By Heather O.
This is a guest post from Lacey.
Dear Mormon Mommy Wars,
This is two part question
First, how often do you bathe your children?
This might seem odd, but I only bathe my girls, five and three, twice a week, more if needed because of dirtiness, necessity, or if we’re going somewhere special. I homeschool and we live in the southwest, so we stay inside a lot. Now that’s it’s becoming cooler, we’re outside a little more and I will be bathing them more like three or four times a week. I am very content being inside, though, and thus my girls usually play inside also and don’t get particularly sweaty or dirty.
I don’t see a need to daily bathe my children, like I know many people do, because they don’t produce body odor and are fairly clean. I let them take long baths twice a week and I do spit baths and cleaning in between them. They are well groomed and don’t smell. As they are getting older I am finding that I need to bathe my oldest more, and I am trying to get in the habit. Since I let them take such long baths, it’s sometimes hard to fit it in with running around, cleaning house, making dinner, and watching Dancing with the Stars.
This said, am I totally nasty for only bathing my children twice a week?
I have a friend who only bathes her daughter twice a week, so I know I’m not alone in this.
The second part of the question is about blog etiquette.
I recently did a post and said the following, as it went with my story and is why I’m wondering if I’m totally oblivious about how often to bathe my girls.:
They need a bath ’cause it’s that time of the week, they get baths twice a week unless something makes them unusually stinky. I just don’t see the need to bathe my children every day when they’re little and don’t produce body odor and it can be a big chore. Just see it as one way I’m conserving water for our drought ridden valley.
I have a pretty private blog which mostly friends and family read, but I got an anonymous comment reading:
Really - twice a week? That means they bathe like 8 times a month. That’s pretty nasty.
I suppose I was really annoyed at this for two reasons: One, being I see no problem bathing my young, non smelly, children only twice a week. Two, it was anonymously said and I felt harshly judged by a complete stranger.
The troll, as my husband and I call her/him, did log onto my site tonight, coming from a friend’s site, so I’m pretty sure it’s not a friend.
So, if you’re a lurker and you have a harsh opinion of a blog you’re lurking on, would you anonymously post a hurtful comment or is that just bad blog etiquette?
I lurk on blogs of people I know, and don’t know, and even when I think they’re total idiots for thinking/doing something I never make a comment out of courtesy.
I hate that the comment is getting to me, but I also am wondering if I’m just a very oblivious mom for only bathing my daughters twice a week and if I’m right to be hurt by such harsh judgment by someone who obviously doesn’t know me or my children personally.
How often do you bathe your children, and how do you handle harsh comments in your blog?






Trolls. We ban ‘em.
I bathe my baby every night, but not always with soap. We do it after dinner though, and she almost always needs one then. I also do it is a way of starting our bedtime routine. But like I said, I don’t always use soap unless it’s necessary. I don’t want to dry out her skin by using soap daily.
My 6 year old doesn’t get daily baths, although he did in the summer when he was in the pool everyday. (pool germs–yuck!) We probably average about 2-3 times a week now with him back in school and not playing in the dirt so much. But we’ll do more if he’s grimy, and definitely Satuday nights to be ready for church.
Comment #1 by Heather O.October 8th, 2008 at 11:16 ammy kids (2 1/2 and 6 months) average one bath a week, sure they get more if they stink or if we have something special going on, but usually it is just once a week (at least this time of year) anyway, since that is the average and sometimes they get more, that also means sometimes they get less(gasp!)… so, if your kids are nasty, mine must be downright disgusting. I do wash hands and face at least daily though.
Comment #2 by anonforthisOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:34 amTruth be told, my older child probably should be getting 2 baths a week, but we are just not in the habit of it right now. I honestly think most people who bath their kids daily mostly do it out of routine or habit too.
I have to be anonymous here because I just realized last night that my son who is not yet deacon age but well past baptism has managed to run beneath the radar and not had a bath in weeks. I had started to notice that his hair was looking a little, um, colonial, but you can’t smell him coming or anything!
That is definitely nasty.
What can I say? We’ve been super busy.
He had a bath this morning before going to school.
Bathing twice a week is reasonable and plenty of hygiene if you don’t live on a ranch.
Ignore the troll. Some people just lead sad, dysfunctional lives and like to spread the pain around.
Comment #3 by Also AnonymousOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:39 amDon’t worry about what others think of your bathing schedule. I don’t bathe my kids everyday. They don’t need it, and thier skin dries out if I do. You know what your kids need.
As far as trolls? It’s part of the risk of blogging. Like Heather said- we ban ‘em. Or we ignore them. People usually only make snarky comments annonymously, and I feel no qualms deleting an anon comment. If they can’t put their name on it and they’re being mean, I don’t care what they think.
Comment #4 by Tracy MOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:48 amMy kids (6 and
bathe or shower nightly, but the hair gets washed every-other day. As others have said, this is more of a ritual than a need. The bath helps calm them down for the night and is part of the routine with teeth brushing, etc. Unless they’ve been playing in the mud, young kids don’t need to bathe very often so don’t feel like a bad mother please! You’re not.
As for the Troll, welcome to my world. You’ve got to let in roll off or you’ll go nuts. I’ve been derided on blogs, and in the press. Heck, I even got an unflattering editorial cartoon once. If I get really mad, I just send out the flying monkeys.
Comment #5 by jamisueOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:51 amMy kids (4, 3, almost 2) average about 1.5 baths a week (if they’re lucky). When we were in swimming lessons, it was more often (ditto on the yucky pool germs). (Other then the last week when we had a giant pile of dirt delivered for our backyard. Then they got baths almost night — but I refused to clean my bathtub until after we got all the dirt spread out and seeded. It was pretty disgusting!!) So I would guess my kids are just as nasty (or more) than yours!
Try to ignore the troll — although I know those barbs can sting. You sound like a great mom.
Comment #6 by KerynOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:51 amwow, why did a smiley face show up for my son’s age? He’s 8.
Comment #7 by jamisueOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:52 amI say two baths a week is plenty… and the blog comment was just rude and uncalled for. How do they know your kids are nasty?
Comment #8 by MommyJOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:53 amI only allow comments from commenters who are registered. It seems to help. Plus, my blog just isn’t that exciting!
I don’t see a problem with bathing your children twice a week… if they aren’t stinky they probably aren’t too dirty. When my boys were younger they got baths about 4 times a week, but then when my first daughter was about 1 she had really dry skin and my pediatrician recommended less baths for her.
Now that they are all older, and get stinky pretty easily, especially with our humid Indiana summers, they definitely get more baths.
But I think you can be a good judge of how much your kids need it.
Comment #9 by GingerOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:54 amjust wanted to add I’m sure your kids aren’t nasty! Reread my comment and wanted to clarify!
