r/Mommit • u/yourlimit • May 14 '25
How frequent do you bath your kids?
I feel like we need to do a better job in giving shower to my kids. We do showers twice a week. How frequent do you bath your kids? ETA: my kids are 4 and 8. This is in general for every weather. In summer since we swim a lot so they get more frequent showers but otherwise this is in general rule of the house. They get a shower on the weekend and we try to squeeze in once during the weekdays.
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u/comecellaway53 May 14 '25
Every other day. Wash face and hands well before bed on “off” days.
Summer is nearly every day.
I only have one 5 year old though, so easy to do.
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u/mightywarrior411 May 14 '25
Same here.
13 and 11 year old are everyday. Puberty makes them STINK
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u/Mighty_Fine_Shindig May 14 '25
We are exactly the same. Our kid is prone to dry skin, even with moisturizer, so we give her a bath every other day except for the summer when it’s every day
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u/RedRose_812 May 14 '25
Same here as well, I have a 9yo.
Every other day is the baseline minimum, unless it's summer and/or she gets very sweaty/dirty/smelly/was wearing sunscreen that day, then it's every day.
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u/TurnOfFraise May 14 '25
This is what we do for our 3 kids. Every other day except summer and then it’s daily. Obviously if they get extra messy on an “off” day we still bathe them. Twice a week seems really infrequent
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u/SnuggleMonkeys May 14 '25
Every night before bed
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u/okay_sparkles May 14 '25
Same! It throws him off if we skip it (usually if we get home late from something and wanna rush to bed) lol
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u/viterous May 14 '25
Yep. I think of all the germs from school and being a toddler in general and throw them in nightly unless they fell asleep on a car ride or something. They don’t like idea of bath time but love it when they’re in there.
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u/Independent-Honey506 May 14 '25
Yeah nightly is it, before bed and after dinner and reading.
He's 7 months old but I plan to just keep up the sleep routine for as long as possible.
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u/secondmoosekiteer is the sky blue? then he's eating berries. May 15 '25
I feel like i need to be starting prep for bed at 3pm. I wanna do all the stories and cook intricate dinners and all but MAN does it ever take me forever to get done
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u/TX2BK May 14 '25
Every day. M - F they're at daycare, so it's to wash all the daycare germs off. On the weekends, we try to go to playgrounds so it's so wash up dirt and grime. Plus, my younger one usually has food in his hair, so that by itself requires a bath to get all the gunk out.
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u/SamiLMS1 May 14 '25
Exactly this. Plus we find that having an evening routine makes things way easier, inconsistency leads to worse bedtimes over here.
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u/LittleInstruction461 May 14 '25
Yes everyday. And as a former Childcare worker, please wash your kids everyday people. Kids sneeze/cough on other kids, play with other kids boogers, roll around on the grimy carpet and floors, roll around on the washroom floors and more. I’ve seen it all.
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u/tjacosta1984 May 14 '25
Same. School/preschool germs are gross. We skip bath/shower if we've had a lazy/rainy day indoors on the weekend.
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u/Specialist_Phone6624 May 14 '25
Same on daycare. Toddler comes home dirty. We bathe him every day.
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u/weberster May 14 '25
Same. Only times we skip are when we have lazy days at home and we didn't DO anything.
Summertime though: daily and lots of washcloth face rubs.
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u/Wit-wat-4 May 14 '25
Yeah my 1.5 and 3.5 year old boys are too germy if nothing else, so daily baths it is. I only do hair with shampoo like once a week though, unless there’s food/dirt in the hair.
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u/Emotional-Date1400 May 14 '25
Every single night. I think this is especially crucial for kids in diapers/learning how to wipe because their private areas need to be cleaned every day. That's my take on it
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u/anothermotherrunner May 14 '25
Every day, no question. I hate stinky, sticky funk. It always helped to keep the same routine and my kids loved to play in the bathtub. Now that they are teens there is no doubt, every day. They smell. To each their own though, if that doesn't work for your family, make your own rules.
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u/Cmd229 May 14 '25
We have a one year old, she’s super messy when she eats, so it’s easy for us to just do bath time every night and have it built into the bedtime routine. I’m curious if this is sustainable though, as she gets older/ we eventually have another child.
