Bathing Your Toddler/preschooler

Updated on February 09, 2011
L.K. asks from Warren, MI
27 answers

Hi

How often do you bathe your Toddler/Preschoolers in Winter and Summer? Do you bathe more frequently when going out around others or if in daycare or school, etc?

1 mom found this helpful

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for your responses and to answer my own question, I bathe my two about 3-4 times a week. But if they get really dirty I bathe them those days also.

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K.P.

answers from New York on

In the winter every-other-night sometimes every 3rd night depending on what he's been up to. His skin dries out very easily. I do wipe him down with a damp washcloth every night and clean under his nails, but I don't want him "soaking" every night.

Actually- same deal in the summer except if he's dirty! He does a lot of "water activities"... swimming, sprinklers, etc in the summer so it's a day-to-day decision.

2 moms found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Every couple of days. If he pees all over himself then he gets showered. As for getting in the bath and playing for a while, it is really drying so I don't do that every day.

Babies don't get bathed after every wet diaper, they use wipes to clean their hineys. I think it's very drying to bathe them every day. Plus there is the long hair drying, and then all the other stuff that goes with bathing.

If they are outside playing and running around when it's warm then they bathe every day.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.A.

answers from Grand Rapids on

We bathe her daily b/c she's in a daycare. We even try to do it as soon as we get home to get the germs off as quickly as possible before they are spread around the house!

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

3 nights a week in the winter (usually Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday) and the same or as needed in the summer

2 moms found this helpful

C.F.

answers from Boston on

Every other day or Every 3rd day. There is an exception to Everything tho! lol

2 moms found this helpful
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J.F.

answers from Tallahassee on

Usually 3 nights per week during the winter. Her skin is covered up so she gets less dirty and she also gets lots of red, dry patches if she's bathed too often when we have cold, dry weather. In the summer it depends on how dirty and sweaty she gets and how often she needs a bath - every day or every other day. Regardless of the season, if she doesn't get a bath then she does get wiped down with a wet washcloth.

1 mom found this helpful
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P.O.

answers from Harrisburg on

Every other day or when they demand it, lol

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Dallas on

My 3 y/o stays home with me, but I bathe her almost every day. She has long hair and it always getting yogurt, cereal, etc. in her hair. I usually just take a shower and she just takes one with me. During the summer, I sometimes have to bathe her twice because she plays with the dog and I cannot STAND that smell! Lol.

1 mom found this helpful
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R.P.

answers from Cleveland on

i try to every day but if i dont get around to it its every other day for sure

1 mom found this helpful
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M.W.

answers from Detroit on

We bathe 2x per week unless they get really dirty or are sick. We stay home, so I'd probably do it more often if they were in daycare.

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C.M.

answers from Detroit on

A nice warm bath was always part of our bedtime routine...need it or not.

R.C.

answers from York on

Daily with the exception of Friday night when we are visiting Grandma and Grandpa and it usually is late until we get home. I use moisturizing bath and lotion him well afterwards and we have no issues with dry skin. He gets his hair washed daily in the summer and 2-3 times a week in the winter. In the winter he plays hards inside and sweats. In the summer he constantly has a sweaty head. I feel like he needs a bath by the end of a busy day.

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Daily bath for both my kids-- they enjoy the time to wind down in the bath and i make sure they get clean and have fun doing it! My oldest is potty trained and I am starting my youngest so I really try to make sure they clean themselves well and then I do a followup wash.

M

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T.C.

answers from Minneapolis on

I do 3 nights per week. Usually monday, wednesday, and either friday or saturday. That is year round and for my baby and toddler. Everynight would be way to much and to busy. Plus thier skin would dry out and at that age i really dont feel they need it everyday. Our dr even said it doesnt need to be done everyday.

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S.X.

answers from Chicago on

def not every day. if they go to some icky germ fest place we'll take a bath otherwise prob every 3 days.

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D.S.

answers from Memphis on

We bath her daily except on Fridays and wash hair every other night. That is year around.

M.L.

answers from Houston on

Every 2nd or 3rd night, unless they played outside or on a public playground. Otherwise, they are usually very clean and get a general wipe down with a washcloth in the mornings.

