For today’s Monday Musings I’m wondering, how often do you bathe your kids? Do babies and children need to have a bath everyday? I say no. But I’m pretty sure I’m in the minority.
Don’t get me wrong, I keep my kids clean. I don’t take them into public with caked food on their faces and dirty clothes are changed immediately. Sometimes my kids go through three changes of clothes a day. But as far as baths go, I only make them take one about once a week. And hair gets washed less frequently than that. I clean their dirty parts as needed, and if there’s a particularly scary bathroom accident or they’ve had a major mud splashing or food fight, they get into the bath. They also have them if they’re bored or I feel (or they feel) that they need winding down before bed. I think of these baths more like water -based play or relaxation activities though. True baths, complete with soap and shampoo, happen once a week or less. Shocking but true.
I went to France when I was 18 and stayed with a family there. The adults bathed approximately once a week. I was horrified and guiltily took my daily bath. Years later in my mental health career I worked with a woman from Switzerland. We were brainstorming ways to get our clients to bathe more often. She shared with me her upbringing and values around baths and divulged that she still didn’t take daily baths. Instead she had sponge baths. For her, it wasn’t about being okay with being dirty, it was about not being okay with the unnecessary task of bathing. It was also about saving water. This made sense to me.
But the first time I ever really thought about lessening how much I personally showered, and/or specifically, washed with soap, was about ten years ago when a friend disclosed to me that the girl he was dating didn’t use soap. And she was the farthest thing from crunchy that I’d ever seen!
Soon after, I stopped showering everyday and started showering every other day. I went easy on the soap. Since no one complained and I didn’t feel much different, it became a part of my new routine.
When I was pregnant I read about the benefits of leaving a newborn’s vernix on their skin after birth. Vernix is the layer of white stuff that is thought to protect baby skin from amniotic fluid and from bacterial infections while inside the uterus. Did you know that studies have found that delaying a newborn’s bath for several days (some suggest waiting until breastfeeding is well established) can protect the newborn from the bacteria in his new environment? Since my first birth ended up being an emergency c-section, I didn’t have a say as to when my daughter got her first bath. In fact, by the time I got to hold her an hour after they pulled her out of me she’d already been bathed according to hospital policy. I didn’t even get to give her her first bath! Argh.
With my second baby, since I birthed her at home I could do whatever I wanted. I was torn between the idea behind having a relaxing bath with her immediately after birth (also known as a Leboyer bath) and keeping her fresh and juicy for awhile. I opted for the latter. I think it was mostly because I was so tired though.
The first time I washed my firstborn in her little, plastic, baby bathtub I used a commercial goat milk-based baby soap. Immediately her skin went shlllllp! My baby’s soft marshmellow skin suddenly felt like lizard-scales. Soon after, I pretty much stopped using soap on her all together. When I needed to wash her with something stronger than H2O I used a natural organic shampoo/body wash. I stopped trusting commercial brands of baby shampoos all together once I started learning about the chemical ingredients in them.
I’m with the group of parents who feel that getting dirty is good for the immune system and that a few germs won’t kill our kids but will actually make them stronger. There are germs everywhere but many of these microorganisms are harmless and actually boost our immune system by cultivating the white blood cells that work to protect us against germs that are actually hazardous to our health. A layer of dust and dead skin cells on my kids doesn’t freak me out. They’re both extremely healthy, well groomed, and I think, clean enough.
What do you think about not bathing your kids everyday? How often do you bathe your kids? Did you opt for the bath right after birth or did you wait awhile?
A VERY BIG thank you to one of my favorite bloggers, Tabatha of Tabulous (she’s so fabulous!) for doing some photoshop work for me so I could have a special Monday Musings photo.
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I don’t bathe Aellyn as often as I hear some mothers do. No more than 3 times a week – usually only twice. Of course I keep her clean but honestly the bath is more about the fun than the cleaning. I also give water baths alot – aka, no cleanser. I think we humans tend to over cleanse!
She was just diagnosed with mild eczema and I’ve read that soap-free baths are good for her (water not too hot!).