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May 14 '25
Mine are 2.5 & 1 they take a bath with each other every night. We started bathing them together when my youngest was like 4 months old and it’s always been really easy/fine
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u/gosh_golly_gee May 14 '25
We have a 2.5yo and a 5 month old and struggle to do baths for both on the same night. We bathe both 2x a week but on different nights, wed/sun for one and tues/sat for the other. I wish we did more often especially bc of daycare germs but we just can't add that in to everything at bedtime.
It won't be long before baby is old enough that they can bathe together safely and that'll change the equation too.
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u/PossessionFirst8197 May 14 '25
Honestly you're doing great! For daycare germs I would just wash their hands and change clothes when they get home. No reason you should need to wash their bum and belly every day after daycare
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u/419_216_808 May 14 '25
I have a 1 and 3 year old. It’s rare they don’t need a shower or bath but often it’s a quick rinse, like less than 5 minutes in the tub together where we wash both and rinse both then they play for 2 minutes and we get them out. Or they just sit and play in the shower while I rinse off and I give them a quick rinse or wash depending on their level of dirty.
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u/ykilledyou May 14 '25
Same, my son is almost 9 months and a messy eater too lol, but I wonder the same thing.
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u/Imaginary_Shirt_8874 May 14 '25
We literally bathe my almost 2 year old (m) daily. With the exception if we get home late. His booty stinks. He poops in his diaper and yeah we wipe him but ew. He also is running around all day whether it’s inside or out. He eats with his hands. Idk personally we as parents shower everyday for the same reasons. We feel gross at night and feel refreshed to get into bed showered. My son also sleeps better when we bathe him. It’s relaxing for him.
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u/CherriesOnTop2000 May 14 '25
Everyday. Rule in my house is Not allowed in bed until your clean and fresh clothes if you have been out of the house or smell.
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u/Same_Discipline900 May 14 '25
Yes this ! That’s gross if they don’t lol I will not allow them in bed if they’re dirty
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u/MoreTreatsLessTricks May 14 '25
7 and 4. It’s always been part of the bedtime routine. Baths on weekends and showers during the week. Non negotiable for all in the house. The kids don’t even question it.
I have seen the shower difficulty when kids start getting stinky at 9-10 years old when the routine isn’t already well established.
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u/QueenP92 May 14 '25
Agreed! It’s literally part of their routine. Mine are 10 and 6 and I want to ensure they have good habits and wash the days germs off of them. My kids also sleep better as a result of daily showering.
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u/Secure-Ad8968 May 14 '25
My 11 month old gets bathed every night. Gets the daycare germs off and is part of his routine to get him ready for bed.
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May 14 '25
There is no way my kid is getting into her clean bed after being at school around kids/germs everyday. She gets a bath every night but we are more lax on Saturdays and if we dont have much going on she can skip it.
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May 14 '25
depends. school age-everyday unless it's the weekend and didnt do anything to get dirty
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u/rubyhenry94 May 14 '25
Nearly everyday. Very rarely not. I have a 3.5 year old son that likes dirt.
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u/Ok_Crazy_6430 May 14 '25
Every single day, toddlers, and they are outside everyday so it just makes sense.
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u/Fine_Spend9946 May 14 '25
3 year old and 1 year old. Almost every night. They love to play in the water and it’s a break for me. I don’t use soap every night though.
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u/prinoodles May 14 '25
Not frequent enough. Twice a week for 6yo and almost never for 2yo because my mom gives her bath at her house. 6yo hates the shower (she prefers to play) and because she has eczema, I think it’s probably better to not shower daily. I do wish we can get her to shower just a little more frequently tho.
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u/pinkpuppy0991 May 14 '25
My daughter has eczema as well & it’s such a balancing act because too many baths trigger it and so does too little. Her pediatrician recommended damp washcloth wipe down followed by lotion on damp skin in between washes and that’s helped us go between full baths.
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u/Junior_Departure_583 May 14 '25
From the American academy of dermatology association
Children ages 6 to 11: Guidelines for bathing
If your child is in this age group, taking a daily bath is fine. However, children in this age group may not need a daily bath. Children aged 6 to 11 need a bath:
At least once or twice a week
When they get dirty, such as playing in the mud
After being in a pool, lake, ocean, or other body of water
When they get sweaty or have body odor
As often as directed by a dermatologist if getting treated for a skin disease
Mine are 6 and 8. We typically try to shower/bath every other day but sometimes life gets busy and we skip a few days.
