I know I’m the child of hippies, but I don’t think it’s necessary for kids to bathe regularly. Also, frequent face washing is bad for your skin. Once I switched to rinsing my skin got so much clearer.
I just love how two gorgeous people are like “yeah we don’t do that” and despite all photographic evidence to the contrary people are like “if you don’t do that you’ll turn into a disgusting gremlin. Facts!”
Post by foundmylazybum on Jul 28, 2021 15:19:58 GMT -5
It is my belief that in a lot of Western cultures and jobs today that if your aren't like doing super active stuff then, most likely you don't need showers every day--and that includes children. Like, physically the human form is probably not getting so dirty it needs cleansing.
But, there is are societal, cultural, and psychological elements to bathing that are involved here and so people view bathing in a lot of different ways.
I really hesitate to say Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are disgusting trolls b/c honestly I'm about the same life, like almost exactly. If other people have different bathing rituals: good for them.
But, there is are societal, cultural, and psychological elements to bathing that are involved here and so people view bathing in a lot of different ways.
I should caveat that I understand the societal and cultural aspects when it comes to this topic.
I've mostly seen white males reacting in complete disgust, which, whatever bros.
But, there is are societal, cultural, and psychological elements to bathing that are involved here and so people view bathing in a lot of different ways.
I should caveat that I understand the societal and cultural aspects when it comes to this topic.
I've mostly seen white males reacting in complete disgust, which, whatever bros.
It was from discussions about bathing here that I started thinking about this topic--and I think maybe Taylor Swift (?) I was going to say that I was initially like "This isn't a big deal" and realized I was answering from my own privilege and perception here--and that's why I mentioned it.
I wonder if white men in particular have a lot of ideas about the bathing rituals of women and @children...it wouldn't surprise me.
But this is one of those topics I feel like we've covered in great detail here where there's sometimes a large and variable gap between what is hygienically necessary and what's culturally expected. People who still can't seperate the two in this the year 2021 are odd to me.
My kids take baths once a week unless sticky. Will likely increase when they hit puberty and get stinky.
I shower more than that, but not every day.
My h is an every single day without fail no matter what shower and soap and scrub his whole self person. He also uses bar soap on his face unless directed otherwise though, so something is just wrong with him.
The thing about this that gets me is the "didn't have hot water growing up". Right. Either did my parents. They legit would warm up water in big pots to bathe. They still bathed daily. Yes, there is a cultural element there. But ... yeah.
They all appear to be clean and the adults are obviously very capable, successful people, so I guess I feel very "whatever" about that.
That said, sometimes I try to skip a day of showering and I end up giving in and doing it anyway. I have very oily skin and get stinky and greasy quickly. I definitely can't go more than 24 hours without reapplying deodorant, either. My H, on the other hand, somehow doesn't own deodorant and never smells like BO. He will sometimes get a little ripe if he goes into day 3 without showering, but he's totally fine otherwise. I really think it completely depends on the person and their body chemistry.
If anyone follows Luvvie here all her stories were about this for the past two days. There is a big, big divide between people who are “meh” and disgusted by this. Lol.
The thing about this that gets me is the "didn't have hot water growing up". Right. Either did my parents. They legit would warm up water in big pots to bathe. They still bathed daily. Yes, there is a cultural element there. But ... yeah.
Just because your parents solved an issue one way doesn't mean that another (or all) family or group is going to solve it the same way though.
This is so far into the "who cares" column for me, it won't ever come out. My kids took showers every other day until they hit puberty, now it's every day if they want to, but every other is a minimum because they kinda stink if they go longer.
I shower every day. I can't stand not to. I also wash my hair every day (gasp!). I am also Team Ashton in that I only use soap on my pits and groin area. Nothing else needs soap. I wash my face once a day. I do not use any cloth or scrubbie.
There’s also a difference to me between scrubbing, soaping and a cleaning rinse. Like, I shower pretty much daily, sometimes soap and almost never scrub. I don’t do much physical labor so a scrub is almost never necessary. Everyone’s chemistry is different, I think it makes most sense to go with what you actually need versus some expectation that you’ll turn into a troll if you don’t. Notice you *are* turning into a troll? Bathe more.
Post by formerlyak on Jul 28, 2021 16:22:38 GMT -5
I think a lot depends on the person. My kids, especially the 7 year old, SMELLS at the end of the day from sweating and running all over. My older son has oily hair that looks really greasy if he doesn't wash it daily. I, on the other hand, would make my hair so terribly dry if I washed it daily. There are so many factors and only you know what is right for you and your kids. The internet needs to leave them alone.