I also use California Baby since it rates 1 on the cosmetics database for having healthy ingredients.
.-= Paige´s last blog ..Inspiration for a Breastfeeding Mama’s Soul =-.
I can’t say I bath my baby all that often. She’s 1 year old an I have given her one or two baths in that time.
Real answer: Bathing is my husbands’ thing. He learned how in the hospital and took it over. I only show up to take pictures of cuteness. Marian gets about three baths a week.
My 1st was born in the hospital,so of course they bathed her right away. My 2nd was born at home, and she didn’t get a bath for 2-3 days.
She had a TON of vernix on her. I rubbed it through her hair, and would rub it into her skin. She smelled so good! I only used water the first time I bathed her.
With this next baby, who knows how long I’ll go w/out giving her/him the first bath. I love that new baby smell, and like you said the vernix is good for their skin.
I found some awesome shea butter and black African soap.Used it on the girls for the first time last night. They felt moisturized, and smelled good. I’m slowly getting away from commercial soap.
My girls are now 5 and 2.5 and in the winter they get a bath every other day, sometimes everyday because they ask for it. They love to play in the water. In the summer,they will take a bath several times a day if we’re home. Sometimes they get really dirty in the mud, or with paint, a day at the beach , or park, and can’t wait to get in the bath.
They just love bath time and always want to get in.
I have something for you at my blog
.-= Darcel´s last blog ..Hollywood here I come! =-.
I bathe my son once or twice a week, usually without soap. A little dirt is not harmful, is even beneficial. Allergies and eczema run in my family and I have them particularly bad – I would rather give his immune system a chance to learn how to deal with the world as best it can – and plus he seems to thrive and never seems dirty or to have problems. I am tempted to increase the frequency of water-play sessions as he does enjoy them quite a bit, though.
Of course, certain parts of him get washed a lot more thoroughly and often. But not in a bath setting.
For myself, I shower every 2-3 days and shampoo my hair every time, but this is because I have oily hair and it looks disgusting if I do not do this!
I bathe our five month old about once a week (except if there is some kind of crazy poo explosion, of course). It looks like he has inherited my terrible eczema so I’m trying to keep the baths to a minimum to prevent extra skin dryness. I use Burt’s Bees baby soap and it seems to be gentle enough and also less chemical-filled. I would be happy to do bathtime more often if he wanted to play in the water but he is too young to be into that quite yet.
I keep reading about people who bathe their kids every single night before bed- does anyone actually do this?? I was feeling like a bad mom because I don’t but now reading everyone’s responses to this post maybe that is a myth.
.-= Jamie´s last blog ..breaking news in the world of jude =-.
My daughter gets a shower with me every week after swimming class. Sometimes she’ll get a second bath during the week–usually if she’s managed to get so much dinner on herself and in her hair that plunking her in the tub and rinsing her off is easier than wiping hands and face–but not always.
The hardest part for us has been establishing a bedtime routine as there are SO MANY people who encourage bathtime as part of a restful habit. I like to bathe, too, for relaxation, so that part sort-of makes sense. Except she really doesn’t get terribly dirty or stinky and she really doesn’t NEED the bath. And the time in the water will only serve to dry out her skin–particularly during New England winter. So we’ll stick with once or twice a week for as long as it works.
.-= Saisquoi´s last blog ..Sweet Pea for my Sweet Pea =-.
Both boys get baths roughly everyday. I found the exact opposite happened for my sensitive skinned babies than most people. The less I bathed them the more excema they ended up having! I think they must be coming into contact with something in their world that their skin doesn’t like. But very little soap is used and plenty of baking soda tossed in.
Now their father and I only bathe every other day. So as they get older and their skin issues settle down I’m sure they will follow suit.
I love the Monday Musings photo!
I bathe my kids 3 days a week, and occasionally more if necessary. But my kids both LOVE to bath, and would bathe every day if I let them. I just find the whole thing stressful, though, having two little ones splashing together and possibly getting injured in the water, so I keep it to 3 days which is a reasonable compromise for me.
.-= Amber´s last blog ..Imperfection =-.
