Be honest - how often do you bathe your kids?

[Anonymous]

LOL to the sensitive soul who thinks bathing a child 2 or 3 times a week is gross. When I was a child (70's) Saturday nights were bath night for me (ostensibly so i could look good for church, on those Sundays that my family went!). I remember these days well and I was never stinky or gross as a kid. If I got really dirty, we'd bathe more, too. BTW, why is sunscreen so revolting to you? We had a pool when I was a kid, and I guess I walked around smelling like chlorine and coppertone... I remember those days fondly. So I don't think anyone is scarring their kids by bathing them less than daily. I'm an American, but I'll be the first to admit we are overly hygenic.

[Anonymous]

Of course if you are in a pool all the time it's not exactly the same as not bathing.

[Anonymous]

10 year old boy: School year, shower every morning; weekend, usually one of the days; Summer: every other day, but lots of pool time.

[Anonymous]

Every night--she loves it. DD is 14 months.

[Anonymous]

twins 8 years and 11 year old evry single day without fail including hair

[Anonymous]

We're supposed to bathe our kids?
I usually wait till there's enough dirt in which to plant seeds before we water her... a la Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Yes, I am very judgmental. An 8yo bathed twice a week is gross, sorry, and so is a 4 yo, they run around all day are in the sun with sunscreen, GROSS.
And I am not even american, I was born and raised in a different country.

You are so funny!

My kids don't wear sunscreen. They don't run around all day in the sun, either.

In the summer, we go to the pool and they do take quick showers there. Otherwise, yes, they bathe about 2 times a week. They don't smell.

I am glad to hear you find me funny. I also don't understand how your kids go to the pool and don't wear sunscreen.

Bitch.

[Anonymous]

Wow! Eye-opening posts. We bathe our toddler and twin babies every night -- body and hair. They probably don't need it, but it is part of their bedtime routine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am glad to hear you find me funny. I also don't understand how your kids go to the pool and don't wear sunscreen.

We go to an indoor pool.

[Anonymous]

Every night for both the 16month old and the 4 year old. We have always been this way and there have prob. only been 3 total nights in the 4 years that we've had kids that they went to bath without one--- even the nights we were up and very late as a family. I am neurotic about very few things as a parent- this is my thing.

my kids do not have sensitive skin, hair and we wash it every bath as well. The thought of any of us getting into bed 'dirty' grosses me out.

[Anonymous]

If it were up to me, I'd only bathe our 2 yr old a few times a week & maybe wash her hair 1x/wk but she LOVES the bath and/or shower, so our nanny bathes her every day (not always with soap). Of course we wash her more frequently if necessary (dirty, lots of sunscreen, bugspray, etc.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I'd give myself bad mommy medal of the week, except I'm following our pediatrician's orders. Our one month old gets a bath roughly twice a week unless there's a spitup or big diaper incident! He gets a soapless wipedown of the sweaty areas and diaper region every day. He's been very healthy that way...and not stinky at all. Of course, we are not going out often or in contact with dirt / germs, so that plays a role. Still, I hope I'm not raising pig pen! ha ha.

No- not at all. your ped is right. I'm one of the neurotic posters below (the every night w/out fail) --- but not at 4 weeks..just sponge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thought of any of us getting into bed 'dirty' grosses me out.

Exactly. We all shower or bathe every night (sometimes just quick rinsing for DC, to stave off eczema), because it is such a delight to feel clean after a day's hard work and slip into bed!

It is VERY important to gently remove any residues from the skin, be it sunscreen or dirt at the end of every day. Skin creams are not well regulated, and contain ingredients whose long-term effects have not been analyzed thoroughly: they should stay on skin only as long as they are needed. And dirt is dirt. Make-up should not be worn overnight, so why should children go to bed unwashed?

[Anonymous]

I can not believe this post? Are you kidding? You buy a $1000 stroller, live in a place where you don't have to carry water on your head and you don't bathe your kid every day? This is nasty. Many a baby can be wiped down every other day but EVERYBODY else needs their butt washed in water! A ten year old? - you are trifling and teaching kids to be nasty.

[Anonymous]

We give our 13 mo DD a bath every night. It's part of her bedtime routine and I think the (luke)warm water is calming for her and a nice way to unwind at the end of the day. I know that I always feel more relaxed after a bath so I would imagine that she does too. Something about going to sleep all clean and warm. It just seems right to me. From a hygiene point of view, it's probably unnecessary for us to be bathing her every night. But I don't think it hurts her.