Please bath your kids, Kelly!

[aggythenostic]

My dearest Fundie, Kelly @ GC - always too eager to share the details of her life with us heathens - just posted this tidbit about saving money on cleaning products:

Baking soda and water cleans hair…and teeth. Vinegar is an excellent household cleaner. And hey, why can’t you wash your body with your shampoo and cut back the number of bottles in the shower?

Baking soda and water will make your hair look like a meth head, Kelly. But then - you already know that, right? Washing with shampoo is fine if you use a natural brand. But those are expensive, so she probably uses Suave. Do you really want those chemicals on every tender part of your body? Ugh.

Kid’s Baths. If you have many children, you probably already throw several of the little ones together at bath time. AND, you may have figured out that they don’t have to be bathed every night (it’s bad for hair and skin). One thing we do to simplify bath time is squirt a bit of body wash or shampoo into the bath water. By the time they’re done playing, they’re clean–no scrubbing required. Wash hair and be done.

I'm seriously grossed out by this. They spend all day in 100% humidity, and then they DON'T bathe every day? And where does she get that a bath is bad for your skin? What, do they have some kind of skin condition? It's one thing not to bathe a baby that sits in a sling all day. The baby isn't getting his little feet dirty. But a KID? Gross.

If she thinks that clean equals a little shampoo in the water, those children are grimy. **shudder**

[moreorlessnu]

I'm seriously grossed out by this. They spend all day in 100% humidity, and then they DON'T bathe every day? And where does she get that a bath is bad for your skin? What, do they have some kind of skin condition? It's one thing not to bathe a baby that sits in a sling all day. The baby isn't getting his little feet dirty. But a KID? Gross.

Well, yes....and no. I have a relative who's little kid came down w/ some sort of skin condition. The Dr. said she was bathing him too much (she was bathing him daily). The Dr. said to just dip him in water every other day, and only shampoo and soap up on the alternating days. I'm sure she used baby wipes to clean him up when she changed him.

[nuri]

On the first half, nope, can't snark that. Washin your hair with Baking Soda and then Apple Cider Vinegar is totally legit. It's one of the no'poo methods. It doesn't work for my hair very well, but it does work on many people. Can't snark it at all.

...and well, I have a hard time with the second one too. One, because on weekends, I soak in a tub and don't really use more soap than needed. And two, well honestly, children may not always be clean, but a bath maybe every other day, or less depending on the kids, isn't harmful at all.

(course, I don't have kids, and I'm a firm believer that we tend to over sanitize, which is more harmful in the long run)

[Koala]

This is an unpopular opinion (usually), but I totally agree with you. I am in Alabama (less than an hour from Kelly), and I am here to tell you, it is HOT here. Kids are sweaty and dirty after playing all day, and they need a bath.

Yes, I know some kids have skin conditions, and if that's the case, then of course you have to accommodate that, but if they don't, then *I* think they need a bath.

[SquirrelySquirrel]

I can't really snark too much either. My child doesn't make it into the tub every night and I'm all for natural cleansers if they work for you.

I do hope she's giving the kids a good rinsing after squirting soap into the water. That is one way to a) feel nasty, and b) for girls to get a UTI. We do bubble baths in moderation and make sure the kiddo rinses extremely well with the shower head for this reason.

[aggythenostic]

I can understand the baking soda and vinegar on a weekly basis, but if you use it like shampoo it will dry your hair to bits. My friend is a hairstylist, and she has seen some disasters with natural methods. Just sayin' ;)

Here's my issue - it's one thing if your kids don't bathe every day, hey that's not unusual. It's another thing if you live without air-conditioning, it's a billion degrees, and your kids bathe with your OTHER kids in a bathtub with a 'squirt' of shampoo and splash around. That, sorry, is going just a tiny bit too far.

[bananacat]

Even "natural" products are made of chemicals. I often use shampoo down there because it's hair and it's easier to shampoo than to scrub with a washcloth, especially if I haven't trimmed in awhile. Some brands of shampoo burn a little, but most of them work just fine. I use Dove, Pantene, and Herbal Essence which are all a step above Suave but still not "natural".

As for bathing daily, it really depends on the kid and the time of year. I actually can't stand the smell of kid sweat and Kelly's active kids should probably bathe every day, but I guess if they homeschool and only see each other, hygiene doesn't matter that much. Kids definitely get dirtier than adults though.

[emmiedahl]

I had a kid with severe eczema and atopic dermatitis. This was when we stopped bathing them every day. My pediatric dermatologist was appalled that I did so and said most children simply don't need that.

I bathe them as needed. Where Kelly lives, granted, that might be every day. I also squirt baby shampoo into the bath because I think most bubble baths are too irritating. They still wash with soap, although the soapy water helps to get the spots that they missed. We also swim most evenings and rinse off in cool water afterward, so maybe this is why my kids don't seem to need a formal bath as often.

I don't really like group bathing. Little kids pee and poop in the water, and the older kids need privacy. And shampoo is more expensive than soap, so I'll continue to use both.

