Recently, the internet has whipped itself into a characteristic frenzy in response to comments made by celebrities about how often they bathe their children. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, for example, have stated in essence that they don’t bathe their children until they see dirt on them. Kristen Bell waits for “the stink” to arrive. This has led to parents everywhere to evaluate their bathing practices for their kids, and they typically fall on one side or the other: the “clean freaks” and the “dirt never hurt” crowd.
I tend to fall closer to the “dirt never hurt” side of the spectrum
My daughter is 6, and obviously doesn’t have the body odor of an adolescent yet. We only do full-on baths two or three times a week, depending on our schedule and the time of year. In the winter it’s less, because she’s inside most of the time, as opposed to summer where she comes home with blackened feet from running around barefoot in the yard, or with clothes full of sand from playing in the park.
For those who might think our bathing habits are “gross,” let me offer some insight
We still wash our hands and faces when we wake up in the morning, and wash hands multiple times throughout the day. My daughter still brushes her hair and teeth in the morning and before bed. If she gets food on her face, I don’t just let it sit there. But this basic level of cleanliness does not require a full on bubble bath or a shower every day.
At my house, we’re big fans of something we call the “wipe-down” where you fill up the bathroom sink with soapy water and grab a washcloth for a quick freshen-up. This works for adults, too, as long as you reapply deodorant and give your hair a little dry shampoo. Boom, you’re ready to go!
In the future, I feel that more people will be moving in this direction
Let’s face it — our world is facing a clean water shortage, and this precious resource is only going to become more difficult to get as time goes on due to climate change. Besides, water costs money! I don’t need that bill to be any higher than it already is from running the washing machine and watering my garden.
This whole “showering every day” thing is actually a pretty recent development in human history. Remember in Animal House when Mandy Pepperidge kept making the excuse that she had to stay home and wash her hair? Back in the 60s, women only washed their hair once a week, styled it, and performed a little maintenance every day.
Think about it: you use shampoo to remove grease from your hair. Then you use conditioner to put oils back in. Just let that sink in for a second … does that make any sense at all? My daughter’s hair is blond and very breakable. It gets dried out very easily, especially in the summer when she’s going to the pool a lot. Why would I strip her hair of its natural oils and then put oil back in it, along with a bunch of other random ingredients (including the disturbing amount of wax that is present in a lot of conditioners)?
I suppose this debate really comes down to what your family decides is best, but in our household, a little dirt definitely never hurt and we won't be bathing daily anytime soon.
