How often do your (younger) kids bathe?

[Tree House Academy]

Weird question, I know. My dh and I were talking about this and I was curious what others do.

 

My older son is 10 and he showers every night. I don't mind because ...well....he is a "pre, pre -teen" and...well...sometimes he smells like one.:tongue_smilie:

 

My younger son who is 6 does not bathe every single night. I base it on his activities. If he has been outside playing (and especially in the summer), he goes straight to the tub when he gets in. If not, sometimes I will skip a day or two. Dh says that is "gross" but I think that too many showers dry out his skin...and besides, what is he doing to need a bath every night? It is not like he is sweaty or grimy. My older son and I both have to use lotion because of the way a daily shower dries our skin. Younger ds was blessed with non-oily hair and really good skin. I want to keep it that way! LOL

 

So....what do you all think/do for your younger kiddoes?

[abreakfromlife]

there is no way I will do 5 baths a night every night. There are just more important ways to spend my time :tongue_smilie: In the summer the kids will get baths more frequently b/c they're dirty; but they're also in the pool more, so that cuts down on summer dirt. I make sure they get a bath once a week, on Sat. nights, but any more than that is extra. Sometimes my 2 and 3 yo will get baths during the day even if they don't need one, just to keep them busy while we do some school stuff. I figure if people all around the world can live in extreme filth and not have any clean water, even being able to bathe once a week, and stay clean in-between times is a luxury.

[Amy in NH]

I agree with you. My older kids shower every night or they get greasy hair and acne. My little kids only bathe once or twice per week unless they are obviously dirty. We tend to have dry skin, and bathing them more than that isn't good for their skin (it gets very dry and flaky).

 

BTW - I shower every other day, also for skin reasons.

[Jen in PA]

My kids are grime magnets. They get a bath or shower at least six days a week -- we will skip it if we come home late and they aren't too filthy. But we are very much in the minority as far as I can tell. My friends and family with same-age kids seem to bathe them every other day or so. I would be fine with that if mine weren't constantly covered in dirt/glue/paint/food:D

[ConnieB]

Sniff test....if I can smell em they need a bath, lol. Stringy hair is the other.

[fivetails]

When ours were younger, it was every third day or so unless they'd done something to get quite dirty...now, it's pretty much every second or sometimes even every day...depends. :)

 

Ha. When my siblings and I were little, Sunday was 'bath night'. We got all cleaned up for the week. :tongue_smilie:

[jujsky]

They usually get baths every-other day. Sometimes if we're really busy we'll skip a day. Both of my kids have dry skin, and dd has eczema, so bathing them everyday would hurt them more than help them.

[amy g.]

Not often enough!

[LauraGB]

Every other night. Sometimes dd will take one every day, but not usually. Ds...well, lets just say I have to tell him to do it every other night or he just wouldn't do it at all.

[HayesW]

My oldest is 10, and she showers or bathes probably every 2-3 days. The other, probably twice a week. If they get extraordinarily stinky or filthy one day, I will wash them. The baby gets cleaned up probably 3 times a week, usually by climbing into the shower with me!

[Jumping In Puddles]

My 5 and 6 year old shower or bathe about 2X a week. Sometimes more if they're dirty. They, of course, wash their hands and face at least 3X a day whether it needs it or not for meals and their hands very frequently because they get those dirty so often throughout the day.

[gingersmom]

If it is summer or they have been swimming/skating then they shower everyday.

 

My 13 year old has to shower everyday.

 

I let my 10 year old go every other day although he will often just shower everyday just because.

[Ellyndria]

DS who is 4, gets a shower or bath about 2-3 times a week. He doesn't get very dirty.

[coralloyd]

twice a week

[Sophia]

My older three shower every day.

My 7 y.o. three times a week, my little guys once or twice a week.

 

I stall in bathing my youngest because he screams the entire time "Nooo! Don't wash off the dirt!!!" :tongue_smilie:

[Pink Fairy]

12yog - EVERY day

10yog - 4 times/week

9yob - every day (his choice)

8yob - 4 times/week

2yob - 2 or 3 times/week (I'd like it to be more but he has very sensitive skin)

[Ellie]

Daily. Always.

[dirty ethel rackham]

With my boys (13 and 16), they shower 4 - 5 times a week, depending on what they are doing and how they smell. ds13 has very greasy hair and he has a little more body odor than ds 16, so he needs to bathe more often. If they have been to Karate, they shower, no ifs, ands or buts. If they haven't had that much strenuous exercise, they don't need to. DD9 showers 3 - 4 times a week. She smells nice most of the time (although I have noticed a that she has had episodes of body odor so we encourage more frequent showers.)