Post by breezy8407 on Jul 28, 2021 16:27:54 GMT -5
This is one of those you do you categories. I like showering, so its common for me to take 2 a day. I sweat a LOT when I workout, which is almost daily, and there is no way I could go without. I don't wash my hair everyday though. H has always been a daily shower person.
@ when my kids started daycare they got daily baths because the crusty food and dirt on them was really something. Now, when they play sports or are outside running around in the summer they get BO, so they shower each night.
I shower in the morning and bathe in the evening. My son bathes every day. But this is how I was raised, everyone showers every day.
As a high school teacher, I would urge parents of teenagers to HIGHLY encourage them to clean daily.
I have no judgments for non daily shower-ers. Someone I know who is more hippie than the rest of my group admitted at one point that they get into the shower daily but don’t soap. That’s not my thing, but the some of the group got a little mean girl about it behind her back and it made me mad. She looks clean, doesn’t smell..whatever works for you.
However to your point, for me it’s just daily shower is part of the routine at the end of the day. Now that the oldest is started down the liberty track, it’s just habit and he usually showers and and pm. I know some babies’ skin can’t tolerate baths daily and I understand that, but my babies could and between the spit up, pooping halfway up their back, sitting in pee diapers (I mean I changed them obviously but sometimes they’d end up having to sit in it), drooling, eating solids...I was quite happy to bathe mine every day lol. But if we skip a day here or there I am fine with that.
The thing about this that gets me is the "didn't have hot water growing up". Right. Either did my parents. They legit would warm up water in big pots to bathe. They still bathed daily. Yes, there is a cultural element there. But ... yeah.
Just because your parents solved an issue one way doesn't mean that another (or all) family or group is going to solve it the same way though.
Of course. But I’m saying that there are ways to work around an issue.
I saw all the reaction gifs before I read the story. I retweeted one simply because I thought it was a funny gif and I couldn’t find it elsewhere so I wanted to save it (a dog making a weird face). But then I read the story and wound up deleting my RT because the story wasn’t a big deal.
My dermatologist told me I shouldn’t shower every day, when I first visited her for really red skin on my hands during the winter. Also told me to avoid hot showers. I haven’t taken that advice but I’ve heard others say it plenty of times.
I grew up with a mom who regularly told me I smelled bad, and insisted on sniffing my armpits out of the shower and telling me I was a liar, so I have some issues with not showering every day.
I grew up in a hot and humid area and in a household where taking a bath/shower ever day was the norm. My kids have a bath every single day - sometimes 2x a day depending on our activities (beach, zoo, park, etc).
MH also grew up having a quick shower in the morning to “wake up” and get ready for school / work and then a longer shower at night to wash away the day’s dirt and germs.
It would be out of character for us to go a day without a shower/bath.
The thing about this that gets me is the "didn't have hot water growing up". Right. Either did my parents. They legit would warm up water in big pots to bathe. They still bathed daily. Yes, there is a cultural element there. But ... yeah.
She grew up in the Soviet Union so I think climate is a big factor too.
They also say they don’t wash themselves regularly even after working out.
I think it’s a bizarre kind of privilege to announce that you don’t bathe yourself and expect people to still think highly of you and want to be around you.
I knew a family who said they didn’t need to bathe regularly and you know what? They were musty. I think they couldn’t smell it because they were used to it but we all sure did.
I mean, if you want wallow in your own filth at home, go for it but unless you have a note from your doctor, IMO it’s only polite to fully wash yourself regularly if you are coming in contact with other people.
I can’t see coming home and not wanting to wash the outside off you either but that’s another story.
This is totally going to end up being 8 pages of everyone sharing their bathing rituals and falling over themselves to say that they don't judge anyone else's.
Regardless Mila grew up in the Ukraine to Ukrainian parents so it generally tracks with the broad categorization of American vs European approaches to these habits.
“With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent,”
The thing about this that gets me is the "didn't have hot water growing up". Right. Either did my parents. They legit would warm up water in big pots to bathe. They still bathed daily. Yes, there is a cultural element there. But ... yeah.
She grew up in the Soviet Union so I think climate is a big factor too.
Didn’t she come to the US when she was seven? She might not even remember clearly.
Eh, my 9 year old DS bathes only 1-2 times a week unless there are extenuating circumstances. He’s not a smelly kid (yet), and is an indoor arts and crafts vs outdoorsy/sporty kid. Everyone else in the family, including my 14 year old DS, showers at least once a day, sometimes more with sports. It works for all the individual needs in our family.