Comment #10 by MommyJOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:54 amWe’re frequent handwashers but infrequent bathers (the kids). Eight year old ds is supposed to shower twice a week, but if we forget, he’s certainly not volunteering. Dd and Ds2 bathe once or twice a week. I only shampoo and condition dd’s hair once every three weeks or so.
It’s simply neither necessary nor good for the skin to bathe them more often. We live in the desert southwest and I like to conserve water where possible.
The kids appear clean and do not smell, but if they *are* dirty or stinky they get bathed regardless of when their last scrubbing was.
A baby/toddler experimenting with new foods and self-feeding is another story, and more frequently bathed around here. My nearly four-month-old, though? Lots of wipedowns but he’s never been submerged into water yet.
Ignore the troll, ban him/her if it makes you feel better.
Comment #11 by KermitOctober 8th, 2008 at 11:59 amWow, that was really rude of that woman (guessing woman, would a man take the time to write that?) I bath my kids about 4 or 5 times a week. I have a crawler who gets super dirty and I happen to really enjoy bath time. That being said I wouldn’t think to tell someone what their child’s bathing schedule should be…very inappropriate!
Comment #12 by KimOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:03 pmYeah, I agree with Tracy. Just delete it. Who knows why people feel the need to post rude comments.
As for the bathing thing. I’d say we’re doing good to get two baths. Usually it’s just one on Saturday night. How often I bath them totally is dependant on how dirty they are. In the summer it happens more often as they are outside more, sweaty, dirty and need to be washed. Now that school is started they could probably go for two a week. Their faces get washed in the morning before school and hands as often as I remember. I have a friend who bathes her little one every night and I really think that it contributes to the little ones skin issues. I’ve had to bath my 1yr old just about every other day this week due to diareha and her skin is so dried out- soap or no soap- with lots of good lotion. You said they take long baths- something that I’ve started is one bath, one shower. My boys are 7, 5, 4.
In anycase I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong. My DH doesn’t sweat like the average guy so he only showers every other day or every two days. He just doesn’t need to every day. I try to shower everyday mostly out of habit and a need to wet my hair down. Sorry, I’m rambling but again- you are just fine. I would dare say that only in the U.S. are people obsessed with showering/bathing every day.
Comment #13 by AmberOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:05 pmI think that is a sensible bath policy… twice a week, adjusted upwards if circumstances call for it.
also, i think your anon blogger was being a jerk. I’ve has only a couple like that in our 3 years of personal blogging. Gotta delete and forget it, no use getting stressed by a cowardly attacking text comment.
Comment #14 by cchrissyyOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:07 pmDaily baths aren’t a common occurence around here. It might happen in the summer when they are playing outside every day and come in, well, smelly! When my kids are little though, and inside, it only happens 2-3 times a week. Actually, we have moved to showers for the older ones, age 7 and 5. It’s just quicker! So only my 2 year old is getting baths now.
As for the comment….delete it, block anonymous comments, and move on. It’s an odd thing how when some people can hide behind a computer screen and think people don’t know who they are, they just think they can say any stupid thing that comes to their head! Seriously, have they never heard of sitemeter?!
Comment #15 by andrea in utOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:08 pmjamisue, you got the smiley because the “8″ was followed immediately by the “)” — and that’s the code for the kind of smiley you got.
It hasn’t been so long, unless I’m older than dirt, when a Saturday night bath was the norm for kids. Crawlers got bathed more often because their knees and legs got dirty, and because “I can do it myself!” leads to so many messes. But a single weekly bath and shampoo was as much as most kids in my pre-teen generation got.
Comment #16 by Ardis E. ParshallOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:11 pmMy 6-month old gets about one bath a week currently. I think. I don’t really keep track. His face and hands get wiped off and rinsed multiple times a day since we started baby food, but he doesn’t get very dirty other than that.
Comment #17 by kaduseyOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pmMy yonger kids get baths twice a week, but my 9 year old has hit a stinky stage and showers most mornings. I shower every other day when I can… but, I’m a mom! And so my needs usually come last. Not being a martyr, just saying that showers are more of a luxury most days
Comment #18 by MelissaOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:19 pmThanks Ardis! I alway wondered how everyone put those smiley thingies in. Good to know.
Comment #19 by jamisueOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:23 pmI usually bathe my 3-year old 2-3 times a week. It just depends on how tangly her hair gets (it’s easiest just to re-wash then to try to comb it all out), and if she’s been out riding her bike.
I do have friends that bathe their children every single day… even if they haven’t been playing very hard. I see it more as their need to stay in a very rigid routine…
Ignore the comment, until your kids hit puberty. That’s an entirely different story.
Comment #20 by AndiOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:30 pmWe also do the twice-a-week thing. When my oldest was small, she had eczema and couldn’t bathe more often than that, so that’s what my brain is set to. Now that she’s 8, she’s showering more frequently, probably 3x/week. The younger one, 5, is still twice a week unless she’s particularly dirty–she doesn’t smell and is nice and clean.
Comment #21 by dangermomOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:30 pmMy kids (4 and 2) bathe daily because:
1–They like it (waterbugs)
2–I like bath time
3–I love clean-smelling kids!
4–I own Johnson & Johnson stock
5–It is a part of our daily routine
6–I want to instill it as a lifelong habit (I have a fear of smelly teens)
7–Occasionally I interact with someone else’s less-than-fresh child and it bothers me and I don’t want to do that to my kids.
If you are confident in your own parenting choices, than no criticism (no matter how rude) should bug you. I bet by tomorrow it won’t.
ps–#4 is wishful thinking
Comment #22 by ESOOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:34 pmI have a couple of friends who bathe their kids every day, but it’s because that’s their nighttime ritual, not because they think their kids are smelly without it. Once the pret-teen years and puberty/body oder kicks in, you just gotta punch it up to every day or every other day. I have a few friends who don’t make their teens bathe every day, and at the risk of sounding mean…I just wish they would make it a part of *their* routine
As for us, it’s once or twice a week, and more often if the kids need it (like when they are sick with tummy troubles…no need to go into more details…. or when they get all muddy playing outside, like they did yesterday. Fun times!)
Comment #23 by mellocelloOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:35 pmonce or twice a week here.
ages 5,3, and 1. And they usually don’t smell bad even when I do give them a bath… My usual reminder is that I notice ear wax. EW.
Comment #24 by AprilliumOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:36 pmI have 3 boys under the age of 6. They are bathed (forcibly) once a week. Sometimes more (summer), sometimes less (winter). EW, right?
Comment #25 by KatieoOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:36 pmnah. I think they’re just fine.