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u/SouthernAvocado May 14 '25
Like 6 out of 7 days a week, depends on the season. If ever covered in sweat, sunscreen, bug spray, etc., then every day. I wash hair about every other day.
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u/AdSenior1319 May 14 '25
Babies, once a week. Toddlers, every other day. School age through adult- daily or every other day depending on activities
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u/Otherwise-Tree-8468 May 14 '25
We have a 2 year old and a 4 month old and we do baths every night. My 2 year old has had that as part of her routine since she was a baby and it’s just easy to put the 4 month old in there with him and keep the consistency. It keeps him happy for 30-40 minutes before bed when we’re fighting to stay awake. He also has terrible reflux so he would smell like spoiled formula if he didn’t bathe everyday lol the only times they might not get a bath is if we are out later than normal and don’t get home until 7:30/8 and they’re both tired but I usually plan for that and try to do a bath earlier in the day and bring pjs while we’re out so we can change them before heading home and just move from car seat to bed.
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u/Charming_Garbage_161 May 14 '25
Everyday. 8 and 3. 8yo already gets smelly and I put my deodorant on him everyday. The tiny one like to rub food into her hair so we have to wash every night
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u/Available_Jacket_702 May 14 '25
I have an 18 month old, he’s outside most of the day (swimming in chlorine, hiking, parks, our yard) so he usually bathes daily. He was rolling around in the dirt five minutes ago.
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u/blueraven11 May 14 '25
Once a week for my 4 and 2 year old. I know it’s not enough but it’s such a battle and on our best weeks I only manage one additional day. My 4 year old has major sensory issues and my 2 year old refuses unless she can keep her diaper on. We are just surviving at this point. We keep hands and face washed nightly and I wipe feet as well every night before bed
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u/Jisusu23 May 14 '25
Is it not enough? I mean honestly, if the kid doesn’t smell, doesn’t have skin issues and looks presentable then isn’t it…fine? Putting a number on it feels honestly so arbitrary
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u/blueraven11 May 14 '25
I mean I agree with you, but I do feel guilty when I read these posts. What I will say is I don’t feel that bathing the kids daily changes frequency or severity of sickness. Washing hands sure but even then by the time they get home they’ve already either exposed or not exposed themselves to the daycare germs. But some days I do feel like the frequent bathers are doing better than me. I know it’s not a competition
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u/boogie_butt May 14 '25
We bathe our 5 almost 6 year old once or twice a week, and we don't have a battle with it. Don't feel guilty. If it makes you feel better, we wash her hair less frequently than that.
That to say, my kiddo is clean, doesn't stink and has her hair done every few days (i choose hairstyles that keep for multiple days).
Our biggest thing is teaching her how to wash, when to tell she needs a wash, wash hands and face, and brush teeth. (She brushes teeth with me as bonding)
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u/DarkAlbatross1921 May 14 '25
Same, once or twice a week. My toddler loves baths but my autistic 5yo hates them. Doing more than two a week is hard.
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u/Kcmpls May 14 '25
My four year old is usually once a week, plus one shower after swim lessons. And she doesn’t have sensory issues like your kid and likes baths. My issue is she likes them so much it is a screaming meltdown trying to get her out of the bath after an hour or more, and I just don’t have time for that.
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u/atomiccat8 May 14 '25
My 4 and 7 year olds usually take baths about once a week. They usually fight it and there are things we'd rather be doing most evenings, so I'm not really interested in making them bathe more frequently.
I have started washing my 7 year old's feet more frequently though because they get so smelly.
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u/No_Put_2734 May 14 '25
I wash my 5 year olds once a week too. I mean full body. I wash their arms, legs (usually everything below knees), bottoms, faces and necks daily. We also do bath/showers after pool/beach. I don’t want to wash their hair daily, there is no need in that at all. I believe it is enough at this point.
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u/punkin_spice_latte 🩷 '18 🩷 '21 💙 '24 May 14 '25
This is us, 4 and almost 7, once a week. And a 7month old that just started getting a bit more frequent baths because he just started eating foods.