I love the new photo too, it’s gorgeous.
As a pregnant mom-to-be, I read that you’re not supposed to bathe your baby too often, they’re not that dirty, etc. So I think we started bathing Em every day or two, but usually just in clear water with some Burts Bees Baby Oil added – gentle soap would be only every few baths.
I’d wash her face and any obvious dirty bits, and then we’d play in the water for awhile. And I’d relax, happy to not be a neurotic cleansing crazy mom. Around four months, however, I found black stuff in the folds of fat in her armpits! It took a few days of baths and gentle scrubbing to remove. Eew! I was horrified.
So we continue to bath every other day, with soap only every few baths. But now I really work to get into her nooks and crannies. And my chubby baby has a lot of crannies! She hates it when I try to clean her (mostly invisible) neck. Ugh.
Lately, we often are bathing her every day, but we’re starting baby lead solids (or baby lead weaning if you prefer) which is very messy to start. Yesterday she smelled like squid as she tried calamari for the first time! I expect we’ll return to every few days once she’s tidier about eating.
I think some parents who bathe every night are trying to create a routine to settle their babies down. Like, we have a bath, then we brush our teeth, then we read a book, then you go to sleep! I get the feeling from some of my local mom friends that they think this helps settle their babies down for the night. Ritual is probably a good thing.
.-= CaroLyn´s last blog ..Breastfeeding and Tongue Tie =-.
I bathe my kids every 2-3 days. Sometimes up to 4 days but no longer than that as they can get pretty dirty. I wipe them clean and lotion them up between baths, of course. My kids both didn’t get their first baths until they were 3 weeks old. Really, how dirty can a newborn get?!
I myself bathe every 2-3 days too. I don’t wash my hair for up to 5 days (after 4 it starts getting greasy and gross looking so don’t go that far). For me it’s that a) I’m not dirty so why “clean” and 2) it’s a waste of water to bathe so much.
.-= Jessi´s last blog ..Because he loves me =-.
Can we be friends?
Kieran gets bathed about once a week, and I rarely wash his hair with soap. Now, I’ll be honest and let everyone know that Kieran is really NOT a messy child. He’s got some sensory issues, doesn’t like to get his hands dirty, etc., so I might just have it “easier” than some moms.
But really, I believe too much soap/baby product goo can be more harmful than beneficial. He has beautiful skin, and I do very little to keep it that way.
I had him at a birth center and then we had to go to the NICU for 5 days. The nurses there were SO frustrated with me b/c I refused to allow them to bathe him. I was hormonal and irrational and wanted to do some kind of first with him at home. We did wipe him down of course, but nothing even close to a bath.
And then when we did get him home, I didn’t actually stick him into a tub of water until he was weeks old – we just used wet wash rags. (Our bathrooms are unnaturally cold, so I figured I was doing him a favor.)
.-= Dionna´s last blog ..January Link Love =-.
Hi Melodie. I bathe my son every other night or sometimes every 3rd night. When he was younger I did it more often, as ritual to calm him before bed. I guess I do it for the same reason now and to actually clean him. I think it’s good to let body oils build up. We shouldn’t strip our skin so much. I bathe every other or every3 rd day too. (Unless I need a good soak in the tub with a glass of wine and candles!) I only use Earth Mama Angel Baby Shampoo/Body Soap on him. He’s never had any skin sensitivities to it or had lizard skin. Very soft and supple. I love to massage him with oils too.(I’m a professional massage therapist) Not that anyone needs to be to massage their babe!
.-= Pure Mothers´s last blog ..Happy 101 Award =-.
Wow-how has the blogosphere somehow made it this far without talking about this! lol.
I do not believe in excessive bathing. After our homebirth we only sponge bathes neck rolls and thigh rolls until after the belly button was fully healed, so a little over a week. Then we did maybe once a week.
My boys now take a tub every single day purely by choice. We have this big claw foot tub and it is almost more about an event and play space than about cleaning. I do a biodegradable soap up with them about once a week.