My kids are a little older ( 8 and 11)and they don’t bathe/shower daily. My 11 year old is getting where she wants to shower more. For my son, I’m glad if I can get him in once a week before church. I make him have at least one “scrubbing bath” a week, where we scrub with soap and shampoo his hair. I also try to get him in the shower to just rinse off some other time during the week or let him have a “soaking bath”. He has also started the habit of sitting in the hot tub every night. He thinks that counts as a bath - I think he should get scrubbed after sitting in hot tub chemicals!
Comment #26 by D.October 8th, 2008 at 12:41 pmWe do Saturday night baths, hair washed, no question. Beyond that, it’s “as needed” which can translate to anything above that, or only the once a week. (what an awkward sentence)
My husband just put down a bunch of manure and reseeded the grass, and if they touched that, even though they’re not supposed to, bath. If they had an accident at night, bath. If I’m just feeling the stinkiness, bath. (or shower)
My issue right now is stinky 9 yr old feet. Like, STINKY. And she is typically showering way more often that the Saturday night thing, ’cause I’m feeling the stinkinees more often with her. I don’t know what to do with the feet thing.
Also, mean comments: Congratulations! Your blog is now getting bigger. The bigger you get, the more you’ll get. You can decide what to do with them, delete them, ban them. Getting snarky in return usually makes things worse. If you really can’t stand them, make your blog private. I find that if I’m in a good mood, snarky comments don’t bug me, but if I’m sad or bugged, they piss me off big time. And the first few ones always did, so it’s normal.
Comment #27 by The WizOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:47 pmI would guess we average 2 a week as well. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I cant remember the last time my 7 year old took a bath, he prefers showers. With him we shoot for M,W,Sat. He also has really dry skin so even then they are short and coolish.
Comment #28 by BeckyOctober 8th, 2008 at 12:47 pmSorry about the troll. Its amazing that some women cant find anything better to do then make snarky comments anonymously.
When I was learning German, one of the teachers joked that Americans bathe every day and shop once a week, while Germans shop every day and bathe once a week.
People have differing standards of cleanliness. For me, as long as there is no stench, I’ve found that once or twice a week is sufficient until they (shudder) reach puberty.
Comment #29 by ResearcherOctober 8th, 2008 at 1:01 pmI try to bathe my boy, who is 3, twice a week. Unless, like you, we have a special occasion that requires some spiffy dress. Although, on some occasions he has been known to only get one bath a week. Oops. I think it is up to the discretion of the parent if they think their child needs a bath and how often.
Yeah, I think it is inappropriate to leave an unkind message on anyone’s blog, whether or not they are a friend or anonymous. After all, if they are your friend, they probably wouldn’t be that insensitive, and if not, then they should keep their thoughts to themselves.
Comment #30 by AmyboBamyOctober 8th, 2008 at 1:18 pmI bathe my 2 yr. old almost everyday. She loves it and I love that she is just happy to be in one spot for 30 min. I can even get a couple of verses of scriptures in before she starts splashing me for not paying attention to her. Also I love the lavander baby shampoo smell and usually just use it on her hair and no where else because it dries her out.
Comment #31 by RandaOctober 8th, 2008 at 1:19 pmThanks for the reminder that my kids haven’t seen the tub since last week. We are once a week around here (my sons are 3 and 8 months). My older son has dry skin so we were told to only bathe him once a week or more often if he is playing hard and dirty. I guess it kinda just stuck with DS2. I’m always surprised at how many parenting books, sites and articles (and johnson and johnson commercials) suggest daily bathing. I know it can be a good bedtime routine, but it is definately not necessary for little kid. From reading all the comments, it sounds like you are in good company with your bath schedule. Don’t let one rude person get you down.
Comment #32 by CaseyOctober 8th, 2008 at 1:24 pmI know that lots of other people commented already, but I’ll say something anyway. My five month old takes a shower once a week (She doesn’t mind showers, and so I just give her one when I take them on Sunday Mornings). Our other toddler daughter took a bath 1-2 times a week until we did a nightly short bath for a bedtime routine when our second was born. Now that her routine is down she’s back to baths twice a week. In the summer when she can get dirty we do baths when she’s dirty, but otherwise I don’t think kids need a whole lot of bathing. I take only take showers every other day, and occasionally when life happens this way I’ll go three days (if it’s Winter). I don’t feel like I have bad hygiene - I wash my hands all the time. I think our culture is too obsessed with water.
Also, I wouldn’t leave a comment like that on even someone I was related to. I would delete it.
Comment #33 by ThoraOctober 8th, 2008 at 1:29 pmMy theory with kids in diapers is that the most important parts get clean when you change their diaper. At this point my 2yo gets a bath every 2-3 days mainly beacause its something fun for her to do. And my 4mo gets abath once a week. If we had more kids it would definatly be less often.
Comment #34 by RachelOctober 8th, 2008 at 1:30 pmDid you know that people used to only bathe ONCE A YEAR?? It was usually in late spring when it started to get warm. That’s why people got married in June, hence the term June Bride. So, by those standards - you are going above and beyond!
With that said, my kids get a bath about once a week (3 and 8 mos.) We do lots of wiping and handwashing, etc. I agree with everyone else here.
Infrequent bathers of the world - unite!
Comment #35 by amylouwhoOctober 8th, 2008 at 1:30 pmWe have a 9 year old girl and 6 year old girl. They get a bath every night. Of course, the younger one just got off 2 years of chemo and we are germ freaks around our house. Especially when they are in school, we worry about more germs. Growing up for me, it was every night but Friday.
Comment #36 by LCMOctober 8th, 2008 at 1:30 pmIf your kids aren’t getting hazed at school, and you feel okay, then things should be good. I think some people entertain themselves by annoying others.
I’m not anonymous and since you asked I do think that’s pretty gross. I’m shocked so many people commented that they do the same thing. My daughters, 11 months and 2 1/2, get one everyday (and sometimes even 2 a day). I like them smelling nice and they like splashing together. That being said, I would probably delete mean anonymous comments.
Comment #37 by MäriaOctober 8th, 2008 at 1:45 pmWe bathe our kids about 3 times a week. More than anything it’s just part of our routine, but they really do get dirty. We live in an apartment and the only playground here is surrounded by sand. They get so dirty playing there that they really have to bathe afterwards. As long as they don’t stink or look obviously gross then I wouldn’t worry about it. I do shower every day because I’m a heavy sweater and I feel gross without getting clean.
I’ve been blogging for a few years and I’ve only had one incident of nasty, anonymous comments. It was a case of someone misunderstanding what I had written. I just explained my position more clearly and then tried to ignore it; it takes two people to keep an argument going, and sometimes you have to be the bigger person and stop it. For me, the worst experience has been visiting the blog of someone I met only to find that she had just written a post mocking our conversation. I guess we weren’t really friends like I thought we were!
