How often should we bathe our children?

Gillian - posted on 02/25/2013

Well, what a lot of differences of opinion!!

At the end of the day there is no right or wrong answer. We all live in different climates with different lifestyles, each parent should do what is right for their family. Young children don't tend to sweat in the same way that adults do so on that count require less bathing.

I don't have a hard and fast rule, my daughter swims 3 times a week and takes a shower afterwards, I don't worry about her showering the rest of the week as feel that she is clean enough. However she is beginning to start puberty so I am on the look out for greasy hair and smells developing, if I notice these then she is encouraged to take a shower. I am sure that as she get further into puberty she will want to shower more frequently as she would not want to smell or have greasy hair.

My son is 6 years old and tends to shower or bath 2/3 times a week, this is ample for him. Unless he has been exercising a great deal more and becomes sweaty then additional baths are encouraged.

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Shawnn - posted on 02/19/2013

@ Susan. You point fingers, yet you fail to share your standard for cleanliness, nor do you bring any valid arguments to the table.

Shawnn - posted on 02/19/2013

@ Michelle Passwaters: With a crappy attitude towards your students, I'm surprised you are still teaching. Oh, and BTW? You teachers can back off on your "fragrance layering" too...You don't have to bathe in your fragrance, you know, and some of us (and our "stinky" children) are sensitive to excessive perfume/cologne use.

My god, I'm so glad that you aren't a teacher in my area, with a piss poor attitude like yours. Sit on your high horse, Miss Passwaters, and judge all that you deem incompetent, stinky losers...you too shall be judged in your turn.

Susan - posted on 02/19/2013

Kids will tease kids who smell, also dirty finger nails are gross.
Their hair will stink too.
Sad, people are just too lazy to keep their children clean

Brandy - posted on 02/17/2013

I'm with you Mama B. I bathe my kids every other day in the winter due to skin issues (eczema). We live in Nebraska and when it gets cold the water gets very hard (on your skin) I have a 7 year old and a almost 2 year old (both girls). In the summer I do bathe them everyday because I do believe they get dirtier in the summer (due to sweating) than in the winter when their activities are limited. Now once my 7 year old (girl) starts needing deodorant she'll be getting a bathe daily! :)

Kim - posted on 02/17/2013

It really depends on the child and how dirty/smelly they get. My kids, ages 9 and 4 get showers every night they have school. They get really dirty at school--markers, paint, playground dirt, food from lunch, etc. etc. On the weekends, we take a break. I think it's better for their skin and hair to not be washed every single day. If they do get dirty or sweaty on a weekend, we'll wash up. When children get to 5th grade and hormones start kicking in, then it's time for that daily shower, no matter what.

Michele - posted on 02/17/2013

I work in a K-2 elementary school, I don't want to smell your dirty children or stinky hair! Nothing's worse than a parent and child w bad hygiene, sad to say I've gaged more than I can stamach! Teach your kids good hygiene now otherwise they will be adults w bad hygiene and not a good job. I have 4 kids all bathed every night except an occational skipped weekend night if they never left the house. Kids are germ magnets!

SheryL - posted on 02/17/2013

My boys, age 10 & 12 are on an every other day rotation, so as not to use up too much water all on one night. My daughter is only 3 and a clean freak, so she showers every day. I don't really want to stop this habit, to have issues in the future. The shampooing however; I find only necessary every other shower or if they have been super active.

Wendy - posted on 02/17/2013

i have 3 girls age 9, 8, and 2. i give them a shower every day. my middle one has got excema and i find it help as she will put her cream on more. i also find that it helps kids and adults to relax more and sleep better, when i have missed a shower then we have not slepted very well that night. i find aveeno cream every night after a shower helps with any skin problems i have dry skin myself. my wee one is a really good sleeper when i use the lavender baby lotion on her after a bath.

LaQuetta - posted on 02/17/2013

My kids are older so I feel as if they should bathe every night they are too active for the two day thing.