Confession: It’s been over a year since my five year old has washed his hair. Ppl are shocked when I tell them that, but he is vehemently against it and I would have to hold down a screaming kid and I’ve decided we’re just not okay with that. Wouldn’t you know that he has the most gorgeous head of hair and gets complimented on it all the time! If ppl only knew ;-p
Disclaimer: If he gets something yucky in it I gently help him wet it (very sloooooowly) and he will let me do a little baking soda scrub.
.-= hillary´s last blog ..flowers13: @JupiterSinclair lol. =-.
Hi there…coming by from The Mahogany Way. Although my breastfeeding days are over, it’s nice to see others raising awareness.
one love.
Why I had to come running over when I saw this title was because we have a bathing issue with our youngest child, who is now TEN!
He prefers to never bathe. He thinks since he doesn’t smell he shouldn’t need to. One summer is when we noticed the infrequent bathing but he was in swimming lessons so we figured…eh. The chlorine at the pool will kill anything, right?
I think he showers once a week now and it is after much prompting and pleading and convincing. I’m looking forward to puberty with that one because he’ll smell every day, hence SHOWER every day. The bathing arguing will subside finally.
.-= AmyMusings´s last blog ..No More Phony Excuses =-.
When my son was a newborn, our pediatrician told us we were bathing him too often. His skin was dry and he has his dad’s sensitive skin issues. Dr. Sears also recommends bathing 2-3 times per week, so we cut back and cut out the soap. However, at age 2 he gets a bath every night before bed and he gets a sponge bad every day at day care. They go to the park or to play outside at some point every day and we live in Florida. He gets sweaty and dirty every day so I can’t imagine not giving him a bath every night.
As for an adult skipping a bath…that just blows my mind. I seriously stink at the end of the day and I wear deodorant and work in an office. I am horrified at the idea of not bathing every day. I seriously cannot imagine going to work that way. The days on the weekends when I am lazy and skip a day I REEK. Again, this could be because of the type of climate I live in but I love my bath and so does my son and we’ll continue we daily bathing.
My 3 week old has only had two bathes so far (one after sushi dinner – we all shower/bath afterward, we don’t like the food smell). three bathes if you include my home water birth. I, too, left the vernix, rubbed it in a bit.
My three year old gets a bath every other day, with a hair wash. Everyday when the weather is warmer. She gets stinky. Even in the winter, I would bathe her everyday if it weren’t hard on her skin (and she hates lotion).
I bathe at least once a day. I. like Elita, need a daily wash. I wake up stinky! Plus, my hair needs it. And I live in the Chicago area, so it isn’t the climate. Plus, I workout. Can’t hit the gym smelly.
My 2 year old gets a bath every 2-3 days in the winter. During the summer (when we’re outside more and he gets all sweaty), he gets one almost every night.
My 7 week old has had 3 baths so far. I wipe him down, but he really doesn’t get dirty. It’s also meant his skin isn’t as dry as his brother’s was.
I bathe every 2-3 days depending on the weather and what we’re doing. I really go based on how gross my hair feels.
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..valentine’s day =-.
My 13-month-old doesn’t get baths much. He HATES them. I have never seen him scream the way he does when he even gets close to the tub! So for now, he gets a bath maybe once a week? Though I’m sure we’ve gone longer.
Now, we do give him a pretty extensive sponge bath, so he’s not filthy. He certainly does get food and dirt all over him, so he needs cleaning.
I’m hoping that he’ll grow out of the anti-bath stage soon.
.-= Kacie´s last blog ..Are bid-auction sites a good deal? =-.
Love the pics!! We all do daily showers. My 2 yr old son gets very upset when I try to get him to skip it. He loves to play in the shower. He’s just begun to like the bath in the last 8 mos. I feel gritty and icky when I don’t shower everyday and I love the warm water. We only use soap (either California Baby or Earth Mama Angel Baby) about once a week on our son and rarely wash his hair. I do use soap daily and shampoo maybe once a week. This past year I went 3 months without shampoo and used baking soda, but I thought my hair looked and felt dirty. I may try it again soon though just to see.