Comment #38 by FoxyJOctober 8th, 2008 at 1:58 pmWe bathe them about twice a week, unless they are dirty.
There’s no need to bathe that often unless you need it. We do spot cleaning in the meantime.
My main reason is that their skin and hair are adversely affected. They tend to dry skin, as do I, and that much bathing strips the skin and hair of their naturally protective oils. If they NEED a bath, they get one, but they don’t often need more than a wipedown more than twice a week (although we do feet and hand washing every night.)
How do I handle anonymous comments? Well, in the history of my blog, five years, I’ve only deleted one anonymous comment, and that was last week. It went over the line and I didn’t feel like dealing with it.
Usually I try to either make a joke, turn the tables, point out their faulty logic, or make fun of them. I also have tracking so that I can see who they are, so there’s really no point in being anonymous.
I hate anonymous mean comments, they are cowardly.
Comment #39 by AzucarOctober 8th, 2008 at 2:06 pmThe Wiz, my nine year old daughter has stinky feet, too! Sometimes it’s so bad right after she’s taken off her shoes that I can hardly stand to be next to her. Do they make odor eaters for children’s shoes? Is there a spray? A powder? If you find a solution, please post about it!
Comment #40 by bythelbsOctober 8th, 2008 at 2:12 pmOh, and my 12 year old son showers every school day and Sundays (he usually takes Saturdays off), my 9 year old daughter showers about 3 times a week, and the 6 and 3 year olds get bathed 1-2 times a week (more as needed).
Ignore the haters.
Comment #41 by bythelbsOctober 8th, 2008 at 2:15 pmI try to bathe my kids 3 times a week, so at a minimum it ends up twice a week if one of those baths doesn’t happen. I hate bathing my kids. I’ve always found it a pain and make my husband do it as much as possible. I can’t imagine bathing them daily. It would make me mentally unstable. My 8 and 10 year olds bathe themselves if I tell them to, so that’s cool. Just wish my 10 year old would remember to put on his deodorant. I know he’s just a clueless boy (and he doesn’t smell that bad) but when you’re in fifth grade it’s just time to make it a habit!
Comment #42 by FairchildOctober 8th, 2008 at 2:22 pmI was a faithful once or twice day mom with my first daughter and she developed skin irritation so my pediatrician finally got me to back off. Now with dd#2 as well as the older dd we do every other day unless they really need it. They LOVE bathtime (particularly my baby) and I love the clean yummy Johnson and Johnson smell.
Comment #43 by RubiaOctober 8th, 2008 at 2:26 pmJust want to add that my kids is in the lots of bathing=skin issues camp. For bar soap, we now only have Oil of Olay or Dove. (she mostly showers now) No antibacterial craziness.
Comment #44 by The WizOctober 8th, 2008 at 2:50 pmMy kids are 3 and 1 and we have a bath Sunday morning and Wednesday night (unless they are extra sweaty or dirty). Little kids just don’t have the same kind of sweat and stink that teenagers and adults do.
When I was growing up I only had a bath once a week until I was 8 or 9. I’m 25, so this wasn’t all that long ago, and we had a big dirty dusty back yard with horses and dogs that I played in. I probably was kind of gross, but I still had friends and I didn’t get sick a lot or anything. I did wash my hands frequently and I changed my underwear daily (still do, as a matter of fact).
About trolls- one of nastiest comments on my blog was left by my mom. She just thought she was being funny and sarcastic. I didn’t realize it was her (she’s a technophobe and has trouble commenting on blogs- so sometimes her comments are ‘anonymous’). When I told her how some jerk on the internet hurt my feelings with a nasty comment, she was so horrified at how what seemed funny and harmless to her had been so hurtful to me.
Comment #45 by StarfoxyOctober 8th, 2008 at 2:58 pmThanks for writing this post. I don’t bathe my kids everyday either. I know that I have been told that I am not a clean mom for it too. It was starting to bother me a lot. we just don’t have the time or energy to do it. I have a disabled son who gets bathed once a week and wiped down Multiple times a day. He is just so heavy to lift in and out of the bath tub. He is in a wheelchair and does not have use of his legs. This helped me feel better about it because now I know that not every mom does it every night.
Comment #46 by Em and Zachs MomOctober 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pmWe bathe them when we get around to it, or they stink. Whichever happens first.
With my blog I have to approve your comment the first time, so anything rude or nasty goes to spam land. Once I’ve spammed it,it always goes straight to spam land without passing go.
Comment #47 by SarahOctober 8th, 2008 at 3:03 pmHey! I’m a lurker.
I’d NEVER leave a nasty comment on someones blogg who I didn’t know. Actualy, I wouldn’t leave a nasty comment on ANYONES blog, cause I’m in the “if you can’t say something nice” camp. But if a friend posted something I disagreed with, sure, I’d disagree (polietly) in comments.
I’m only un-lurking to let you know that untill my kids reach the age where they are able to shower them selves (somewhere around 9-10) they where 1-2 a week bathers. Like everyone else said, more if they are visably dirty, or if they smell. I try to make sure 1 bath per week happens, two if I can, but if she’s not dirty and we are busy, I don’t stress the mid week one.
Comment #48 by MMStarshineOctober 8th, 2008 at 3:13 pmMy 11 1/2 yr old bathes daily (trust me, we ALL NEED him too!) but my 6 1/2 yr old only bathes twice a week plus spit baths inbetween. We too live in the desert southwest but it’s not ’cause of that. DD has an auto immune disease of the skin & her skin is super sensitive. That being said according to her pediatric dermatologist, she doesn’t need a bath every nigh. Feel relieved? A Dr okayed not giving Any kid a bath every night! We didn’t when we were kids either.
Commenter #47 suggested that you make sure you approve all comments. I heartily agree. I was getting spam from some Indian herb store abut such ‘n such an herb being good for DD. Ugh. It’s hard but try not to let trolls bother you. They are what they are.
Comment #49 by Sues2u2October 8th, 2008 at 3:21 pmLacey, I hope you feel better now!
Comment #50 by Tracy MOctober 8th, 2008 at 3:36 pmAt the hospital when I had #2 the nurse told me that I should bathe the baby every 3-4 days. Twice a week. I asked if that went for my 2 yr old also and she said that it did.
Said that our skin wasn’t meant to be washed every single day. Something about natural oils.
So the kids get baths on Wednesdays-ish and Saturdays.
And ya know what? I remember growing up that we were bathed every saturday night.
But when did it become a rule that the kids need to be bathed every day?
Comment #51 by hugeOctober 8th, 2008 at 3:40 pmI bathe my kids about twice a week, Wednesday nights and Saturday nights. Ds is 6, and I tried to go for 3 times a week with school starting, but that only lasted about a week.