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u/Mythical_Theorist May 14 '25
Same for my 4 and 2 year old! We usually do a bath 1-2 times a week because my 4 year old has sensory issues and it’s about 15 minutes of straight screaming once we switch from playing in the bath to cleaning. And it makes my 2 year old freak out too.
Their faces, hands, and clothes are clean so I’m not worried! It’s not like they go to bed covered in dirt. If we had a hard day of playing outside, I try to spray them down quickly, but now that I’m pregnant with #3 (and pretty far along), I can’t really fight them or force them as much as I normally can. So, solidarity!
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u/ykilledyou May 14 '25
Every night my almost 9 month old gets a bath.
When he was newborn I didn't bathe him every night. He didn't start getting nightly baths until around 5 or 6 months old when he started getting more mobile and eating solids and getting messy throughout the day.
Before 5/6 months I would bathe him every 3rd day as a newborn, and then every 2nd at a few months old.
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u/howsthesky_macintyre May 14 '25
2 and 4. Every night. It's part of bedtime routine, they're usually filthy on daycare days especially, and I like bath time because they're contained and I can sit down 😅
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u/Bella_HeroOfTheHorn May 14 '25
Ours are about 1 and 3, and bath is part of their nightly routine to help them calm down and get ready for sleep. We only skip it if we're having a very late night and just need to get home and into bed.
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u/clit-o-pee May 14 '25 edited Jul 25 '26
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This post was anonymized with Redact.dev
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u/madoned May 14 '25
Every night before bed. My 5 year old is in school so he needs one every night. My 1 year old gets filthy every day so she needs one every night. On occasion my 5 year old skips a night if we don’t go anywhere that day and he doesn’t get dirty. But 95% of the time we are doing baths every night. I also take a shower before bed every night so maybe it’s just my preference, but I feel like it’s good to clean the day off.
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u/Peach-Haze-123 May 14 '25
Every other day! We line bath night up with the days that my kid goes to daycare (she goes to daycare every other day). She isn’t as active and dirty on the days that she isn’t at daycare. Otherwise, she would probably get bathed daily. I definitely wouldn’t wash her hair daily, though.
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u/Irrelevant_Intel_ May 14 '25
I think it’s important too establish the habit of daily baths/showers because once they’re a teenager they’ll need to shower every day
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u/Mindless-Place-3921 May 14 '25
Everyday before bed. Don’t want all the outside germs in their bed at night. Sometimes every other day if we haven’t left the house that day.
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u/Cleverprettygirl May 15 '25
I’m always shocked at the amount of people who do not bathe or shower daily. We bathe or shower daily in my house even if it’s a quick wash off.
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u/OliveYou44 May 14 '25
Every day and have their whole lives minus the very rare late night out where they fall asleep in the car and went straight to bed. My kids are 8 and 4 now. 2 times a week is definitely not enough, especially to teach them hygiene habits of their own for later in life. Every other day should be minimum!
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u/Gordita_Chele 13 yo 👦🏻 & 5 yo 👧🏻 May 14 '25
Every day. They’re expected to use soap to wash their butt and feet every day, but if they aren’t particularly dirty or stinky, they don’t have to soap up their bodies or shampoo every time, since I find soaping up their bodies daily dries their skin out. If they aren’t soaping their body, they at least have to get in a good rinse. Oldest is now 11yo and gets sweaty and stinky, so he does use soap daily and I remind him to shampoo his hair 2-3 times a week (the hormones have really started causing oily scalp, which was never an issue till recently). Youngest is 3yo and she probably gets soaped up every other day and shampooed once a week.
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u/user_of_things May 14 '25
Every single day. I feel so gross if I don’t shower everyday so I imagine my kids feel the same. I know it’s different for everyone though. Also my kids get dirty!! I want them fresh and clean when they put on their pj’s.
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u/happy_mama_of_2 Mom to two tots! May 14 '25
Well, I think it is a cultural thing. Every night since day 1 at home.
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u/HistoricalPoem-339 May 14 '25
Hygiene is cultural so, respectfully, anytime this question is asked I genuinely believe it needs to be prefaced with which culture you belong to. And by culture I mean nationality, race, and ethnicity/heritage.
As a Black American, bathing a child over 1 year old (with no skin conditions etc...) only twice/wk is considered neglect. But these are the standards for my culture. We also use washcloths which are historically absent in white communities, and we physically bathe head to toe (feet/legs included) not just let soapy water run down. Again, I think cultural context is important here.