When my son was a baby I probably bathed him a couple of times a week, basically when ever he seemed to need it. When my daughter came along, she would be downright GRUNGY if I skipped even a day, so she had daily baths from the time she was a newborn.
I started out bathing her in the same little molded baby tub that I had used with my son, but she was very squirmy and seemed to want more room, so I laid her on a thick towel in the big bathtub with just a little water. She went nuts, she absolutely loved it! She would kick and kick in the water and had the best time even though she was just a tiny little thing.
we live in a tropical country so daily baths are regular. let me correct that — showers. naima showers 2x a day but we laze around in the bath once a week – usually saturday or sunday mornings. when she was a newborn it was 1x a week then moving on to 2x-3x. we started bathing her everyday at about 4 months.
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..Increasing Milk Production =-.
We bathe our two month old once or twice a week, although sometimes she gets ‘sink baths’ to wash her bum if there has been a big explosion. We only use Rocky Mountain soap, which is 100% natural from Canmore Alberta, and then we rub her with organic apricot oil because we live in dry dry Alberta. I generally just run the soap under the tap while filling the tub so that it is a bit easier to clean her, not use soap directly on her.
My husband showers everyday but I usually shower every other day. We only use Rocky Mountain soap and he soaps his hair (its very short) and I use the ‘no poo’ method.
I can’t wait until it is summer here and not freezing so that our little pig can play in the water!
Heehee – glad to know I’m not the only one! Gwen gets a bath every other day, normally, but I probably wash her body once a week (or less) with soap and wash her hair with baking soda once every few weeks (I give it a water wash when I wash her body).
I feel like her dirty parts (diaper area, face, hands, arms) get washed several times a day so she’s generally quite clean!!
I personally enjoy showering a great deal so I often shower every day, but I wash with baking soda/ACV rinse once every 3 – 4 days. I’m thinking of cutting down on the actual showering so as to conserve water, too.
Thanks for an interesting question!!!
.-= Kim´s last blog ..Christmas – finally. =-.
Thanks for this post. I always feel a little sheepish to admit to only bathing my kids once a week (in the winter). I have four kids six and under so bath time is a huge project that can take over an hour. They just don’t get that dirty in the winter. In the summer, we usually have to go to baths every day or every other day because of the dirt but even then, it doesn’t always involve soap and shampoo.
I just hope that it doesn’t set a precedent for when they hit puberty and need to bath more frequently.
in the summer my kids are outside in the dirt all the time and daily baths are a must. During winter they get baths ever 2 or 3 days or so. The baby about the same. I would do it less actually, but she loves to be in the water so sometimes i do it just because she is fussy etc. On soaps etc…I wash the older kids hair everytime they are in but the baby not every time. And only if there is visible dirt on anyone that needs scrubbed off do they use any sort of soap. I don’t rarely ever use soap on myself either. I think it messes up your skin balance and causes dryness etc. I never have to use skin lotions either. Water is enough to clean in most cases I think
My husband has a PHD in chemical toxicity. We avoid using soaps that are not safe (specially -parabens) and runaway from the externally imposed need for the daily baby bath full of chemicals that the baby skin absorbs. We bathe her 2 a week with very little of a 100% natural soap, sometimes w/o soap altogether.
Gracie bathes as often as she wants, which is usually at least every other day but sometimes as much as twice a day (I don’t let this happen a lot though, usually just if she’s not feeling well or has had an exceptionally bad day.)
Kairi, my baby, bathes every time I take a bath, which is usually about twice a week. (I shower in between.) If she has a particularly nasty diaper blow-out then she gets a bath then too. She’s INCREDIBLY squirmy in the tub though, so either I need a second set of hands helping (which there is no room for) or I need to be in the tub with her. I don’t know if I would bathe her more often if she was easier to bathe, but probably not. I don’t see any reason for all that.
.-= Erin W. / Beatnik Momma´s last blog ..The Original Blue Face =-.
To begin with once a week was all we could manage – the crying was terrible. We did that for maybe six months, then upped it to twice a week in the morning. Now my daughter loves her evening bath with her daddy, so we do it most days. But we never use ANY products on her skin or hair. This is not out of principle; they are just unnecessary. Like you, I was always a bit confused about why you are “supposed” to bathe a little baby every day.