I just don’t see how people have time to bathe their kids every day. Bath time for us takes a minimum of 30 minutes, if they bathe together, and more like 45 if they bathe apart. We’re doing good to get dinner, required reading for school, the whole bedtime routine, and any small bit of playtime with Daddy before it’s time for bed. As it is, ds is getting to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 pm, about 30 minutes later than I’d like, just trying to fit in everything we’re doing.
To be honest, I don’t enjoy supervising the kids’ bathtime. I’d much rather do dishes and let dh do bathtime, which he usually does.
But I feel vindicated because I’ve read in several places that bathing too often isn’t good for their skin (we live in a very dry climate). My ds has had awful problems with dry skin and eczema, so more frequent bathing isn’t recommended for him anyway.
If I think they smell stinky, I’ll throw them in for an extra bath, though.
Comment #52 by eljeeOctober 8th, 2008 at 3:40 pmSo maybe all of us “dirty moms” are hangin’ out here together while the clean moms are off bathing their children? I say every other day, especially Sat. night which doesn’t really work when it’s a 7 day week, but you get my drift. The 13 yr old is suppposed to bathe daily. Horror of horrors there are even days..don’t tell anyone..that I don’t shower. If I’m home cleaning, doing laundry, making meals, etc. I don’t want to waste all that time on my hair and what-not. There you go, do I win the dirty mom prize?
Comment #53 by jendoopOctober 8th, 2008 at 3:47 pmAnd as for trolls, I haven’t had any yet but if someone wants to come on over and call me filthy then I’ll be hurt for the few minutes it takes me to ban you from my site.
I consider myself over-acheiving if my kids get a bath other than the one on Saturday night. But we do frequent face and hand washing (with a washcloth for the younger ones).
Comment #54 by NancyOctober 8th, 2008 at 4:07 pmI was away all afternoon, so I’m just reading this now.
I’m happy to see I’m not alone and I can tell my friend that she doesn’t have to be weary of admitting she bathes her daughter twice a week.
That said.
My blog is pretty private, it’s wordpress and not search able on search engines, but I let friends link to me because I like finding old friends from other people’s blogs so I think it’s fun, usually.
Since it is wordpress they now have to leave a name and e-mail, which I didn’t make people do before in case someone didn’t want to give me their e-mail, though if they want to lie nothing is stopping them.
I’ve let the Troll go.
People are jerks and I just wish we all followed the rules of being nice, because meanness hurts.
Thanks for the support.
Comment #55 by LaceyOctober 8th, 2008 at 4:11 pmIt may seem strange but it’s nice to know you’re not alone, even on silly things like bathing your children.
I bathe my boys Tues, Thursday and Sunday. More if they get extra dirty. But on average 3 times a week.
Comment #56 by SheridanOctober 8th, 2008 at 4:11 pmMy 3 1/2 year old gets bathed usually every other day maybe every two days. She has long thick hair and I usually give her a bath because I like her hair pretty and manageable–plus she gets food in it when she eats. If she had shorter hair that didn’t need as much maintenance I’d probably bathe her less. I like doing baths because it makes her happy, clean and she stays in one place for at least 15 minutes. Do what ever you need for your family and ignore the haters.
Comment #57 by flip flop mamaOctober 8th, 2008 at 4:13 pmOnce a week, baby. Maybe twice a week depending on their activities or if there’s an accident then I’ll bathe right then.
Comment #58 by KamiOctober 8th, 2008 at 4:53 pmHoly comments, batman!
I have four kids (7, 5, 4, and almost 2) and the 7 yr old showers two to three times a week. The younger three? They are lucky if they get a bath twice a week. But I always make sure they’re smellin’ nice for Sunday. Full average? Twice a week.
Comment trolls? HATE THEM. Rude, rude, rude. I would just delete her comment or ignore it. Please don’t let it bug you because those people aren’t worth the time. Seriously. And I promise you that the person who left the comment probably hasn’t even thought about it again, so why should you? Delete, baby, delete! It’ll make you feel better.
Not that deleting is good etiquette, either, but, you know…delete with caution. Yeah, that’s good advice. Don’t delete and turn into a massive deleter, just delete when it’s out of control.
P.S. You are a good mom.
Comment #59 by cherylOctober 8th, 2008 at 4:58 pmAm I the only one with a really stinky two year old? We are every other day at least, often every day. He’s adorable, but the kid sweats!!! And stinks! I’m hoping it lessens as the weather gets cooler…
Comment #60 by KateOctober 8th, 2008 at 6:25 pmI ruffle my kids’ hair regularly; if it feels funny, they get a bath. If they smell funny, they get a bath. The baby probably gets the most baths because she colors all over herself. The teens take care of themselves. Overall, we bathe everybody probably an average of three times a week. The nine year old requires bribes.
You’re a fine mom.
Delete meanies.
Comment #61 by JamiOctober 8th, 2008 at 6:36 pmI also wanted to add that I’m happy this post helped you Em and Zachs mom!
I felt a little silly sending it in, but this is a mommy blog and it was a mommy question.
It’s funny how we let other people’s unwanted judgments cloud our own, even when before we were just fine.
Comment #62 by LaceyOctober 8th, 2008 at 7:51 pmI have four kids, ages 16, 10, 7, and 3. They’ve been accustomed to baths or showers daily since birth, but I’ll admit that it’s more because I am a little bit OCD-ish about germs, and because I really love it when kids smell clean (I am more than a little grossed out by kids who smell dirty).
Throughout the years, supervising bath time or making time for baths has definitely been a pain at times. But it was always part of our nightly routine, and the kids seem to really care that they get their bath or shower. Even my 3 year old.
There are days now and then when we skip it. But the kids still have to (and want to) wash their feet with soap and water after they put their jammies on. I can’t stand the thought of kids getting into bed grubby, lol! I figure, I keep their linens nice and clean and fresh smelling…I want them to be clean when they get into them. And of course, with the OCD issues (mild ones), the kids wash their hands before eating, after using the bathroom, or after coming in from outside or a public place.
I’m probably not the best person to answer, lol. I realize I am a little overboard when it comes to cleanliness. If your children are comfortable and healthy, I wouldn’t worry about what other people think.
Comment #63 by BrandyOctober 8th, 2008 at 8:28 pmI wouldn’t worry about what other people think. But here is what happened over conference weekend at my house. We are in the midwest and take the entire family over to the chapel to watch all 4 sessions of conference. Saturday night during priesthood I made sure all of the kids made it through the shower except for my youngest (age 6) who we usually help have a bath. He didn’t want to take a bath Saturday night so I said fine, let your dad help you tomorrow night. Well, after sitting in conference sessions all weekend we forgot! Tuesday morning as we were getting ready to go to school, I looked at him and said, “Hey! We never gave you your bath!” He smiled and said, “Yep, I’m pretty proud of that!” I made sure to bathe him that night! Sheesh.
