue for her so overall the parents are being advised to have a more structured routine, which makes perfect sense). It was the therapist going straight in on insisting on daily showers and telling her it was a healthy body/healthy privates issue and very important she do it daily that bugged the hell out of me.

Anonymous wrote:This is why professionals need to give a basis for their recommendations, so you can see if the premise makes sense. Daily bathing is not, for example, a medical/health necessity, but I can see where for some people (adhd, depression, etc) the recommendation is more about sticking to a routine or demonstrating ability to care for oneself. Does not sound like this was needed here though.

Thank you for this, I explained the bigger point above, but you're right, it was originally about the routine but there were other things she offered as ideas to get to sleep faster that the teen or her parents shot down, and the therapist was very flexible. But this she was like "Oh, NO, you MUST SHOWER DAILY!!!" Specifically for medical/health reasons, and that is what bugged me because I've never ever had anyone (and I used to have to train temporary care parents and adoptive parents in the basic necessities and basic practices and of course hygeine was important for both physical and emotional/mental reasons, but never was a daily shower insisted on by the experts. Daily recommended, but clean and at least a few showers/baths a week was mandatory.

Thank you and thanks everyone!

Sorry. But your therapist is right. She really should be showering daily. Perhaps her delivery if that message could be better. But you should have been telling her this all along. So I guess someone else had to.

As you have read from various posts here, there is NO medical need to shower daily. Different bodies have different needs. Not all bodies smell after 23 hours. A lot depends on activity level, climate, and temperature/humidity, too.


The problem with what the therapist said is that she framed it as a medical necessity. That's simply not true.

Dermatologists recommend daily showering. Is that not medical advice?

They don't though. Not all of them anyway and not universally.

No they don’t recommend showering every day unless you work certain jobs or sweat more than is typical. People just making up things.

“Dermatologist almost universally agree that showering or bathing every day is neither necessary or ideal for most people. The idea of needing to shower every 24 hours is great for soap manufacturers, but most people only need to take a few showers a week, depending upon their activities and environment.”

Taking too long a shower strips the natural oils in our skin that we need.

Plus hasn’t anyone heard of a whores bath? There are only a few parts of the body that emits odor. You can use a wash cloth and wash under your arms and the groin area. In the sink you can wash your face. There’s no need to dry out the skin that’s already too dry. And don’t use steaming hot water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

x1 million

WTF is wrong with you?

Facts. If you are sweating then shower. Get some exercise it will help you! Many more benefits than being so lazy you never break a sweat and would rarely need a shower. That is nothing to brag about.

That doesn’t answer the question: WTF is wrong with you?

- shower daily

Keep trying. No doctor recommends to not exercise to avoid showering.

I never claimed that. I exercise. I shower.

The question was: WTF is wrong with you? Why are such a massive B?

Why are you so triggered? The medical advice is clear: if you sweat you should shower. Insisting you never need to shower says you're not exercising and sweating. Grow up and stop being such a baby about it. Calling people names doesn't change the simple truth.

You are confusing posters. I never said that. My family exercises and showers.

I was asking you about your behavior on this thread. Are you a B on all threads or just those pertaining to bathing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, first of all THANK YOU for all the answers, I appreciate everyone who took the question seriously even though there was a range of answers.

To answer the couple of people who asked what the issue the meeting was to discuss, it was bedtime routines that will help her sleep better. It's not that I silently disagreed with a nightly shower as a way to relax, I get that. It's that the therapist said "How about you do ______ every night before you take your shower to save time, then take your nightly shower, then - " and the teen interrupted and said "I don't shower every night. Usually every other night." And the therapist was visually surprised and bothered, and instead of asking questions like "So, tell me about your choice not to shower every night, or is there something that stops you from doing it?" And she said "I just don't feel like it every night" and then the therapist went on to say she had to, that it was the only way to stay adequately clean and not smell. AS IF your genital health will actually be compromised and your body odor noticeable if you don't, in every case.

That's what I took issue with, since the therapist had been seeing the girl in person for over a year and no one had complained about any smell or odor, she'd never been bullied or made fun of about it (bullying wasn't an issue at all in her case), and she has many friends.

Again, I am fine with the idea of a shower every night to help relax and make it more likey she'll fall asleep faster (getting to sleep was sometimes an issue for her so overall the parents are being advised to have a more structured routine, which makes perfect sense). It was the therapist going straight in on insisting on daily showers and telling her it was a healthy body/healthy privates issue and very important she do it daily that bugged the hell out of me.

Anonymous wrote:This is why professionals need to give a basis for their recommendations, so you can see if the premise makes sense. Daily bathing is not, for example, a medical/health necessity, but I can see where for some people (adhd, depression, etc) the recommendation is more about sticking to a routine or demonstrating ability to care for oneself. Does not sound like this was needed here though.

Thank you for this, I explained the bigger point above, but you're right, it was originally about the routine but there were other things she offered as ideas to get to sleep faster that the teen or her parents shot down, and the therapist was very flexible. But this she was like "Oh, NO, you MUST SHOWER DAILY!!!" Specifically for medical/health reasons, and that is what bugged me because I've never ever had anyone (and I used to have to train temporary care parents and adoptive parents in the basic necessities and basic practices and of course hygeine was important for both physical and emotional/mental reasons, but never was a daily shower insisted on by the experts. Daily recommended, but clean and at least a few showers/baths a week was mandatory.

Thank you and thanks everyone!

What is one downside to showering daily? You may not like the advice but how is it wrong or unhelpful?

There isn’t, there’s only positives.

Seems OP just took issue with therapist bringing light to the fact that their teenager doesn’t have sweat glands given to them by the gods but instead are like every.single.other hormonal teenager that has to have to shower daily.

Just incase you’re unaware. OP, your daughter’s poop doesn’t smell like roses either. Adequate wiping is required as well!

Wow, can you guys read AT ALL? OP isn't the parent here, and OP's issue is not with the suggestion, it's with the sense that the therapist shamed the teen and insisted that something was baseline care when it's not. You just that desperate to start slagging people so you don't bother to actually read what you're replying to? Must suck to have nothing better to do with your time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've had multiple dermatologists tell me not to shower daily because I had bad eczema. They were right about my skin but I couldn't handle not showering since it makes me feel good. The therapist is wrong that it is a physical need but maybe it will help the kid with de-stressing. I do agree with you op that she didn't approach it that way and was essentially prescribing her own personal conventions as correct, which is wrong.

The teen didn’t say she isn’t showering daily because she has eczema and her dermatologist said not to, she isn’t showing because she “doesn’t feel like it.” Barring a medical condition that contraindicates it, teens should be showering daily.

That was not in the OP so you're just making shit up. Even a 5th grader knows not to put something in quotation marks if it's not actually a quote.

Thank you PP for putting that previous poster in their place. There are a few either Bathing Trolls or Shower Fanatics here, and their panties are clearly in such a twist they're cutting off circulation to their brains. Yes, I'm sure they're clean panties that are so horribly twisted, but still making her crazy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, some real advice:

Your teen should *need to shower daily. If they don’t, they aren’t getting enough activity and are slovenly

1) exercise/sports daily or at least most days
2) shower daily

These two things will tremendously help their ability to feel tired and fall asleep at night and improve their mental health

Not OP, but definitely hope they don't take advice from someone as judgey & snarky as you. It can't be good advice...

[Anonymous]

It's as if I went around screaming at people that they have to drink more coffee every day or they're lethargic and headachey and don't poop enough. No, that's just me because I drink coffee every day.

If you soap up every single day and loofah the heck out of your entire body every single day like Dexter in a very busy week, you will probably smell on the days you don't.