.-= Cave Motherr´s last blog ..Missing: Period =-.
Popular topic! We bathe the kids every night, but no soap. If they are dry I throw in a tablespoon of olive oil. I scrub em up with soap once a week then rinse the soap off with clean water. But we don’t bathe our newborn hardly at all.
When my daughter had an overnight at Grandma’s with her cousin she gave them a big stinky bubble bath and it caused vaginitis (hurts to pee, rashy) that we are still (2 months later!)trying to get back into balance. Why are the store shelves so stocked with princessy bubble bath? It’s so bad for little girls who are so chemically sensitive.
.-= Betsy´s last blog ..That’s funny! You should blog about it! =-.
I actually bathe my kids up to 2x a day (when they’re extra dirty, or when they just want to play in the bathtub for a half hour.) They absolutely get a bath every single night, though, because it’s a part of our nightly routine. It’s the thing that signals to them “okay, now it’s time to wind down.” When we started our whole sleep routine 3 years ago with our oldest son, the dinner/bath/bedtime scene was (to me) what converted my son from an up-all-night screamer into a wonderful sleeper. It’s all about setting the stage for sleep (and I’m one of those crazy new wave western mothers who NEEDS my kids to sleep all night or I will lose my mind.)
Now, my showers a different story. I’d love to shower every day, but it’s not at all unusual for me to go a day or two between them, especially if I have nowhere to be.
Oh – we don’t always use soap on them though, and when we do, it’s strictly California Baby. I found out the hard way that Johnson & Johnson crap breaks my kids out in hives.
I bathe my 16 month old every evening because it is part of our evening routine. It is more for fun and connection than for cleanliness. It is an enjoyable part of our day.
When they were little we bathed them every 2-3 days. Once they start school I have them shower every monring. I find it makes our mornings go better. The water calms her and puts her in a good mood.
We have 2 boys- almost 3 and 4.5 yrs old. In the winter, they get a bath with soap every Saturday night. So they get about 4 baths a month unless we have a bathroom/diaper or food time issue. (The 3 yr old believes banana makes an excellent hair styling product) In the summer they get a daily rinse and maybe soap 2 or 3 times a week because they are covered in sunscreen and sand. As long as hand and faces and bottoms are cleaned everyday-Why would they need more cleaning if they aren’t dirty?
As for Kiedis, we bathe him every day because when he was littler he got gross very easily, especially when it was summer and we had no air. Now he just loves bath time whether or not he’s dirty, and it’s part of his winding-down-for-bed routine. And we also use Method baby stuff because it’s enviro-friendly and what keeps the eczema at bay.
Unfortunately for me though, I’m usually the one who ends up going longer than sanitary between bathings. Meh. The part that bothers me the most is how greasy my hair gets, but when your husband starts being impressed that you managed to bathe, well, maybe it’s time to step up the hygiene routine.
.-= Tabatha´s last blog ..Totally Awkward Tuesday Free-For-All Blogiversary Extravaganza! =-.
I totally understand the nighttime routine thing. I love the warm water just before bed too. When we do have baths it’s at night, but it’s just not a part of our consistent routine. I just think you can have a nighttime routine without a bath being part of it. But that’s just me
I LOVE reading about everyone’s slightly different bathing stories. Keep them coming!
I used to be of the persuasion that every night was a necessity in terms of bathing the children. Now my 3 have baths every other night. Everynight does affect the skin and make excema worse, in my experience. It is still a really good bonding time though. They all love the bath, with a good sing song and a weetabix each.
I spend far more on the childrens shampoo and bathing products than my own of course. We used Harrods vouchers we had won to buy them Organic shampoo!!
.-= Tessie´s last blog ..Night Time Wanderings =-.