Comment #64 by momof8October 8th, 2008 at 8:56 pmWe bathe our son just about every night, but reading over the comments has me thinking otherwise. He has pretty bad eczema, so maybe it would help if we backed off on the bathing. We’ve been wondering how we would handle it with #2 coming any day now, since my husband is the one that handles bathtime and he’s at work most of the time, and cutting down on the baths might be the thing to do.
I’d read that bathing could help hydrate his dry skin if he was lotioned up right afterwards, but I don’t know why I believed that. /I/ don’t shower every day in part because of my extremely dry skin, so why wouldn’t he have the same reaction as me?
Comment #65 by FirebyrdOctober 8th, 2008 at 9:21 pmMy 8-month-old gets a bath almost every night. We skip it if she gets too cranky or it gets too late. We do it because she LOVES bathtime (seriously, when she hears the water…) and because it keeps her happy and we can read a book or talk w/out having to distract her from getting into things she shouldn’t (in the bathroom with her, of course). However, she gets soaped up and shampooed if we realize it’s been awhile, or at least every Saturday night. It’s a nice time to just relax and calm down for the night.
Comment #66 by Erin MarieOctober 8th, 2008 at 9:22 pmI only bathe my kids every other day, so that equates out to about 3 days a week, plus Sunday. So, I don’t think you’re weird at all.
Comment #67 by SherOctober 8th, 2008 at 9:27 pmI think Mom’s who bathe their kids everyday are OCD. Especially when they’re little.
Also, I had anonymous commenters. What are they so afraid of?
I only bathe my kids every other day, so that equates out to about 3 days a week, plus Sunday. So, I don’t think you’re weird at all.
Comment #68 by SherOctober 8th, 2008 at 9:27 pmI think Mom’s who bathe their kids everyday are OCD. Especially when they’re little.
Also, I hate anonymous commenters. What are they so afraid of?
Someone mentioned stinky two-year-old, and we had that problem this summer with my little guy. It gets hot here (like up to 100 in the afternoon) and we don’t have AC, so the kids’ room manages to get stuffy. And he totally sweats during nap time–like head soaking wet. So during the summer we bathed him nearly every day because his hair started smelling funky. I just wanted to give him a buzz cut, but dh didn’t like it. So he has longer, stinky hair and gets a bath almost every day
Comment #69 by FoxyJOctober 8th, 2008 at 9:47 pmWell, for us we have six kids, the idea of bathing all those rugrats every day, ugh. Once a week is generally fine unless something like Sand fights or something similar start to happen.
However we are making our pre-teen deacon shower more now. He is also one who used to think Shampoo was optional, it was smelling his hair one Sunday at church that cottoned me on to what he was doing.
We do however enforce washing hands and face washes during the week so they do get a bit cleaner. My mother has a habit to bathe them every day and I cannot see the point really.
Comment #70 by Jon W.October 8th, 2008 at 10:06 pmTo Firebyrd #65 - I found my son’s few eczema patches went away when we reduced to once a week baths. We did that for almost a year when he was small and it really solved his skin issues.
Comment #71 by AzucarOctober 9th, 2008 at 1:35 amWow, i had no idea that I was in the minority for bathing my kids every day…but, they sweat a lot because of the humid climate, and neither have ever had skin problems. Plus, they love taking baths. Plus, for me, I hate smelling less than fresh hair…
Comment #72 by amelia bedeliaOctober 9th, 2008 at 5:29 amWow, i had no idea that I was in the minority for bathing my kids every day…but, they sweat a lot because of the humid climate, and neither have ever had skin problems. Plus, they love taking baths. Plus, for me, I hate smelling less than fresh hair….umm, and my daughter just feels grimey after getting home from school - all those germs from everything…ugh.
Comment #73 by amelia bedeliaOctober 9th, 2008 at 5:32 amI bathe my kids once a week. Sometimes more if they really seem to need it. In the summer, we bathe them more frequently, when we were swimming in the lake everyday.
My kids also have excema so it isn’t prudent to wash more frequently for them.
They are always welcome to bathe more often if they wish. And sometimes they just get in the bathtub because they like the water and want to play.
When my oldest was wetting the bed nearly every night, he bathed every morning before school.
My husband showers everyday because he sweats so much. I hardly sweat and suffer from very dry skin and hair, so I shower twice a week.
Comment #74 by TiffanyOctober 9th, 2008 at 6:14 amFirst off, I don’t think you’re a bad mom! Every mom and dad find what’s best for them and their family. You obviously think about it and have made this decision. It’s really just your business, but I understand wanting to take the temperature of more moms to see where you place in that group.
Personally, I just stick to an every-other-day bathing routine. It seems to work for our family. Now that our eldest daughter is moving into the dreaded tween years, she wants to shower every single day, I don’t think that’s necessary. But otherwise, we go every-other-day and always no matter what before Church on Sundays and other special events. So, that’s my two cents.
Comment #75 by MaddisonOctober 9th, 2008 at 7:36 amThe comment was completely rude. I certainly don’t bathe my kids everyday. I can’t even get myself into the bath everyday, much less three kids. Kids don’t need baths everyday, in my opinion. If they are messy, I get a wet rag. If they stink or have crud in their hair I bathe them. I just have too much to do to worry about bathing every single day.
Comment #76 by Kellie BucknerOctober 9th, 2008 at 7:40 amLike many, many others, my four children get bathed 2x/wk. Usually on Wednesday nights they get a bath (6,4,3,6mo) all together (and boy is THAT getting crowded!) and then on Sunday mornings the girls will shower with Mom and Dad will shower the boys. My girls just cannot be trusted to get their long hair clean enough to shower by themselves. I really hate bending over the bathtub to wash someone.
Comment #77 by AlissaOctober 9th, 2008 at 9:40 amI’m so glad you asked this question, because it’s one I’ve long wondered — but not wanted to find out I was in the minority, so have never asked.
I think when my oldest was little we bathed him about 3x a week. And others’ comments about stinky, sweaty 2-year-olds reminded me that my 2nd child needed lots of bathing when she was little. (She also needed for her sheets to be changed constantly. At 8 she still sleeps hot, and is always begging to sleep in my room because she claims it’s cooler than her room; she also likes to sleep with a fan blowing on her.)