Julia - posted on 02/15/2013

First let me just say I'm not a crunchy earth chick (not that there is anything wring with that). I am a very well educated professional woman who works in a suits and ties kind of job, but have have learned a few things from some of my earthier friends. For most of my life I bathed and washed my hair daily. Now I wash my hair once sometimes twice a week and even then i just do the roots and only do to the tips on occasion and it has never been so healthy. I am using a cleansing conditioner and it is AMAZING! i also use an olive oil based french milled soap. Also AMAZING! Neither product suds like most soaps and i know people who have found that a turn off. some people are a little freaked out by the lack of suds. But my hair and skin have never been healthier. Others have commented about how good my hair looks and asks what i have been using. When i tell them i have basically stopped washing my hair they are SHOCKED! i convinced one of my super trendy glamazon girlfriends to try it and she was hooked once she got over the emotional factor of wanting to feel the suds. sweaky clean isn't good for you or your skin. My son bathes every other day. Why do you think the French make such beautiful perfumes? to camouflage the fact that they don't bath daily. I don't think i could get over at least rinsing off and doing a few essential parts daily. But my skin and hair are so much happier without the daily scrub. Sorry if this is error ridden. I can't see what I'm typing for some reason. days he only washes essential parts.

Ivana - posted on 02/09/2013

Every day since they were born!Now they are 8 and 6 years old....

Jessica - posted on 01/31/2013

Deciding how often your kids should be bathed is a personal choice. My children are 6 and 3 and I bathe them twice a week. They do not smell, they do not look dirty, their hair is brushed and clean. For people who feel like they should shower their kids daily and then spend money on lotions, I find that somewhat silly. Why buy lotions when you can allow your child's natural oils to do the work? Children need to maintain the good bacteria on their bodies to fight off bad bacteria, if we wash that away daily we are setting them up to get sick. I do wash them more during the summer d/t being outside and sweating more. But to each her own I guess. I know I have been doing this for years and my kids are rarely sick and no one has commented on them smelling.

Stephanie - posted on 11/08/2012

Of course! we all have to eat a bushelfull of dirt before we die. As long as their hands, face & hair are clean inbetween baths then its fine. If you don't let your child get a little bit exposed to germs then they will never build up an immunity.

Barbara - posted on 11/08/2012

No. The children need to be bathe daily. Germs, viruses, and dirt oh my!

Rebecca - posted on 11/07/2012

If they are clean and don't smell, you are doing fine. Many people don't wash their hair every time they are in the shower anyway because it may get dried out from the shampoo removing natural oils. They probably don't have body odor yet. As long as they are clean and smell ok, no problem.

Shawnn - posted on 11/06/2012

To all the parents who think that those of us who don't shower daily are either lazy or just plain stupid...JUDGEMENTAL, MUCH???



FYI, bathing daily (for ANYONE) is not generally recommended, as it takes away essential bacteria and oils from your skin. These bacteria and oils are necessary! I have NEVER bathed daily (sponge baths excluded, of course, for pits and genitals) except for this summer. It was so hot and nasty that I showered daily. I am now fighting a nasty skin infection that was caused by daily showers drying out my skin to the extent that the essential bacteria were gone. The bacteria then went into overload trying to replace the lost ones, and caused an infection.



Yes, I use moisturizers, lotions, and Vitamin E oils, but none of them have the essential bacteria that your skin need. I visited with my doctor, and she told me that I was basically killing my skin. Prescribed an antibiotic ointment for the affected area, and told me to shower twice a week, no more.



Its been proven that babies that are obsessively bathed daily (or even twice a day) have more problems with their immune systems, more ear/nose/throat problems, than those who's parents bathed them 3-4 times a week. In my personal experience, I bathed my kids every other day or so, and my SIL bathed hers twice a day. Mine made it thru childhood with very few medical problems. Hers were constantly on antibiotics. She even asked me once why mine were so healthy and hers weren't...I asked if she was following her doctor's recommendations about bathing, and she said "No, because he can't understand having 2 babies in the house, and how stressed that makes all of us...bathing is the only way to calm them"...Well, if you don't want to follow physician's orders, then start expecting to dish out for medications.



So how about this: You who religiously bathe your children once or twice a day, rain or shine, go ahead and do that! The rest of us will stick with OUR schedules, and I really bet the world won't end.

Angela - posted on 11/06/2012

Our doctor told us not to bathe our son everyday that it was just drying his skin out and making his excema worse.

Vanessa - posted on 11/04/2012

I think every other day is fine for kids who haven't developed body odor yet. That said, B.O. starts earlier than you might think, so you've got to stay on top of it and be ready to transition them to baths more often. For some reason, kids seem to start resisting baths and showers right when they need them most - my daughter LOVED bathing until she hit puberty and then she suddenly became allergic to water!

