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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daily showering is NOT necessary for good health for most people, and in fact is likely undermining good health in some cases - never mind the waste of water and energy involved. This is entirely an American thing, we have been brainwashed by advertising of products we don’t need to be clean and healthy.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193

+100.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daily showering is NOT necessary for good health for most people, and in fact is likely undermining good health in some cases - never mind the waste of water and energy involved. This is entirely an American thing, we have been brainwashed by advertising of products we don’t need to be clean and healthy.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193

It is the cultural norm and expectation here. In other countries, various unpleasant body odors are common place. They aren’t here and you will stand out in a negative way. Especially in a group where no one else smells, it’s obvious where the smell is coming from

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily showering is NOT necessary for good health for most people, and in fact is likely undermining good health in some cases - never mind the waste of water and energy involved. This is entirely an American thing, we have been brainwashed by advertising of products we don’t need to be clean and healthy.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193

It is the cultural norm and expectation here. In other countries, various unpleasant body odors are common place. They aren’t here and you will stand out in a negative way. Especially in a group where no one else smells, it’s obvious where the smell is coming from

Human pheromones smell pleasant, unless you've been brainwashed.

[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.

Or you could just keep your uneducated opinions to yourself.

Please source your claim that nobody recommends daily showering. I already provided 2 links that daily showering is recommended.

Well I will choose to listen to my dermatologist (actually several of them) who have advised me that showering daily is just not necessary and could dry out my skin too much.

Showering daily is such an American thing. As usual, because it’s something you do, it just has to be right. The rest of the world doesn’t shower daily and they live long, healthy lives.

What the dermatologist recommended for YOU probably a middle aged or older woman with psoriasis, eczema, or some other chronic dry skin condition has absolutely nothing in common with OPs question. Her daughter is 15 and clearly struggling with some mental health issues- so yeah, a daily shower is a good thing, from a health and social stand point

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daily showering is NOT necessary for good health for most people, and in fact is likely undermining good health in some cases - never mind the waste of water and energy involved. This is entirely an American thing, we have been brainwashed by advertising of products we don’t need to be clean and healthy.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193

Wow that's a lot of caveats. Basically most people who get off the couch and participate in life should shower often. Not really making the case against showering daily:

"While there is no ideal frequency, experts suggest that showering several times per week is plenty for most people (unless you are grimy, sweaty, or have other reasons to shower more often)"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily showering is NOT necessary for good health for most people, and in fact is likely undermining good health in some cases - never mind the waste of water and energy involved. This is entirely an American thing, we have been brainwashed by advertising of products we don’t need to be clean and healthy.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193

It is the cultural norm and expectation here. In other countries, various unpleasant body odors are common place. They aren’t here and you will stand out in a negative way. Especially in a group where no one else smells, it’s obvious where the smell is coming from

Human pheromones smell pleasant, unless you've been brainwashed.

As someone who frequently takes public transit in other counties, I strongly disagree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily showering is NOT necessary for good health for most people, and in fact is likely undermining good health in some cases - never mind the waste of water and energy involved. This is entirely an American thing, we have been brainwashed by advertising of products we don’t need to be clean and healthy.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193

It is the cultural norm and expectation here. In other countries, various unpleasant body odors are common place. They aren’t here and you will stand out in a negative way. Especially in a group where no one else smells, it’s obvious where the smell is coming from

Human pheromones smell pleasant, unless you've been brainwashed.

Uh, no. There's one man who I see occasionally for a child's activity, and I refuse to sit next to him. He is unclean and his pheromones are definitely unpleasant. He has that crusty unwashed smell. If you know, you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

This sounds just weird. That really is in your head.

A lot of people don't prefer the feel of sweat on their skin, and don't prefer wiping sweat on all their furniture textiles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daily showering is NOT necessary for good health for most people, and in fact is likely undermining good health in some cases - never mind the waste of water and energy involved. This is entirely an American thing, we have been brainwashed by advertising of products we don’t need to be clean and healthy.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193

Thank you! It varies from person to person, as some people are naturally sweatier and smellier than others, but many many people do not need to shower daily.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/02/03/science-explains-why-some-people-are-naturally-smellier-than-others/?sh=fc1d81946c17

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Daily showering is NOT necessary for good health for most people, and in fact is likely undermining good health in some cases - never mind the waste of water and energy involved. This is entirely an American thing, we have been brainwashed by advertising of products we don’t need to be clean and healthy.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/showering-daily-is-it-necessary-2019062617193

Thank you! It varies from person to person, as some people are naturally sweatier and smellier than others, but many many people do not need to shower daily.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/02/03/science-explains-why-some-people-are-naturally-smellier-than-others/?sh=fc1d81946c17

Showering daily is all positive. Skipping a shower has plenty of downsides. You don't smell as sweet as you think. And even if your body might not be stinky, your hair will give you away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A child therapist said today ((I was in a support role in the mtg, not said to my child) in a session with a 15 yr old that showering or bathing every day is a must, essential (not just face washing and tooth brushing, but actually showering/bathing). The teen in question is clean, never smells, practices appropriate hygiene as best we can tell, and a lack of hygiene was in no way part of the reason she was in the session. But daily showering came up with regard to a bedtime routine and when she said "I don't shower every day, more like every other day or every 3 days" the therapist seemed absolutely stunned and shocked and told her she has to shower every day. (Let's assume we're only talking about kids 10-18, not younger than 10.)

