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Parenting
My "bad mom" confession.
Maybe it's more like "dirty mom" instead of "bad mom," LOL:
My kids are in the bathtub right now (I'm sitting here on the floor next to the tub.)
This is the first time they've had a bath or shower since getting all dolled up for Thanksgiving dinner with the extended family. Um, yeah. Well over a week ago. Starting to push two weeks...
They're not dirty. We just like to conserve water. ;-)
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Re: My "bad mom" confession.
Normal is about once a week for us. ;-)
(The kids, that is. I generally shower at least 6 days a week, sometimes I'll skip one random day here or there.)
Ever since we pt Samantha, man, if we wait more than 2 days her coochie is STANK-a-licious. No way we can go more than 2-3 days.
I guess that's the one good thing about dd still being in diapers, LOL. I clean her well with a warm washcloth after each diaper change so there are no issues there.
Eh to each his own.
There is no way this would work for us, we are outside everyday for at least an hour and the kids are filthy by the time we come in.
We do baths once a week.
Otherwise his excema flairs up. Americans bathe a LOT. It really is a waste, and IMO not so great for our hair and skin. We do sponge baths in between as needed.
ETA: sicne DS has always had once/week baths his skin doesn't produce that much oil so he doesn't get greasy. Even after a week his hair looks fine. When you bathe every day and strip all the natural oils out of your hair/skin, you go into overdrive and produce more.
Nope.
*My* hair and skin are both so greasy that if I don't wash daily I'm a mess. My hair is especially disgusting.
The kids don't really have that issue though, at least not yet. I'm sure that they'll inherit my general oil-overproduction when they hit puberty. But by then I hope that they'll be able to bathe themselves. ;-)
I have a sister who works with families who are in the DCS/CPS system for child abuse and neglect. Her own baby girl gets bathed about as often as mine. Trust me, with the things that she sees on a regular basis, a kid who get a bath once a week or so with no visible dirtiness or stink isn't even on their radar.
There is no way that your kids don't look or smell dirty after that long. You probably just can't see it because they're yours. (And of course nobody is going to tell you.)
I like you Cleo, I do. But, dude, you need to clean your kids. Not to mention what this is teaching them about personal care.
Jackson's hair gets out of control if we don't wash it at least every 2 days [usually every other], but I do know a few kids who have bad eczema and their parents avoid bathing them very often because of it...
I'll admit that I personally don't wash my hair every day, because I know that's healthier for it, but I do have to at least shower every day.
ETA: I just LOL'd @ my sig b/c his hair is out of control in it and it had just been washed; perhaps that's a losing battle anyhow.
I think when I was a kid, Sunday night was bath night. In the summer, we were in the lake daily, for hours at a time. But I might not be remembering correctly either.
My boys (2.5 years and 11 months) get bathed 3-5 days a week, depending on a few factors, but their hair gets washed, oh, I don't know, once a week or so (sometimes longer, I don't keep a chart or anything). It does not get greasy. Hair gets washed because there is food in it or it is looking dull or has a stale smell.
We do overbathe in North America. But overall, I think going more than a week without bathing is a bit over the top.
Ooooh. I'll have to start using that one! "I take better mom than the absolute losers, druggies, and morons whose kids end up in the DCS/CPS system, so I'm going okay!" I still think your kids are gross and dirty and you should bathe them more often, and your sister should do the same with her own daughter.
I can understand wanting to bathe your own kids more often but I am really suprised people are freaking out about this.
DS gets a full bath once a week, complete with a hair wash. His hair does NOT get greasy/stinky/gross. In between he gets his diaper area cleaned multiple times a day, his face, neck wiped at all meals, his hands washed, and a full body wipe down if he gets stinky or dirty. How is this a big deal? How does this make me a bad mom? You do NOT need a full body submersion to be clean!
I'm a big fan of bathing everyday with the occasional skip. Ok, fine, you want to bathe your kid ever 2-3 days even a week that's what works for you. But I don't get 2 weeks. Is it a PITA to bathe your kids? It can't take more than 10-15 min. I don't get why no bath for that long. I say gross.
But I still love ya Cleo!
yep, I got flamed for this a year or so ago....only I said I sometimes skip 2 days between baths sometimes (def not in the summer).....no way I could go 2 weeks. Unless my kids never leave the house or something.
2 weeks???? why??? The conserve water thing, I am not buying....you can bathe your kids daily and use very little water.
My DS really only needs to bathe 1x a week duriing the winter. He is a pretty clean kid and I could get away with washing him up with a wash cloth in between. DD is another story. Her hair has to be washed e/o day since she likes to put her hands in her hair while she eats. And, the summer is a different story too - they need to be bathed every day.
As it is, they shower about e/o day b/c if one goes in, the other does too.
I'm pretty sure I can say with all certainty that this is the only thing I'll agree with Gibs on (and pretty much everyone else on this).
My boys get bathed everyday with the occasional skip if we get home too late.
If they don't get a bath their nails get gross (even if they are super short), they get stinky, and frankly I feel gross if I skipped a day of bathing.
Conserving water is one thing but I agree with a pp about teaching them hygiene from an early age.
LOL, I thought it was pretty obvious that the "conserving water" thing was meant tongue-in-cheek.
And really, they honestly just don't get dirty. I have very blunt, direct friends IRL who would tell me, "Cleo, give your effing kids a bath already. I can smell their dirty butts from across the room" if that was the case. They also have plenty of people in their lives (teachers, therapists, EI people) who see them on a regular (almost daily) basis who would also intervene if they saw filthy, uncared for children.
But I'm always curious about the "my kids play outside and they would be so dirty if they didn't take a bath every night!" statements. My kids play outside daily too. Ds plays at school for at least an hour everyday- climbing, playing ball, etc. At home they both ride bikes up and down the driveway, play on the swingset, dig in the sand table, etc. Those aren't "dirty" activities. Maybe if they were out digging in mud and stomping in puddles, sure. But doing skateboard stunts on the sidewalk and throwing balls to the dogs? Their clothes rarely even get dirt on them, much less their bodies.
3 boys (15, 8, 6), 1 girl (4)
Maybe if they were out digging in mud and stomping in puddles, sure
This is what my kids like to do. And they will intentionally make mud in the backyard with the hose. They are a little nutso though...they manage to get mud and dirt everywhere.
::ding ding ding::
winner winner chicken dinner!
That's gross. Come on. What reason do you have not to bathe your children more frequently. You admit to bathing 6 days a week but want to "conserve water" when it comes to your kids?
Yeah, something doesn't fly there. And your kids do smell. Sorry. But 2 weeks of not bathing makes anyone smell, never mind children with a lack of personal hygiene.
You're a parent, your job, is at its most basic, to keep them clean and fed. And 2 weeks of not bathing them is lazy and gross. Wait, aren't they both FTT as well?