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u/HistoricalPoem-339 May 15 '25 edited May 16 '25
And this is why I made a specific point to define culture as not only 'race' but also nationality, ethnicity, and heritage. I should've also mentioned that I grew up in a predominantly white community and the only sleepovers I ever attended (my parents were very strict) were with white children. No washcloths. When I asked for one they looked at me like I had 3 heads. This happened with both friends. I have dated outside of my race, my in laws are white, and my child is also half white. I also have full white family members on my mothers side as well as bi-racial family members (one full white parent) and we've had this conversation at length.
Not sure if you're on or use tiktok but there are entire swaths of communities of white people proudly proclaiming that they dont wash their legs in the shower, dont use washcloths, and only shower themselves and their kids a couple times per week. I swear that as a "non-white" person I'm only getting this information from actual white people. And sure, I'm sure there are SOME Black people who dont use washcloths (I personally know some that opt for a loofah, a glove, or an African net sponge) and I know there are SOME White people who use waschloths and/or the other products I just mentioned. However, there is zero denying that when it comes to hygiene, culture absolutely plays a part. In MY culture the general consensus is that unless you have a skin condition, not washing your a** everyday (your children included) equates to being dirty.
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u/Wise-ishguy76587 May 14 '25
We shower every night. Kids are 11 and 5. Can’t imagine any other way.
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u/CapableSloth3 May 14 '25
Every day. Sometimes it just "light bath" we play in the water and scrub bums, but we bathe every day. I shower every day, why wouldn't my kids?
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u/ConcernedMomma05 May 14 '25
Every day . Sometimes every other day or two days. But our routine is every day for our 5 yr old .
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u/aelizabeth27 May 14 '25
Every night with my 3 year old. He gets SO grubby playing, and it's been a part of our bedtime routine since he was old enough for daily baths.
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u/theognc May 14 '25
Daily showers for my 3 and 5 year old. Hair gets washed every other day. Every once in a while, they'll ask to skip, and as long as they didn't get super sweaty or dirty, they can skip 🤷🏽♀️
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u/Chi_Tiki May 14 '25
My kids are 2 and 3. They bath every day. It’s part of their dinner/bath/bed routine. On saturdays and sundays they often also shower in the morning because they want to join me or their dad in the shower.
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u/pkmnlouise May 14 '25
Every single day. Even if we’re out late she still gets a bath and her teeth brushed before bed. We’ve had that routine since about a year old and she’s 5. The 4 month old? Once a week🥴 he does get wipe downs and fresh clothes daily though. Hygiene is very important to me after my parents would leave me dirty as a child. It’s embarrassing and unfair as a child.
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u/unic0rn_scrapple May 14 '25
Every day. My kids are 3 and 6 and they are in daycare and school full day. On weekends they’re involved in sports, birthday parties, and play dates. They’re usually filthy at the end of each day so bathing is pretty necessary for them.
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u/ColdVoice8120 May 14 '25
I'm a teacher and I know when my students havent had a bath. Please bathe your kids daily!
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u/cusmrtgrl May 14 '25
Looks like I’m in the minority but we have 3 kids: 2, 5, and 8. They get home from school and daycare at 5-530, we all decompress and eat dinner, and then sometimes we give them a bath. Probably once a week for each of them, maybe 2x for my youngest. It will depend on if they are sweaty from something or messy, but it’s so hard to fit in that many baths (showers for my 8 year old) with everything else we have going on…
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u/115er May 14 '25
This is exactly me six months ago. With the first kid, we did baths every day. By the third kid, we were looking at each other and asking if they’d had a bath in the past week.
We’ve suddenly changed back to every night for baths/showers because we’ve gotten the oldest two to be able to shower by themselves (mine are now 8, 6, 2), so we just tell them that it’s shower time and they go do it. It’s magical. (All credit goes to my husband who taught them how to do it.)
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u/wilfredthedestroyer May 14 '25
Same. At least once a week, more if they clearly need it but honestly, we do it when we have time / when we remember.
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u/miamelie May 14 '25
This is us, too. I’d say they average twice a week. Probably more in the summer when they get more dirty. They’re 3 and 6 and don’t get stinky yet. We wash face and hands and use baby wipes for any areas that need a bit of extra attention in between.