Anyway, now we have four kids (11, 8, 4, 2, and one on the way,) and for quite a few years now we’ve gone down to the once-a-week Saturday bath (the same bath schedule I had when growing up in my 9-kid family.) It’s better for my kids’ sensitive skin in our dry climate, and also conserves water, but since there’s also a laziness component to this choice, as I said I just didn’t want to ask around and find out I was the only one who does this. We do add in more baths as needed (swimming, very dirty activities,) and my oldest will start needing more frequent showers soon (but I do have a VERY keen sense of smell, and so far he doesn’t stink,) and I do wash my little ones’ hands and faces frequently with a clean washcloth.
Anyway, it sounds like many of we Mormon mommies not only have more kids than the rest of the nation, but we’ve also learned that cutting down on the number of baths can make life easier. I’m so happy knowing I’m not alone in this.
Comment #78 by ZinaOctober 9th, 2008 at 12:32 pmI scream at my 13-year old daughter to get in the shower on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Oh, and she won’t bother with a washcloth if I haven’t already layed it out in the shower…counting down until college where her roommates will (hopefully) embarrass some sense of hygene into her.
Comment #79 by merrybitsOctober 9th, 2008 at 12:53 pmI didn’t read the 79 previous comments because I don’t really care what other people think about this. My kids get one bath a week.
ONE.
As they are getting older, they start getting more. Obviously The Teenager has to shower every day. But when they are young and not stinky or sweaty? Once a week is fine.
So I admire you for doing it twice a week. You are one-upping me. So tonight you can say, well, at least I bathe them more than she does! LOL
Really, go ahead and say it. You’ll feel so much better, and I still won’t care!
Comment #80 by CamilleOctober 9th, 2008 at 3:40 pmOne bath per week. And I, too, have been criticized for harming my children by our infrequent bathing. 4 and 2 yrs old. Whatever. If you want to fight that battle with my kids come over here and do it yourself.
#1- The 2 yr old is in diapers. Butt gets wiped frequently.
#2- If they don’t scream and yell and splash at me when I wash their hair, then they dump gallons (not exagerating here) of water out of the tub before I wash their hair unless I sit in their with them and listen to all the high pitch screaming.
#3- Bathing more regularily is for people with BO. My kids don’t have it. I have a super sensitive nose, asked hubster, whom I frequently ask to brush his teeth or shower because of a stench.
#4- We wash when we’re dirty. Pool trips and backyard dirt digging= baths. Because we’re dirty.
#5- Our dr. said kids get too many baths. Bad for the skin and the immune system. We totally believe in eating off the floor if it means we can go to nursery and not get whatever is going around (okay, not really, but you get the idea)
You can say you’re better than me, too!!!
Comment #81 by CarrieOctober 9th, 2008 at 3:54 pmPS I think that people who bathe kids daily only have 1-2 kids. The friend who threatened to call CPS on our bad hygiene only had 1. More kids means more baths and more work for mom.
Comment #82 by CarrieOctober 9th, 2008 at 3:58 pmI am really suprised at all the people that only bath their children a couple times a week. I had no idea!
I can honestly say, my three children (5,9,11) have had a bath/shower every single day of their lives. When they were babies, I would bath them with me.
All three kids shower in the morning before school. On days that we have swim team/soccer/little league, they shower again after practice.
This is the way we have always done it, I never realized that it wasn’t the same for everyone.
I bath everyday, why wouldn’t my kids?
I can’t be the only one with this obsession…
Should I seek therapy?
Comment #83 by justmeOctober 9th, 2008 at 4:25 pmYou ladies crack me up!
Sometimes my girls only get one bath a week. If we’re busy it might not happen, even Saturday night before church.
Sometimes when we miss Wednesday’s bath and it’s Thursday I just think, “I’m giving you a bath on Saturday, you don’t need two baths so close together,” and Thursday is also a show night for me. So I sometimes put television before baths, but they’re usually not stinky otherwise I give them one no mater what, or hope that no one notices.
I try to bathe them during the day if there’s something I want to watch, so this line of thinking only happens on very busy days.
Comment #84 by LaceyOctober 9th, 2008 at 4:26 pmLast summer after my sister died, I have 5 children 10 and under, baths every day continued…for ALL 5…
Comment #85 by justmeOctober 9th, 2008 at 4:29 pmJust to add, I had 5 kiddos for 6 months.
Comment #86 by justmeOctober 9th, 2008 at 4:31 pmjustme,
Comment #87 by mellocelloOctober 9th, 2008 at 4:41 pmno you don’t need therapy. You just like you and your kids to be really clean. Nothing wrong with that. And good for you. Seriously, that’s an accomplishment. Bathing kids is a lot of work. On the other hand, everything about being a mom is a lot of work!
Yeah, so I don’t normally comment (and I’m gonna do it twice), but the whole “mom’s who bath their kids everyday are OCD” really bugged me. I bathe my children everyday because I let them be kids, I let them get messy. We go to the pool, the park, the ocean, play in paint and markers, we bike and cook. I can only imagine the way to keep my children clean and only bathe them twice a week is by not letting them do anything but sit on the couch and watch TV (not saying we don’t do that too, they’re doing it right now so I can play on the computer). But I mean really, spit cleaning and wet wipes only go so far.
Comment #88 by MäriaOctober 9th, 2008 at 9:12 pmBathers, unite! We do the bath thing almost daily–4 kids and the oldest is 8. The older two shower. The younger two play in the tub at night. It’s part of our routine. I’m a bath snob, I guess. I get grossed out by oily-haired children. Plus I, too, love that out-of-the-bath, clean smell. In the summer we swam at the pool about 4 times per week and I always did the soap, shampoo, and conditioner thing at the pool. So many people made random, suprised comments that I would go to such efforts. A few people smiled and said, “What?! A shower? The pool IS our shower.” I smiled, too. I thought they were joking. After reading all these comments, I am thinking they were serious. Yes, I must be a bath snob. But I truly don’t know how to do things any other way. I like my kids–and I especially like them when they are clean!
Comment #89 by MommymaniaOctober 10th, 2008 at 12:36 amThe OCD comment is a fallacy, just as is the “I can only imagine the way to keep my children clean and only bathe them twice a week is by not letting them do anything but sit on the couch and watch TV” comment is a fallacy.
Neither are true as a whole, though there might be a small minority which they apply to.
I didn’t have a car for the first 4 years of being a mother. I became very content to stay and have my children play inside the house, or to go to the apartment playground, or swimming once or twice a week. Even when we went to the playground, if you could call it that, my daughter never got too dirty or sweaty so washing hands was all that was needed. Now we have a house and a second car and I find that I’m either at home, out running errands, or doing something fun like going to a park, but mostly at home or at a friend or family member’s house.
The thing is it gets to be 115 here in Vegas, we have a lake that is absolutely disgusting, though I think most natural bodies of water are, and we stay inside for the summer when we can. It’s our winter you can say. We did go swimming and they got baths three times a week, after each class and then Saturday.