[Kitten]

Isn't she afraid those kids together in a bath will "do something" and defraud each other? :lol:

Also, while I don't have a problem with not bathing every day (many Europeans do not), I do wonder how fundies deal with UTIs and yeast infections in their young ladies. Even virgins get them, you know, especially if they're soaking in bubble baths a lot. Is it a sign of God's displeasure? :think:

[Koala]

Yeah, the squirting soap in water bothered me as well. Recipe for a UTI.

[nuri]

You know, I must have super strength nethers, because I soak in the tub with various bath products (I'm a total LUSH addict), have since childhood, and I've never had a UTI or yeast infection.

...knock on wood, because they sound horrible.

[Koala]

You know, I must have super strength nethers, because I soak in the tub with various bath products (I'm a total LUSH addict), have since childhood, and I've never had a UTI or yeast infection.

...knock on wood, because they sound horrible.

they are... :(

[nutella addict]

My siblings and I didn't shower/bathe every day unless we needed it (eg, to get chlorine off after swimming all day, or after something like un-air-conditioned gymnastics camp in the swampy weather). And I've tried a variety of natural cleaning products and most didn't work for me, but they worked for other people I know, can't snark on it. Soap in the water though - I had so many bladder infections as a kid until my parents/the doctor figured out it was the bubble bath. And my sister and I were only a year apart so we almost always shared the bath, and even my brother joined us sometimes. To be perfectly honest, we only completely stopped when I hit puberty, although by then we were usually taking individual showers anyhow. But then, my German mother thinks American reservations about nudity are ridiculous...I think my American friends had different household rules than mine, although our fellow German ex-pats were the same, and I remember being at the beach with another German family and showering with my siblings and their two kids all together...

Really though, not showering/bathing every day isn't that bad, just ask us students how often we shower during paper-writing time...

[xDreamerx]

I can't really snark this too much. People used to bathe their kids in the same water all the time. My mother was bathed this way as a kid. I image it would be easier when you have a few toddlers or little kids. That way you don't have to mind them all as you're trying to bathe the rest. (If your husband is a slacker or you're on your own).

People used to brush with baking soda before toothpaste and I mix it in with regular toothpaste for whitening. The vinegar thing is legit especially if you have oily hair or are prone to build up. I've rinsed my hair in it before when I had shampoo build up. I'm not crunchy. I just have hair that gets oily easily.

I also don't think you need to bathe presubscent children everyday, especially if they have dry skin. My brother has excema and he doesn't bathe every day or he turns into an alegator. I mean if they got dirty or something yes, but not if you're just chilling.

Though, you can get a UTI or yeast infection if sensitive, but it's one of those things that depends on the individual.

[Kitten]

Koala, you don't know how lucky you are. I have chronic medical issues, so I'm not typical, but at one point, I was getting 8-10 yeast infections a YEAR - roughly one every 6 weeks. This was before the meds were OTC, and my doc finally just gave me an open prescription so I wouldn't have to come in for what we both knew was a useless ofiice visit/test.

Plus I'd get a UTI now and then for good measure. Those were years I'd really rather forget. :(

That said, I almost NEVER take a bath now, and when I do, I skip any bubble bath, as tempting as it is.

[ladypuglover]

As a kid we had to have a bath/shower every night during the summer months because my mom had a silly belief that we didn't play hard enough unless we came in looking like Pigpen from the Peanuts comics. During the winter though it might be just once or twice during the week. Teens are a different story though and were treated differently.

I have 2 sets of kids just as my mom did. The older set bathed as a group and it was the same bathing rules I had growing up, summer almost every night and every other night during winter months. Colorado is very dry though so we don't have the humidity problems. Oh and I bathed the younger set the same as the older but now that they are 11 and 9, they take seperate showers and baths.

I have extreme bladder infections/UTI's when I get the rare one, so no baths for me. On the rare bath I do take, I shower first then have a clear water soak. Like myself, my kids are sensitive to a lot of bath products but the under 12 age they would use baby shampoo and baby bath products with no trouble. They are all boys so the bladder issue was not a huge concern. I have no clue what they do to bath as teens or adults as they go with us to buy their products and come out stinking worse than than before the shower. Think Axe.

I'm not going to blame Kelly too much other than she is a bad person all around anyway.

[fundiefun]

I wonder if the bathing rule applies to her daughters especially the ones who are preteen and teenage years. When kids starting going through puberty and start sweating or menstruating combined with the hot weather I can only imagine how much they would stink. I take a shower every other day, but only have to wash my hair about twice a week since I am a biracial woman whose hair will dry out with too much washing and blow drying. I also love to use summers eve especially during the time of the month when it's summer due to sweating.

[xDreamerx]

As a kid we had to have a bath/shower every night during the summer months because my mom had a silly belief that we didn't play hard enough unless we came in looking like Pigpen from the Peanuts comics. During the winter though it might be just once or twice during the week. Teens are a different story though and were treated differently.