[ChristusG]

I shoot for every other night with my girls (who are 5 and 2). Sometimes it does not happen and it goes a day longer. However, of course, if they played outside that day, I definitely bathe them that night. We live in FL and every time they step out the door, they sweat.

[Jann in TX]

7yo dd usually takes a bath 2 times a week--we wash her hair once a week--the other day she gets conditioner only (she has wavy hair). Any more than that and her skin starts to flake and her hair becomes brittle.

 

I cannot shower more than every other day or my skin dries out too much (I have chronic psoriasis).

 

Older dd's prefer every other day.

 

DH showers every day--but he has a hard time waking up in the mornings and most of the time he is just sitting in the shower (we have a shelf/seat) and using it as a sauna until he wakes up.

[Haiku]

In the winter my kids bathe once or twice a week. In the summer it's more often. Too much bathing in the winter dries out our skin quite badly. I usually shower once every three days in winter, every other day in summer. I think Americans are too obsessed with bathing.

 

Tara

[Daisy]

Every other day and sometimes every third day during the winter.

 

EVERY day during the summer. 110 degree weather will do that to you.

 

My 10yo now washes her hair every other day. She used to only have to do it 2x a week (like I do. We have super thick hair.) but she's entering that greasy stage of puberty.

[EKS]

Daily. It is part of the bedtime routine. We found when they were small that it was helpful to do the same thing every night.

[petepie2]

About three times a week unless circumstances (sweat, dirt, etc) demand otherwise.

[Tap]

ds14-2x a day

dd11-2-3x a week

dd3-1x a week, 2x only if she needs it. She gets dry skin if we bath her more.

 

We only bath the kids when they need it. DD3 gets a diaper area wash down every morning with wet wipes, she washes her hands constantly (a little OCD showing maybe), and washes her face several times a day.

 

DD11 goes through phases where she showers more often, but I make sure she bathes every 5 days or so, no matter what. She doesn't smell, if anything it is just to wash her hair. She washes her face and hands often.

[Daisy]

Daily. It is part of the bedtime routine. We found when they were small that it was helpful to do the same thing every night.

 

I'm actually wishing I had done this because my 10yo hates to wash her hair. If she had just been used to doing it every day maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal now that she really needs to (forehead acne).

[WiseOwlKnits]

My kids have had a bath a night (with very very rare exception) since they came home from the hospital. When they were babies, it was part of their bedtime routine. Given how much we're outside mucking around in the dirt exploring, I'm glad they get a shower every day!

[Scarlett]

My kids have had a bath a night (with very very rare exception) since they came home from the hospital. When they were babies, it was part of their bedtime routine. Given how much we're outside mucking around in the dirt exploring, I'm glad they get a shower every day!

 

Every night. Dirty kids do not get into my beds. It is also just part of night time routine. I bet I can count on 2 hands the nights ds9 3/4 has skipped a bath since he has been born. Even if we come home late, into the tub he goes. Sometimes I take clean clothes to my parents, (who live about an hour away) so he can shower there in case we come home late.

 

I might feel differently if I had more than one child-but I doubt it.

[nmoira]

If they weren't swimming 3x a week, they'd get a bath every week or so (or as absolutely required), with strategic daily spot cleaning.

[MomtoCandJ]

when ever she needs one, I tried the bed time routine thing but I work two nights a week and don't get home until way after her bedtime, hubby doesn't like to give her baths.

[rookie]

Every day. Without fail. Sometimes twice a day. I can't imagine skipping a daily shower with any one in the family. Besides, it relaxes everyone before bedtime.

[Tree House Academy]

My kids take baths/showers at night while dh and I shower in the morning (and sometimes again at night, depending). My older son has been a nightly bath kid since he came home from the hospital, really (I do let him skip sometimes on Friday nights, but I always regret it on Saturday morning! LOL). My younger son, though, dries out so badly that I stopped it with him when he was little. He had exczema that was made much worse by bathing every day.

[Ravin]

Once a week, unless something gets in her hair. I will insist on washing off her feet with a rag if they get too grimy (she goes barefoot a lot), and of course hands get washed several times a day. She's 6 now. When she was younger, it was often less frequent.

[Laurie4b]

If there's no smell or visible dirt, you can skip. And little kids rarely smell.

[Mabelen]

Weird question, I know. My dh and I were talking about this and I was curious what others do.