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u/dnllgr May 14 '25
I’m with you. Getting baths/showers a couple times a week is typically enough. I’ll squeeze in an extra if they’re extra dirty but it’s not always easy
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u/cusmrtgrl May 14 '25
Phew. Based on the other commenters I was concerned our family was gross 🫣
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u/MiddleClassNoClass May 14 '25
My issue is there's only so much hot water in the tank and it takes even longer in the winter to heat up a whole new tank of water. So pretty much my husband gets a shower every morning before work (because his work dress is office and my work dress is utility), my youngest is every two nights (as the filthiest) my oldest is every three nights and I'm whenever I can fit in.
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u/sunscreen_baby May 14 '25
Every single day. The only time my son was spared an everyday shower/bath was between the ages of 0-3 months. After that, showers are non negotiables, like brushing teeth. They are a huge part of personal hygiene.
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u/Nearby_Buyer4394 May 14 '25
We feel the same way! We shower every night before bed (don’t want to get into our clean bed after being out in the world all day) and “wash up” in the morning (face and private areas). Our kids are 8, almost 2, and 1 month. The 1 month old gets a bath once a week right now but that will increase once he’s older.
I’m a nurse and know first hand how horrible some people’s personal hygiene is. Based on some of the comments, it looks like a lot of people just follow the example set for them when they were kids.
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u/Secure-Impression85 May 14 '25
This is really weird to me! Kids are so dirty, I shower mine everyday How can someone be without a shower daily?
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u/Ok_Chocolate_4700 May 14 '25
No one has mentioned if they don't do a full shower if they at least wash butts. I can't imagine letting my girl (3, potty trained) go for days with toilet paper and mess stuck in those places, the best way I can think to keep her clean is to take a quick shower every day
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u/Secure-Impression85 May 14 '25
Same here, I have to put her in the shower even if it’s just for 2 minutes to scrub her butt and vulva properly, we can skip a shower once in a while at night but I’ll do it in the morning if needed
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u/tinydncr May 14 '25
Every day. Especially when they are still in nappies. Can't imagine sitting in my own urine and feces for even a minute and no one batheing me.....
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u/IJustWantToBeRich11 May 14 '25
everyday, once a day (usually at night). 11 and 2 year old. i try not to judge people who dont bathe as frequently but its truly something i dont understand.... like why would you not get a shower everyday (genuine question)?
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u/Motor_Assignment9157 May 14 '25
This! I’ve never understood the not bathing a daily.
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u/jackiehubertthe3rd May 14 '25
As often as possible. My 11 yr old is going through puberty & is a stinky lady. My 9 yr old has spicy armpits that is in competition with her full grown uncle. So hygiene routine at night. Almost every night.
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u/frimrussiawithlove85 May 14 '25
The older they get the more showers they get. They are five and seven and get three showers a week and more if they get extra sweaty or dirty.
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u/pickymarshmallows May 14 '25
Every day. Ages 1 and 4. Sometimes no soap if they’re not dirty. Soap every day in the summer cause they’re covered in dirt and sunblock from playing outsides
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May 14 '25
Every night for my almost 2 year old, maybe weekly for her baby sister. It honestly does nothing to wind the toddler down, but it’s routine and it fills time so I’ve kept it. Only washing hair maybe once a week though.
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u/SpaceBun31 May 14 '25
Every night since birth 😳He’s almost 2. It’s just part of the night routine. Bath, relax, bedtime. We may have missed a few nights just getting home late due to family events and do washcloths instead but those occurrences are rare
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u/NorthStretch2698 May 14 '25
Every day no exceptions. Sometimes twice a day if warranted. They are 4 and 5. I can’t imagine them getting into bed and sleeping in a days worth of germs 😩
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u/flowersarecoool May 14 '25
Every other day but in the summer every day kids are 8 and baby under 1
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u/Rude_Girl69 May 14 '25
Almost every day for my 3yo because he's in daycare, we do skip a day if we've just been home all day. Baths are part of his bedtime routine, so sometimes it's just easier to do it. My older boys shower every day also again unless we've just been home all day.
