SHOWERGATE: THE BIG BATH DEBATE
Splish, splash … no one’s taking a bath, apparently? You may have caught a whiff (pun intended) of the latest brouhaha in the celeb parenting world, and if you didn’t, allow us to sum up. In recent weeks, celebrity parents like Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard opened up a can of worms after admitting that they don’t exactly bathe their kids on what anyone would consider a regular schedule. They subscribe more to the Sniff Test - if ya stink, ya get the sink. Which got us thinking - are there actually bath “rules” for kids? We went straight to the experts on this hot (water) topic to get the 411.
PROFESSIONALS WEIGH IN
The American Academy of Dermatology does have guidelines for bathing kids ages 6-11; according to the AAD, giving kids this age a bath at least once or twice a week (!!!) is perfectly fine. They can bathe daily, obviously, but it’s not exactly necessary. But what about kids under 6?
We chatted with board certified pediatrician and mom, Dr. Mona Amin, to get the bathing down low. Dr. Mona said, "There's no need to bathe your 0-5 year-old everyday. Shooting for 3 times a week is a good baseline. Remember, bathing your baby too much can actually dry out their skin." Meaning, in theory, don't sweat about taking the night off! It’ll do wonders for your sanity. Into to daily baths? #youdoyou "Bathing can be a great part of a bedtime routine, so if you like it and your child's skin seems to be drying out, simply use lukewarm water and no soap!" said Dr. Mona.
TIME FOR A BATH OR NOT?
Now that we've cleared that up, with the poop and the barf and the touching of things and licking of even dirtier things, it can feel like your kid is a walking petri dish. So we took it one step further (you're welcome) & combed through some of the most common WTF scenarios parents face and asked Dr. Mona to weigh in on when a bath is actually needed.
IT AIN’T EASY BEING CLEAN (BUT IT CAN BE)
So, there you have it, the great bath-time debate unravelled. Whether you're team 'daily bath' or 'sniff-and-scrub,' the key is to keep it simple and enjoyable. After all, parenting should be a breeze, even when it comes to bath time.