I have 2 sets of kids just as my mom did. The older set bathed as a group and it was the same bathing rules I had growing up, summer almost every night and every other night during winter months. Colorado is very dry though so we don't have the humidity problems. Oh and I bathed the younger set the same as the older but now that they are 11 and 9, they take seperate showers and baths.

I have extreme bladder infections/UTI's when I get the rare one, so no baths for me. On the rare bath I do take, I shower first then have a clear water soak. Like myself, my kids are sensitive to a lot of bath products but the under 12 age they would use baby shampoo and baby bath products with no trouble. They are all boys so the bladder issue was not a huge concern. I have no clue what they do to bath as teens or adults as they go with us to buy their products and come out stinking worse than than before the shower. Think Axe.

I'm not going to blame Kelly too much other than she is a bad person all around anyway.

I used my brother's axe once. I was in the shower already and my bodywash was gone and I had to use something so I grabbed the Axe. I smelled like a frat boy. :?

[bananacat]

I used to wear my bathing suit all the time when I was a kid, so I got yeast infections or something pretty frequently. I called them pee-pee burns so it might have been UTIs. Anyway, my mom would treat it by put some vinegar in my bath water, and it must have been a small amount because I never knew until she told me years later. As an adult I only got a yeast infection one time, after surgery when the powerful anti-biotics messed up the balance down there and it was far worse than anything I remember from childhood (and it didn't help that the first medication caused irritation and actually made it worse). And I take bubble baths frequently, even with bath salts mixed in the water. But OTOH, I get strep throat so easily. So I guess my point is that everyone is more prone to some things and more resistant to other things. Some women and girls just don't have problems with bubble baths.

[mnb357]

Oh, sorry, I can't argue with her either. In fact, once during a well baby visit, my pediatrician asked us what night our infant son had his bath, because there was something he wanted us to watch for. We said every night, but that he would ask the question led me to believe that it wasn't necessary for hygeine. Now that they're older, they still have nightly baths or showers, but it's more to help them unwind, than to keep them clean. On the other hand, on the days when they've been playing in the sand box, dirt pile, or ditch, they might have as many as three baths before bed. Bathing routine aside, she's still a creep, though.

[Olivia]

I've had a yeast infection once, but it wasn't that bad and it's not a chronic issue, so it doesn't deter me from my beloved baths. There's nothing like a long soak with a Lush bath bomb and a good book to relax, for me.

I guess I don't have too much of an opinion on this since I don't have kids yet, but I had a bath or shower every day as a child unless there was some special circumstance. If my kids have normal skin, I'd do the same for them, though I've read babies should only be bathed every other day or every three days and just wiped down otherwise. Kelly's kids do sound like they might be dirty to me, but I guess that's because - to be honest - I'm assuming she's lazy and sloppy from what else I've read and from the way she described it all.

[ladypuglover]

Vinager is also heaven sent if you have a sunburn, takes the burn right out. I think vinager and baking soda mixed together does the same thing and I can remember getting vinager and baking soda baths every summer. Could she be doing that for sunburnt kiddos? Back when i was a child there wasn't sun block but she would have no excuss.

[desertvixen]

The MiniVixen gets a bath roughly every other night. It depends on what else we have going on, and whether or not she wants to take one. If she's really messy, she generally wants one anyway.

Also, seconding the no-bubble-bath deal - anything that I want to soak in is going to get me all irritated, if not into full-on yeast infection territory. I used to be okay with using baby wash but for some reason now that irritates the ladybits too. I've found that just plain water works about as well as anything else.

[Deleted03]

I had a kid with severe eczema and atopic dermatitis. This was when we stopped bathing them every day. My pediatric dermatologist was appalled that I did so and said most children simply don't need that.

I bathe them as needed. Where Kelly lives, granted, that might be every day. I also squirt baby shampoo into the bath because I think most bubble baths are too irritating. They still wash with soap, although the soapy water helps to get the spots that they missed. We also swim most evenings and rinse off in cool water afterward, so maybe this is why my kids don't seem to need a formal bath as often.

I don't really like group bathing. Little kids pee and poop in the water, and the older kids need privacy. And shampoo is more expensive than soap, so I'll continue to use both.

emmie, baby products are usually rated with the highest content of chemicals in them. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ you can find how much it's rated on that site.

that's why I love my shampoo bars, just the essential, no by product glycerin added, just lots of good butters :)

My friend coming from Madagascar has been taught to take a shower every other day and just wash her private part every day. I wish I could do that too, but I usually feel so dirty... anyway I think it's better, but I don't think that putting soap in a bath and letting them play equates washing your kids.... I mean can you please spend 3 min on each of your kid every day or is that too much to ask?

[Mommy22alyns]

Well, it's pretty damn hot here, which means we aren't actually going outside a lot. But the girls aren't being bathed every day at all. After swimming & playing outside, sure, but not after playing inside in the AC.