When we are inside my daughters watch between an hour or two of PBS and then they are left to their own devices. Which usually means they play or fight together and I also spend time playing and reading with them.
They just don’t get that dirty playing inside.
Also to go places cost money and unfortunately not everyone can afford to drive wherever they want, whenever they want, or do anything they want.
I have to conserve gas which is also good for the environment and our pocket book.
I find that I like my children’s natural smell, just as I enjoy the clean smell after a bath, and their hair doesn’t get oily unless it has been a week in between baths.
If you look at the reason for bathing your child just because you like that artificially scented clean smell and it’s not because they are actually dirty and do smell. You’re wasting money and polluting our environment with every plastic shampoo and soap bottle you use at an increased and unnecessary rate, besides wasting water, which is something we try to conserve here in Vegas.
I bathe because I need it and not to offend others. My children get baths because they need it and not to offend others, and it just happens they don’t need it as often as me.
Comment #90 by LaceyOctober 10th, 2008 at 9:05 amWow, who knew people cared so much about bathing!
I just have to say that I bathe my toddler every day because she is dirty. She gets yogurt in her hair, she puts dirt in her hands and gets it in her diapers, she smears markers all over her face, and by the time bedtime rolls around, she’s usually a mess. I’m not OCD (anyboy who has seen my house can attest), she just gets that bad. And, it’s a nice way of relaxing her into a routine. Please don’t accuse those of us who bathe our children regularly of single handedly ruining our environment. Also, I live in Virginia, where there is so much water I don’t even have to water my lawn. Seriously. It stays green pretty much all year. So I feel perfectly fine bathing my kids almost every day. Also, in the summer, after a day at the pool, I religiously bathe my kids, because there are a lot of adverse affects that come from having prolonged exposure to chlorine, not to mention germs that are not killed by chlorine (my son has had impetigo TWICE from the pool, as well as pin worm. When it comes to pool yuckiness, I know of which I speak.)
If I lived in Vegas, or Salt Lake City, where water issues are much different than they are here, then I might think do things differently.
C’mon people. We are talking about bath time here. Let’s keep it friendly. I’d hate to have to shut this thread down because y’all can’t be nice.
Comment #91 by Heather O.October 10th, 2008 at 9:26 amI apologize, I don’t mean to be a meanie.
Comment #92 by LaceyOctober 10th, 2008 at 1:05 pmIf you want, feel free to edit this paragraph:
I think that’s the main mean thing I said.
If you look at the reason for bathing your child just because you like that artificially scented clean smell and it’s not because they are actually dirty and do smell. You’re wasting money and polluting our environment with every plastic shampoo and soap bottle you use at an increased and unnecessary rate, besides wasting water, which is something we try to conserve here in Vegas.
Comment #93 by LaceyOctober 10th, 2008 at 1:10 pmTo Lacey, I would say that calling using plastic bottles at an “increased and unnecessary rate” is purely subjective. I do choose not to buy water bottles; am I then justified in an extra bottle of shampoo per year?
Joking, of course. My point is that what might seem unnecessary to some, is essential to other moms as part of keeping the routines and habits of daily living.
Comment #94 by MommymaniaOctober 10th, 2008 at 6:27 pmI know, I’m sorry.
I just thought of one more reason why I thought daily bathing was unnecessary in my eyes, and I was a little ticked off by the children only stay clean if they’re in front of the TV comment, but my comment was it’s own fallacy.
I too use reusable water bottles, but for some reason I can’t get away from ziploc baggies! My MIL washes and reuses, she’s 73, and I just can’t do that.
I figure if you can’t tell my child gets baths less than yours, who cares.
To each their own.
Comment #95 by LaceyOctober 10th, 2008 at 10:25 pmI have three kids, 3 year old and 11 month old twins…We get one bath a week unless there’s something special (dr appts are special here though:)) We’ve also had skin problems and unless they stink or are visibly dirty, we’ve got better things to do.
Comment #96 by LeahOctober 12th, 2008 at 9:13 pmjust found this site and my boys are grown. i can say with certainty that bathing young children only once a week doesn’t kill them. my youngest got them more often but that was to calm him down so he would sleep - being very hyperactive with add. i did have to work at getting them to bath more often when they hit the teen years.
Comment #97 by beckyOctober 12th, 2008 at 9:24 pmI found this blog looking for some studies on kids’ showering. My step-kids’ mom sent home a note with them last night saying “The kids need to be taking showers EVERY DAY!!!!” Well, I’ve been raising them for 6 years and they’ve only gotten healthier than when she was raising them, so I don’t see anything wrong with our current schedule. (Sundays, Wednesdays and either Friday night or Sat. morning - or if they are stinky or dirty, they get extras.)
So glad to see that we’re not the only ones. My goodness - they get a few hours at home a night and they have to cram homework, chores, family time and friend time all in there. Not to mention that they stay in there for a LONG time - it would break our bank if they did that daily.
I remember a troll calling me disgusting over this same thing before. But ya know? Everyone’s different. Lives are different. Circumstances are different. Showering is different.
Comment #98 by AmyOctober 13th, 2008 at 11:01 amWOW! I’m so glad to know I’m not alone. My 3 sisters and including my mom, always tease me about my bathing habits for my kids. I’m so happy to know I’m not alone. I agree, that they don’t need it as much. I bathe them in between PE days at school (and the night before church). Why have them shower when the next day they are getting sweaty? So they shower after PE. My kids have sensitive skin and it dries out very easily. So, I stopped bathing them daily, to a doctors suggestion. I always smell their hair to make sure it doesn’t smell. My mom’s a teacher and she always tells me she hates leaning over a student that smells like sweat. So, thank you for this post. I never cared what my family said, but now I have back up.
Comment #99 by KristineOctober 18th, 2008 at 11:35 pmWhen my kids were small, we bathed according to weather and activity. If it’s hot and sticky, so are they, and they must bathe before hitting the sheets. If they have been indoors all day and are clean, why waste the water? Wash your face and hands, brush your teeth and get your jammies on. For myself, I bathe every day simply because I walk my dog every day for about 3 miles and I know I get sweaty. I also have to moisturize like crazy because of it. My husband, on the other hand, can go for days without bathing and never stink. He has a highly physical job, and does get sweaty in summer. Then he showers every night. But the rest of the year? He is not dirty or smelly. His hair is not dirty. Wash up and go to work, husband! Why waste the water bathing every day, then have to spend tons of money on products to put the moisture back in your skin? Just skip the shower and soap and leave your skin alone to breathe. As long as you don’t offend, who cares?
Comment #100 by NinnNovember 7th, 2008 at 9:17 am