Stephanie - posted on 11/03/2012

My daughter has psorisis so she has a bath on a sunday night and then when required mid week. She washes the bits that show every day. She doen't smell & her hair is clean. I don't see the problem. In fact, her skin doctor told her that she shouldn't even have a bath more than once a week because the essential oils her skin needs are washed away by having a bath more often than that.

Jen - posted on 11/02/2012

To Denise A - First, kids (and adults) form new habits all the time. My kids did not do homework ages 0-5, but now they do. They didn't cook for themselves or do their own laundry, but someday they will. They took a daily nap, but now they don't. Children are not nearly so entrenched in one particular routine as you imply. Second, teenagers are not filthy, disgusting, sweaty beings. Yes, some of them may need to shower every day. Especially if they play sports. But most of them don't need to do it every day even as teenagers. And if they start to be smelly without a shower, they'll notice and adjust. The age they start to smell is the same age they really want to impress friends and potential dates, so they'll make sure they keep clean. Any pediatrician will tell you that you don't need to, and shouldn't, bathe small children every day. Certainly not multiple times a day!

Jen - posted on 11/02/2012

I'm shocked at the number of people who are saying every other day is not enough for SEVEN year olds!! If you bathe your children every day because it's part of their nighttime routine or something, fine. But it takes a lot for a 7 year old to smell. Many adults don't even shower every day, and don't need to! I have 3 children, all over 7. One of them showers every day, because he plays sports for hours most days, and NEEDS a shower. Neither of the other 2 shower every day, and they do NOT smell. Personally, I take a shower every day because my hair needs it, but if my hair didn't get greasy so fast, I would skip days, because my body doesn't really need it and it dries out my skin. Do whatever you think is best for your kids and their specific situation. You are better off teaching them to recognize when they are NOT clean and need to shower, than to make them believe that they are constantly dirty and smelly.

Stacy - posted on 10/28/2012

I think it depends on how dirty your child is, the time of year, and if your child has dry skin. Bathing you child more than once a day is just TOO MUCH. Your skin has bacteria on it, but a lot of that is beneficial bacteria. It's good for your immune system. There are so many more kids with allergies these days, and a lot of that comes from being TOO clean. Kids who grow up on farms have the fewest allergies. Some dirt is good. Bathing children too often can also lead to dry skin, which then cracks and bleeds, letting bacteria into the body, causing illness. So too much of a good thing is a bad this, at least in some cases.

Aquila - posted on 10/27/2012

My children take a bath everyday, sometimes twice a day. My son would never go to school without taking a bath. I make sure I always tell them that they are taking a bath to get rid of germs and to smell pretty (my daughter seems to like that the most). I always compliment them in how clean and pretty/handsome they look, tell them to go look in the mirror and them tell them to go show daddy how great they look and how good they smell. They really enjoy all the positive attention. Bath time is always fun, they have toys and add bubbles almost every time! Sometimes I read to them while they're soaking in the tub. They particularly like that! By the time they get into their pjs and brushed their teeth they're tired and relaxed enought for a great night of sleep. About dry skin, there are countless lotions out there to help keep our little ones skin moisterized. Plus, my children love having a massage when I'm putting lotion on them. Please do your kids a favor and give them a bath everyday no matter how clean you think they are. They'll thank you once they have to use these skills on their own. It won't be such a big deal but rather a daily habit.

Dianne - posted on 10/27/2012

I think that's absolutely enough , anymore than that and they get dry skin it's better for there hair to wash 2-3 times a week so your absolutely right

Ivana - posted on 10/26/2012

every day! in the summer time twice

Sherry - posted on 10/26/2012

in the summer my daughter gets a shower daily, or even twice if it's super hot out or she has sweat a lot.



in the winter, i cut it back to every second day because her hair and skin dries out too much otherwise. plus, the level of physical activity is not quite what it is in the summer, so she doesn't sweat like in summer.



as for spring/fall, the once a day vs once every second day is dependent on weather. if it's cold and dry, every second day. if it's warm and humid, every day.



when puberty hits, we'll be stepping it up to every day regardless of weather/season.

Amber - posted on 10/25/2012

Both my boys had/have cradle cap. i usually only wash the babies hair about one a week, my toddler twice. your body produces natural oils that if always washed away can cause dry skin/acne and all sorts of other problem. I only wash my hair every other day and unless i smell i generally only rinse off in the shower.