I've worked with families & kids for 20+ yrs around child health, development, child safety issues, and the where the lines are between sufficient care and neglect or abuse. I've NEVER in my professional life known a therapist, pediatrician or any child experts to say bathing every day is a bare minimum, is where the line is on hygiene and wellness. Both in my professional life and in my personal life, I've known families with all sorts of habits, routines, and opinions about the basics. I definitely know families who insist on everyone showering every day, sometimes more than once/day. I know other families that are lax about it, or it's up to each family member, but being clean and obviously not smelling like body odor or smelling at all (beyond perfume/intentionally smelly products) still being important and assumed. I know some families who have cultural beliefs around it, some where you must shower every day; others where you don't.

While I'm sure there are ALL kinds of opinions here on this, I'm directing this specifically to the therapists, pediatricians/doctors, counselors, psychologists, and child development experts: Do you consider not showering every day bad hygiene or insufficient hygiene? Is showering every day a standard you tell parents to adhere to? Not asking "recommended" or "suggested", I am asking do you consider a parent doing less than baseline good parenting if they don't insist their kids all shower/bathe every day let's say from age 10 on?

Everyone is entitled to their personal opinion, but in a professional therapy setting, this was way out of line. Therapists should give instruction based on evidence and research, not their personal preferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A child therapist said today ((I was in a support role in the mtg, not said to my child) in a session with a 15 yr old that showering or bathing every day is a must, essential (not just face washing and tooth brushing, but actually showering/bathing). The teen in question is clean, never smells, practices appropriate hygiene as best we can tell, and a lack of hygiene was in no way part of the reason she was in the session. But daily showering came up with regard to a bedtime routine and when she said "I don't shower every day, more like every other day or every 3 days" the therapist seemed absolutely stunned and shocked and told her she has to shower every day. (Let's assume we're only talking about kids 10-18, not younger than 10.)

I've worked with families & kids for 20+ yrs around child health, development, child safety issues, and the where the lines are between sufficient care and neglect or abuse. I've NEVER in my professional life known a therapist, pediatrician or any child experts to say bathing every day is a bare minimum, is where the line is on hygiene and wellness. Both in my professional life and in my personal life, I've known families with all sorts of habits, routines, and opinions about the basics. I definitely know families who insist on everyone showering every day, sometimes more than once/day. I know other families that are lax about it, or it's up to each family member, but being clean and obviously not smelling like body odor or smelling at all (beyond perfume/intentionally smelly products) still being important and assumed. I know some families who have cultural beliefs around it, some where you must shower every day; others where you don't.

While I'm sure there are ALL kinds of opinions here on this, I'm directing this specifically to the therapists, pediatricians/doctors, counselors, psychologists, and child development experts: Do you consider not showering every day bad hygiene or insufficient hygiene? Is showering every day a standard you tell parents to adhere to? Not asking "recommended" or "suggested", I am asking do you consider a parent doing less than baseline good parenting if they don't insist their kids all shower/bathe every day let's say from age 10 on?

Everyone is entitled to their personal opinion, but in a professional therapy setting, this was way out of line. Therapists should give instruction based on evidence and research, not their personal preferences.

Are you arguing that good hygiene is a matter of opinion?

[Anonymous]

Many people here are acting as though there are only two options - shower daily or stink.

That’s ridiculous.

Most of the odor created by the human body comes from pits and privates. On the days a person doesn’t shower, of course they should wash their pits and privates - leaving all the other non-smelly areas of skin free from over washing and drying out. Dry shampoo works wonders for hair that is a little too shiny between washes.

Honestly some of you are obsessive to an unhealthy degree.

And most definitely the therapist was WAY out of line to suggest to a 15 year old patient that there is something wrong with her for showering every other day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many people here are acting as though there are only two options - shower daily or stink.

That’s ridiculous.

Most of the odor created by the human body comes from pits and privates. On the days a person doesn’t shower, of course they should wash their pits and privates - leaving all the other non-smelly areas of skin free from over washing and drying out. Dry shampoo works wonders for hair that is a little too shiny between washes.

Honestly some of you are obsessive to an unhealthy degree.

And most definitely the therapist was WAY out of line to suggest to a 15 year old patient that there is something wrong with her for showering every other day.

A lazy teen that doesn’t feel like showering is definitely not going to be washing their pits and privates at the sink. Get real.

[Anonymous]

Not showering, brushing teeth and taking care of one self daily is a sign of a mental issues such as depression, suicide and ADHD etc it a standard and first sign of an issue it's called adl.