 

My older son is 10 and he showers every night. I don't mind because ...well....he is a "pre, pre -teen" and...well...sometimes he smells like one.:tongue_smilie:

 

My younger son who is 6 does not bathe every single night. I base it on his activities. If he has been outside playing (and especially in the summer), he goes straight to the tub when he gets in. If not, sometimes I will skip a day or two. Dh says that is "gross" but I think that too many showers dry out his skin...and besides, what is he doing to need a bath every night? It is not like he is sweaty or grimy. My older son and I both have to use lotion because of the way a daily shower dries our skin. Younger ds was blessed with non-oily hair and really good skin. I want to keep it that way! LOL

 

So....what do you all think/do for your younger kiddoes?

 

I am like you.

 

My 13 yo dd has a shower every evening, because she is old enough to need it whether she has visible dirt or not!

 

My 5 yo dd doesn't bathe daily as a rule. More often than not it's every other day although we go 2 days in a row sometimes and other times she will bathe two or 3 days in a row; it really depends on what she has been up to during the day.

[Mrs Mungo]

My two youngers-every other day, unless we've been at the beach, park day, etc. My eldest takes a shower daily.

[Scarlett]

If they weren't swimming 3x a week, they'd get a bath every week or so (or as absolutely required), with strategic daily spot cleaning.

 

 

 

Oh yes swimming. Even if I wasn't in the 'every day' camp, ds must have a shower after being in the pool 4 days a week.

[momof2boys]

When my boys were little they bathed nightly in the summer months and every other day in the winter months. But now that they are teenagers they shower daily.

Gloria

[nono]

Bath or shower for them every other day in the winter, and every day in the summer. We don't have skin issues, but we sure have sweat issues. :001_huh:

 

Sometimes, they'll pop in the shower with either my husband or me, but often my 2 yr old wants to shower by himself! He's actually quite good at it! Cracks my husband and I up all the time to have to supervise a shower...

[Spy Car]

For my 5 year old boy, are you kidding? Everyday. The kid is a dirt magnet.

 

In two days he'd look like he escaped from the "Grapes of Wrath."

 

Bill

[AngieW in Texas]

Before puberty stuff hit, my kids took 1-2 baths/week. My 16yo takes a shower every morning. My 14yo takes a bath every 2nd night. My 11yo is taking 2-3 baths/week because she wants to, not because she needs to. During the summer, my 11yo took just 1 bath/week, but she was in the swimming pool nearly every day.

[Georgiana Daniels]

When the kids were babies they bathed every single day--after all, they'd been in diapers and spit up and mashing things in their hair. Now that the oldest is a teen, she's an every-dayer, of course, but the kidlets are about every other day, depending on their activities.

 

I feel much better having read responses because I kinda used to feel bad. Not bad enough to shower them every night, but still.....

[ElizabethB]

Once a week.

 

If allergies run in your family, it's actually better for them this way, the numbers were pretty high in the study I saw--I think it was around 40% less allergies in the group where small children were bathed once or twice a week vs. every day.

 

My son occasionally needs to be bathed more often, he throws up easily, both motion sickness and general stomach flu things and also gets really dirty more often. A few weeks ago I was actually thankful that he throws up easily--he ate half a tube of toothpaste and threw it up, we would have had to go to the hospital if he hadn't thrown up on his own.

[Spy Car]

Once a week.

 

 

Once a week? :lol:

 

If my son went a week I think child protective services would be here checking on "neglect" :D

 

He cleans up well, but what a mess :tongue_smilie:

 

Bill

[momtolgd]

Every 2-3 days unless they get excessively dirty. They all are prone to excema-like skin and every day is just too much for them.

[Old Dominion Heather]

My 10yo needs to bathe more often now that his hair is getting more oily, but that still is maybe 2x a week. my younger boys are once a week. If there is visible dirt/grime, I'll get that with a washcloth.

 

The 10yo still can't use ANY soap, except for the shampoo on his hair, because of eczema.

[Scarlett]

Once a week? :lol:

 

If my son went a week I think child protective services would be here checking on "neglect" :D

 

He cleans up well, but what a mess :tongue_smilie:

 

Bill

 

 

Same here!!!

[mycalling]

The little four (1, 2, 4, 4) get bathed about once or twice a week. The older two boys (7 and 8) bathe two or three times a week and the oldest girl (12) bathes every other day.

 

That's good for our family. I shudder to think of all the water, electricity, towels, etc. the 7 of them would use bathing daily.

[jenniferlee]

under 10: once a week or as needed if they played in the mud a lot or something.

 

11-12 - twice a week

[mycalling]

 

Once a week? :lol:

You could wipe him up between baths and he'd look just fine. My 7 roam around on 10 acres, yet a hands and face washing along with clean PJs cleans them up just fine.