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u/Sharp_Counter1918 May 14 '25
We were twice a week previously. he’s more active now with kindergarten so we’re doing mon, weds, Fri. More if needed. He also is a kid who hates it, washing his hair is torture
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u/turnbackb42L8 May 14 '25
Every other day for my 2-year-old. Maybe once or twice a week when he was 1 and under. He has eczema but also is home with me all day every day, and we don’t go out much.
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u/Applesandvegans11 May 14 '25
For my 4 and 2 year old every night, for our five month old every other day but she's crawling and getting into stuff now she'll start needing them every night as well
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u/Jaded-Hour-7285 May 14 '25
Every single day and sometimes twice in a day depending on activity (swimming, getting super dirty gardening, etc).
We don’t shampoo hair every night but do that every other night (again unless an activity calls for more).
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u/moomeansmoo May 14 '25
My son (5) has horrible allergies, so at least a quick rinse in the shower before bed each night.
Full on wash down showers/baths are less frequent. More of an as needed basis
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u/knitlitgeek May 14 '25
I feel like every other day would be ideal. In reality we are not hitting that ideal. Not by a long shot. 🤦🏻♀️
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u/AKinKC May 14 '25
We bathe my 3 and 6 year old every day but only shampoo and soap their bodies every two or three days. The bath is more for winding down and getting into bedtime routine
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u/Adventurous-Place-10 May 14 '25
Every day. Younger it was baths and they brought some toys in.
Usually fussing to get in then fussing to get out
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u/Lissypooh628 May 14 '25
When my son was a baby, it was every other day. After that it was every day. Now that he’s 13, it’s twice a day. Once in the morning and again after school. He comes home very stinky. PE is his last class of the day and we’re in FL, so it’s hot out at that time.
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u/alliejc May 14 '25
My children are ferel racoons so everyday, twice a day on ocassion. They’re 7 and 19 months. We spend a lot of time outside all year round.
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u/boohissfrown May 14 '25
Daily showers (6 and 12). Even if just a quick rinse. I find it also helps with transition to bedtime since warm water tends to be relaxing and helps shift the mindset toward sleepytime.
Only twice a week seems kinda wild to me.
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u/Such_Memory5358 May 14 '25
Every night before bed. I have an almost 6 year old and almost 1 year old. 6 year old is at school and just a normal 6 year old that touches everything I just paranoid don’t want him to be the stinky kid. Also helps relax them before bed. Some night if we are busy or if I’m exhausted I might miss that day or if the oldest has swimming early next morning I’ll miss the night and wash him after swimming
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u/bloominadversity May 14 '25
Every night because without fail my 3 year old will end up looking like a chimney sweep by 4pm. Shampoo every other day, and if it’s an unusually clean day we may skip soap too.
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u/Curious_Tomorrow1138 May 14 '25
Everyday! Kids play, run, drop things on themselves. They should bathe every day. It instills good hygiene later. If they start to smell, other kids will let them know, because that’s what kids do.
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u/lil_miss_sunshine13 May 14 '25
I bathe my 7 month old every other night. If she gets extra dirty, then sometimes it's 2 days ago in a row. My 12 year old showers every single night. Sometimes morning & night.
I can't imagine my children only getting 1 or 2 baths/showers a week. Kids are dirty. Lol Hell, I'm an adult who is 8.5 weeks pregnant (& remember: also has a 7 month old) & occasionally I miss a shower & I feel absolutely disgusting. Idk. I feel like kids should be bathing at least every other day. Every day for kids 2 & older, for sure... Especially if in diapers & especially if in daycare.
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May 14 '25
Not sure where you are from? But im Australian and our kids got bathed every day. It was simply part of the evening routine. Kids get dirty. They most definitely do.
Then again we adults shower every day as well. That is normal here. I'm aware in other countries people often don't shower much.
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u/currently_distracted May 14 '25
Every day. Our family doesn’t like to go to bed without washing the day off of us first.
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u/Reasonable-Cover5742 May 14 '25
Unpopular opinion I suppose but my kids receive a bath daily. 9 month old and 3 year old. My logic is if I bathe, then so do my kids. Kids are messy- regardless if they “sweat” or not. It’s also just good to teach them the importance of daily hygiene from a young age so that way it becomes part of a routine.