In all honesty though if you think you are doing the right thing, then you are. Not all mothers will raise their children exactly the same, as long as they are happy healthy and relatively clean you are doing GREAT.

Valarie - posted on 10/24/2012

Hygiene habits start NOW! In just 2 (maybe even one) year their hormones will begin to change, and they willl not be able to go a day without bathing. Children are so cruel, and if they become tart during school, their schoolmates will let them know....and without tact. Additionally, it is MUCH harder to change such habits during the age of puberty! I STRONGLY reocmmend bathing those children EVERY day!

Angie - posted on 10/08/2012

Its ok to do every other day. My kids have extremely dry skin so I do that to all 5 of them.

Rita - posted on 10/08/2012

I can't believe that there are so many moms that think it's ok not to bathe every day. And the excuses? Ridiculous. Don't bathe because it's too cold? Are you bathing your children outside? My god I can even think about the smell...

Lee - posted on 10/03/2012

I bathe my grandson every other day unless he wants to take a warm bath then he can any evening.. I dont use soap on him every bath .iIn summer I scrub his feet and knees because they are dirty from play..in the winter a mild soap twice a week thats it.. As far

as the eczema that people seem to be complaining about .i know from my own experience, allergy to eggs can cause eczema. .some times eczema is the only symptom of an egg alergy.i had eczema very bad . within 3 weeks of not eating eggs it started to clear up ..i havent had it come back in 5 years .

Ambrosia - posted on 10/01/2012

My daughter has a very bad cause of eczema and she still gets a shower every night. Bathing does indeed dry out your skin but there are many ways to put moisture back into the skin. I never use lotion on her it has alcohol and that is also drying. She uses EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and her skin stash moist. So using eczema is not an excuse to not bathe everyday. At about to kids begin sinking so a bath every other day is unexceptable.

Candyce - posted on 10/01/2012

As long as they're clean and don't smell, you're good. Seven is still young enough to not need a bath every day, usually. Although my 6 year old probably needs one every other hour, lmao.

Sophia - posted on 09/29/2012

they should have a bath or 2 each day. because as they get older their body will change. and you dont want other kids telling them they smell. need to be wash daily.

Nicole - posted on 09/28/2012

I started bathing my children about 3 to 4 times a week when they were young, now my oldest is 12 and her hygiene is horrible. She does not take a shower without me telling her to, she doesn't wash without me tell her to and she doesn't brush her teeth without me telling her to.In retrospect I wish I would have given her a bath everyday because maybe she would be different about her hygiene. She has very poor hygiene habits and now at least I know I can work on my younger 3.

Karen - posted on 09/25/2012

Well what a mixed and varied post. We do shower or bath most days, hair every two to three days unless needed because of sweating, mud, paint etc.! Over bathing/showing does dry out your skin so we use aqueous cream instead of soap/gels, also because we have very sensitive skin.



But....one thing that went through my mind and it will differ due to location, age etc. How often did you bath/shower as a child???



My parents bathed once a week. In a tin bath in front of the fire and all used the same water! We, my siblings and I, were bathed and hair wash on a Sunday night. Then strip wash morning and night. We didn't have a shower installed. We were never bullied for being smelly. I think ley all comes down to the era we are living in, if we had to boil kettles and saucepans for hot water, how many of us would bath every day??

Reena - posted on 09/25/2012

My daughters, ages 4 and 5, have very dry skin and tend to get patches of eczema in the Winter. We only bathe them every other day to every 3-days depending on their activity level. Our Pediatrician told us this is fine and that she doesn't recommend that young children bathe every day because it does dry out their skin. In the summer if they get dirty-- feet from being barefoot, you can wash just that area. This has worked fine for us and to each his own.

Denise - posted on 09/25/2012

My sons get a shower every other day...I shower everyday and that is because I do. Growing up, I showered every other day till high school when I started doing sports.

Sherri - posted on 09/24/2012

@Denise my kids 2 are now teenagers. When they were little they would only bath 2 or 3 days a week. Now that they are in HS they shower daily and nope they never had a hard time transitioning as they were aware their bodies where changing and they needed too. Sometimes they can even still go every other day. Deodorant and changing clothes usually are more than enough on the days they are running late etc.