Isaac gets a bath every day-because I need it! I’m a single mom, my choices are to wait until he’s asleep or put him in the tub with me. (Well I SUPPOSE I could see how much havoc he could wreak in the amount of time it takes me to bathe!) Usually by the time he’s asleep I’m too tired to care if I’m stinky and sticky, plus he’s been known to wake up and dive in, jammies, diaper and all! He almost never gets soaped and NEVER shampooed unless he’s put something really hideous in his hair, but I ALWAYS put some conditioner in his hair!
I bathe my toddler every other day and the baby every 3 days or so!
I bath my son about once a week. He is biracial, and has curly, dry hair. I’ve learned that washing it too often is not good for it. I wipe him when i change his bottom, and I give him sponge baths sometimes. He has very dry skin and persistent eczema so I have to be careful. I use My Nature’s Paradise Baby Wash on him, and I massage him with sweet almond oil at night to help combat the dry skin.
.-= Lynette´s last blog .. =-.
My 4mo gets a bath with Mama on once a week and a bad with Papa once a week. It’s more playtime than anything and we clean with a cloth as needed the rest of the week. I can’t imagine bathing her nightly – so much work and she wouldn’t smell near as nice as she does now!
.-= Kelly´s last blog ..MamaMed Series: The (In)Effectiveness of Cough Syrup =-.
We bathe our 10 month old every other day and use Aveeno Baby products. Part of the reason we bathe her so often is because she has very long, curly hair (she’s caucasion/african) and the only way it can be combed is wet with plenty of detangler/conditioner. We follow up with Aveeno lotion and a moisturizing hair cream.
All this time I thought I was the only mommy out there secretly not bathing her children everyday like I hear a lot of parents say they do. My girls (3 and 2) get baths when they need them. When their hair has junk in it, I wash it. If they have clean hair, clean fingernails and their “girly parts” are clean, they don’t need a bath!
.-= GA Mommy´s last blog ..Gonna Be a Good Day =-.
Beautiful Monday Musings photo. It really reminds me of the way Penny nurses now and makes me smile to see the little one’s hand on his mama’s breast.
As for bathing, Penny gets a bath maybe once a week. I don’t soap her, but I usually wash her hair (selfishly I admit, because I love the smell of freshley washed baby-head). I also believe that letting kids get dirty helps their immune systems. Personally, I’m not a hand washer and I think that is why I don’t get sick with more than the common cold. I don’t pet the dog, then wash my hands; I don’t wash my hands before I eat, etc.
If Penny gets more than one bath in a week it’s so that I can get in and play with her!
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..Penny’s First Birthday: My Year in Review =-.
We’ve been using a bath as something to start our bedtime routine, so right now she gets a bath pretty much every night. It’s usually less than 10 minutes and is just a marker to let her know — alright, sleepy time is just around the corner!
Her very first bath was just hours after she was born — we both sat in my bathtub at home, in a daze, blood everywhere, of course, with my midwife standing by to help. She was so tiny and that’s where we breastfed for the first time. It was magical.
.-= Desiree Fawn´s last blog ..Gretchen’s Library: Recent Additions =-.
You know it feels super good to know I am not alone in the ways of bathing my son. He gets cleaned up if he gets a dirty face and has gone through as many as 5 outfits a day if he gets dirty but he only gets a bath like once every week. My mom makes me feel like I am doing something wrong though because she said “a child needs a bath every day, but can go up to 3 days at the most.”
.-= Neatha´s last blog ..OMG the money!! =-.
i was happy to come across this post:) our infant gets bathed (gasp!) about once a week, and our toddler every 2-3 days. we wash faces daily and hands as needed, but that’s it. glad to know it’s not just us!
.-= suzannah´s last blog ..my wee two =-.
Once a day – and some weeks every other day…
.-= Jackie Smith´s last blog ..Cathy Cousins of Sweet Little Things =-.
I bathe my little once a week. Was thinking maybe upping it to 2 times and just maybe not doing the soap. I’m afraid she’s going to get soapy water in her mouth or eyes, have a bad experience, and hate baths. I try not to buy into all the baby hysteria out there. But I don’t want people thinking we are nasty. Until now, it’s been our dirty little secret. Sorry for the pun. It’s nice to see so many others do this as well.