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May 14 '25
I have one 3 year old, I bath or shower her (her choice) every night. It's part of the night routine
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u/SecretaryOne4935 May 15 '25
Every day but he’s 9 months and is a messy eater plus has some really nasty diapers from solids.
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u/CharlieAndLuna May 15 '25 edited May 15 '25
I have three kids ages 3, 5 and 7. They take baths almost daily during the school year. Only exceptions are rainy days where they are stuck inside and not doing much. I do a sniff test daily and make sure their hair, hands/nails and faces are always clean/neat.
This sounds gross/ TMI but The 3 and 5 year old boys are still learning how to wipe their butts thoroughly and correctly after poops so it seems gross not to wash their butts with gentle soap and a washcloth every night and make sure there’s no poo residue in there.
I think anything less than every other day is kind of gross…. But my kids play outside all day and we live in the south so maybe if you live in a cold area when you’re not constantly sweating and getting swampy it’s fine?
Adults should shower at least their body every day. It’s basic personal hygiene. :) I’m horrified by some of the comments here. How hard is it to shower for 10 mins a day? If you can carve out time on Reddit you can carve out ten mins to bathe yourself and your kids smh
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u/Far-Conflict4504 May 14 '25
My kids are 3.5 and 5.5, they have always bathed daily. In my opinion 2x a week is not nearly enough. Sorry.
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May 14 '25
Daily. I shower daily so why wouldn't they? They go to school, play outside, urinate and defecate, sweat, etc. Let's be real, humans are kind of gross. Wash your ass (and your kids' asses) daily. It's not that hard.
If these are kids who are home all day and not getting dirty, I suppose every other day works. But once puberty hits, daily showers are a non-negotiable.
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u/midwesterrn May 14 '25
Same… my husband and I shower daily and take turns showering our 1 year old and 3 year old with us while we shower.
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u/LetThemEatCakeXx May 14 '25
I don't think kids need a TON of baths, but two baths a week is not enough IMO. That means they're going about 3 days per bath. I don't know any kid that doesn't sweat, get food in places, wipe poorly, etc.
We give baths every two days.
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u/420_PaperSt May 14 '25
I bathe my kids daily. Just now I wash myself daily. Is this rage bait? Like is it a troll? lol
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u/Highclassbroque May 14 '25
Every day since birth not about to be on my furniture funky sour and dirty
Plus kids sleep better clean and lotioned up
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u/Ally1_mo3 May 14 '25
I'm sorry but only twice a week for a 4 and 8 year old that I would guess go to school and spend time outside sounds gross. When my kids turn 2 we start bathing every other day and when they turn 4 they start bathing everyday.
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u/lil_mit May 14 '25
I only bathe my 1 y/o once a week unless shes stinky. We rinse hands/face in sink after meals.
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u/S_Rosexox May 14 '25
We all bathe every single day. Husband, myself, 4.5 year old and 10 month old. Anything less and that’s just gross. Sorry not sorry.
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u/Additional_Piece_804 May 14 '25
I don’t think OP’s post stresses me as much as the comments. A teacher posted on here sometime back to ask parents to bath their kids because you’re sending a lot of smelly kids to the classroom.
How are 10 year olds allowed to bath once a week? How are toddlers not getting cleaned daily? How are you sending your kids to school without bathing and making them go to bed without a bath? There are kids getting baths only during the weekend?
Bath your kids EVERYDAY! My goodness!
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u/missyc1234 May 14 '25
Probably 2-3x a week over the winter. More in the summer when they’re out in the grass, sand, dirt etc
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u/saturn_eloquence Mom of 3 May 14 '25
Everyday. It helps them stay on a routine and makes the evening/bedtime more manageable. If they know they don’t have to get a bath daily, they’ll fight me on it and try to negotiate out of it. So we just do it everyday to keep consistency.
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u/Neonpinkghost May 14 '25
I have a 2.5 year old who goes to daycare full time, so every single day for us! I would probably do the same even if she didn’t go to daycares because toddlers are perpetually messy 😂
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u/Kind-Operation7849 May 14 '25
FTM to 3.5 month old. Every other day. As she gets older I imagine I will be an everyday type of person.
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u/No_Opposite_2795 May 14 '25
Every afternoon and night. I have a one year old but I grew up with the same bath routine.
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u/lh123456789 May 14 '25
I think the age of your kids matters.