In the summer, usually every other day unless they get really dirty or sweaty... sometimes twice a day!

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K.M.

answers from New York on

Every other day or sometimes every third day in the winter. Every day in the summer because he loves to play in the dirt.

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A.K.

answers from Detroit on

We bathe our 3 year old at least every other day. Since we're in the middle of potty training, sometimes waist down gets bathed more because of accidents. We for sure take into consideration where he's been that day- gymnastics, play group, etc. And yes, in the summer it sometimes is more just to rinse chlorine, mud, etc. off.

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S.G.

answers from Jacksonville on

Every 2nd or 3rd night unless he's been playing hard and got dirty/sweaty which is mostly in the summer time. Or after the pool/beach in the summer.

My 10yr old is every other night for the most part.

S.

A.S.

answers from Iowa City on

Every 2 to 3 days for my 3 year old in winter unless she gets into something messy. In summer it is pretty much daily because she "works" in the garden. I do make sure my daughter has her hair washed and braided the night before she has preschool so that I don't have to fight with tangles on those early mornings.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Well, a friend's co-worker,
recently returned to work after being out since October with a staph infection.

He almost lost his life from an infection which started with a sore neck.
This person had to have spinal tap, among other procedures, and spend months in the hospital.

His progressed in a few days/weeks to his spine, and he almost lost his life. Doctors said if he was a child or an elderly person, he would be dead.

Puzzling part is, the doctors examined every part of his body for any dot of a lesion, but they didn’t find it, so they couldn’t find the entry point for the staph, which they said is the only way staph would enter the body. (or maybe he had lesion in his throat).

So it’s really important to keep clean and not have lesions on any part of the body when going swimming, etc.

When I was a child, I myself had a staph infection... which originated from a small cut I had on my leg. I got SO sick, my Dad had to carry me to the Doctor. I couldn't even walk.
The Doctor cleaned out the wound, and I was on antibiotics. He said, the wound almost reached my bone... and there could have been some very serious consequences. If my Dad had not brought me into the Doctor. It was actually my Dad, that 'diagnosed' me, and who knew my illness was from my cut on my leg...and that I was not just simply sick with a 'cold.' Mind you, looking at my cut visually, it did NOT seem 'infected'. But underneath the skin tissue, I had gotten sick from it... and had a Staph infection.

Per my kids, well everyday they are sweaty from playing so much and they are so active. So, they bathe every night.

all the best,
Susan

D.D.

answers from Chicago on

I try to every day. And not to be gross - but especially since we are really working at wiping properly, I really want to make sure she is clean in the privates. We may skip Fridays because it is the end of the week and I am tired from working all week! Once in a while in the winter I may skip a night here or there from laziness if she hasn't gotten too dirty. Which she usually doesn't during the day in the winter. In the summer I try to keep the daily schedule as well from being all sweaty and with having all the sunblock on.

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T.B.

answers from Washington DC on

Our four year old is daily. It's just always been part of our bed time routine. Bath, braid her hair, read books, bible story, prayers, I love you song, and then bed. It winds her down and she needs the routine, anything off schedule distresses her at this point. Our 7 month old is usually daily as well but some nights if she's fallen asleep we do not wake her up to bath her. We've never had dry skin issues.

J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Most of the time every day.
The only time I skip it is if we get home too late and it's already her bed time.
I bathe daily, so does my kid. =)

B.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

My kids all get bathed nightly. I figure I have the luxury of a shower every day, they deserve the same.

Plus my oldest has eczema and psoriasis and he requires a daily bath to slough off the old skin so his skin stays healthy.

Their butts get stinky too whether its winter or summer, so a nightly bath or shower they get!

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L.G.

answers from Detroit on

Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.
We started this in the Fall, because school is T/Th, and Sunday School on Sunday. Every other day actually seems like a lot to me, but having a schedule is easier, otherwise I forget, and go 4 or 5 days... In the Winter, every day can be too much especially if your child has dry skin. they just don't need it that much. If dry skin is not a problem, it's a great activity.

summer is more varied, sometimes they get dirtier and sweatier!

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