Denise - posted on 09/24/2012

I have a questions for the people that bathe don't bathe their kids every day. Once these kids become teenagers and really need to take daily showers, how easy to will be for them to go from their old routine to this new one that includes daily showers/baths? I mean don't our kids learn the most in their formative years 0-5? So should we not create these habits in them from young? Whether you use soap or not I think they should go thru the routine every day so that it forms as a habit in them. And for those that say bathing daily is not good for the skin, my daughter has very dry skin that we have managed to control with good lotions and controlled room humidity. We may be doing a disservice to our kids by not instilling good hygiene habits from young...

Sherri - posted on 09/24/2012

@Roxanna we live in the NorthEast we only have 8wks of Summer. Like right now it is only getting to be 65 deg as the high all day and the nights are in the 40's. Trust me we very rarely if EVER sweat around here. So there is really no need to shower everyday. Honestly every other day is MORE than enough.

Aimee - posted on 09/22/2012

Do you take a shower or a bath everyday? If the answer is yes, then why wouldn't you do the same for your child? If they are babies, they are sitting in diapers all day, and we know what are in those. And for the older kids it is just a good way to teach cleanliness and they feel better and sleep better at night. Don't you feel better after a shower? How would you like to go 3 days without a shower? Heck no! My son has gotten a bath every day since birth and he is 6. It doesn't take that long. As for their skin, they have good lotions out there for that.

Roxanna - posted on 09/22/2012

I usually read through all the posts and then put in my two cents. But since this is an ongoing problem in my house, I have to put in the whole dollar!

I have an extremely sensitive nose, and skin for that matter. As a child, my Mom bought me "Keri" lotion for the dryness. Many years later I discovered "Moisture Therapy" from Avon and I have the lotions in every room of the house, work, in my purse and in my car. I shower twice, sometimes three times a day during summer and I make the kids do the same. I live in west Texas and it is over 90 degrees from April until October. If they smell, I don't want anything to do with them, and my kids are cuddlers. Before the girls even get a snack afterschool, they shower. Depending on what activities we do, they shower before bed. In the mornings, teeth, swipe baby wipes on thier pits and rinse of thier privates with a warm water and a tablespoon of baking soda. They each go through a large bottle of lotion in a month.

My husband was raised like your boys. And when we first moved in together, our biggest fights were about his lack of hygiene more than anything else! It's been only in the past few years that there has been an improvement in his smell. He gets embarrassed when we go out in public and people move away from him because he smells.

Please don't let your sons be this man. I love him dearly and it is a constant battle with him, but not alot of women (or people) will have this kind of patience. The kids don't have to wash thier hair daily if they don't sweat, but have them rinse of before going to bed, quick three minutes, warm water, mild soap. Look into Avon for some great body washes or even the equate brand from Walmart. Good luck!

Amanda - posted on 09/19/2012

I bathe my 5 yr old everyday. Either in the morning before we go somewhere or at night so she is clean for school tomorrow. I don't care if she didn't go outside and get mud on her or something like that she could still be dirty and she needs a bath. Also, doctors can be real idiots sometimes so I wouldn't listen to a word they say.

Sherri - posted on 06/29/2012

It actually is not good for your skin to be bathed so often. My pediatrician recommends only twice a week especially in the winter until they hit puberty which then they need to shower each day.

Denise - posted on 06/29/2012

I used to give my daughter a bath twice every day but because she has dry skin we have cut it down to once a day. It is important to instill good hygiene habits in children from an early age. There are other ways to combat dry skin/excema - using mild soaps and using the correct lotions on her still damp body helps greatly, also using a humidifier in her room at night to help keep the moisture in the air has helped. Beside the hygienic reasons, it just feels good to go to bed clean and fresh.

Nadia - posted on 06/26/2012

I believe that a child should have a good bath/shower at least once a day depending on the day of cause. Besides don't we all sleep better when we have had a bath

Rachel - posted on 06/22/2012

Well I think in this case it's whatever floats your boat. I personally in the summer bathe my kids every other day. School days everyday because of viruses and such. But I think you need to do what's best for your family and if that's every day or every other day then that's fine. Good luck!

Natasha - posted on 06/20/2012

I've wondered if I was a bad parent because I bathe my kids maybe twice a week. That sounds horrible just saying it and my granny would kill me. They never smell bad so I just don't think of it. I want to increase their baths and showers to maybe 4 a week. When they get close to puberty or start to smell, I'll explain to them the importance of cleaning yourself so you don't smell. Until they really need it, why overdo it?