We really got the conversation going earlier in the year when we affirmed our varied bathing schedules for the kids. As I sit here unshowered, I realize that there are many days when I will skip the shower. There can always be more dishes to be done, laundry to fold, food to make, that can trump the bathing ritual, which is a daily one for many.
How often do you mamas get around to showering? Is it a must-do every day? Do you skip it every once in a while?
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I cannot function without a shower in the morning. For some it's coffee, for me it's a shower. :)
Posted by: squeakycleanmama | July 23, 2008 at 01:27 PM
I have to shower every morning. Like the poster above, I need a shower to wake up along with my coffee. Right now, with only a 17 month old, it works for us to shower together. She sits at the end of the tub with her toys and I then let her play in a shallow bath while I get ready. I know this probably won't last for long, but I am enjoying it while it lasts!
Posted by: Rachel | July 23, 2008 at 01:31 PM
I'm with the last 2 posters I have to have my morning shower or I am a very grumpy mom. When my daughter was little I would get up before my husband left for work just so I could get that shower in at the beginning of the day.
Posted by: Mary | July 23, 2008 at 02:05 PM
Like the above posters I need my morning shower to get going or I am a very grumpy mom. When my daughter was too young to be left alone while I showered I would get up early before my husband left just to get in the shower time in the morning.
Posted by: Mary | July 23, 2008 at 02:08 PM
I'm just as curious about when as I am about how often. Right now I shower during my baby's first nap (every day), but I am wondering what I will do when she drops that morning nap. Shower in the afternoon? Shower with baby? Shower before hubby leaves for work? I'm sure I'll figure it out!
Posted by: mm | July 23, 2008 at 02:08 PM
Cute question. Someone recently asked me what changed the most for me after becoming a mom (my bean is just over 2) and my answer was showering! I agree with the first few posts, I feel so much better after a shower, but I have to admitt there are days when I just never seem to get the opportunity! So i do it whenever I can.
Posted by: gpc | July 23, 2008 at 02:14 PM
A daily shower is totally needed for me or I feel really gross. In the morning my little one is usually asleep, if not he is happy playing in his crib witha a few toys (I can see him if I poke my head out of the shower) On my days off I usually shower before he gets up or during his first nap. Today he is home sick and neither of us has bathed. . .oh well . .. some times I can miss it.
Posted by: Shannon | July 23, 2008 at 02:17 PM
i love a good shower, but i definitely don't get to it daily. daily showers are a very western industrialized thing. i try to go without when i can. i make sure i'm clean for work, and since i only work part time since the babies, i am clean less often in the course of a week. i'll hop into my husband's bath water for a second sometimes before he gets in (he does construction....i'm cleaner!). i'll skip the hair wash whenever possible. i try to conserve water this way. and i don't think i smell. it certainly hasn't effected my health. i just get guilt-ridden over the gallons of drinkable water going down the drain for the luxury of a shower when i am really not that dirty and don't really have to be anywhere other than the park or the grocery store!
Posted by: dirtymom | July 23, 2008 at 02:51 PM
I shower almost every day. I work, so it's a shower before work. My son is 2 and he is almost always still asleep when I take a shower (he is a VERY late riser (9 to 10 am if he has it his way). If he's awake, my shower usually waits until after breakfast and he's dressed, then he hangs out in his crib and plays with toys while I shower. A friend of mine put a bucket in the shower to catch the excess water then used that water to flush her toilet during the day! Pretty cleaver and it saves all that water flushing down the toilet.
Posted by: Meg | July 23, 2008 at 03:39 PM
Okay. I'm the gross one! I work full time and shower every day during the week but often I'll go a whole weekend without showering. I wake up Sat morning, pull on the baseball cap and start moving and I don't stop until the Sunday night blues roll around. Unless of course I have a party or some special event. I will say I always brush my teeth, though!
Posted by: Kate | July 23, 2008 at 03:57 PM
With two kids I shower once every two to three days. I shower more if I am going to they gym. I have pretty dry skin and scalp so I try not to make it worse with all the hot water. I am another person who thinks we shower too much in this culture - who gets that dirty?
Posted by: Another dirty one | July 23, 2008 at 04:12 PM
I shower at least every other day. I showered more when I had an itty bitty one cause we showered together. Now I can't get in the damn bathroom because the surly teenager is shaving her legs and doing other beauty rituals that I am oppossed to.
I'm lucky if I can splash water on my face and brush my teeth. Example: Last night she took a shower and I was so excited because I thought I would get to take a morning shower for once. Nope. She was still in there for 30 minutes this morning, gazing upon her own countenance.
argh! and y'all wonder why I'm so damn crabby.
Posted by: ProtestMama | July 23, 2008 at 04:37 PM
another dirty one here! in the fall/winter/spring when i teach, i shower every other day and feel clean and fresh enough to be professional.
in the summer, it's about 3x/week, although with my bare feet and gardening, i sit on the edge of the tub every night and scrub the hell out of my feet and give my face a nice gentle wash. getting into bed with grody feet or unbrushed teeth skeeves me out so much that i lay awake until i can't stand it anymore. also, i don't use deoderant and haven't found that i'm funky enough for anyone to mind.
also, as some other mamas mentioned, i try to conserve as much water as possible, even to the extent (and chagrin of my family) of adhering to "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down."
Posted by: leslie | July 23, 2008 at 05:05 PM
I showered every morning, without fail when I was working. Now that I'm home with a baby, it depends on what I've got to accomplish that day. I'd say I probably shower 4-5 days a week. Sometimes I use his 30 minute morning nap to shower, get dressed and one or two things done around the house. Other times, I use his morning nap time to get bigger projects done. On the days I havent showered, if it's been a "dirty" day with lots of biking, cleaning or yard work, I'll hop in the shower that night before I go to bed, otherwise, I'll shower the next morning. My kids are both early risers so I never have the luxury of doing anything before they wake up. I'm usually wearing an outfit one notch up from pajamas when I drop my older son off at preschool and am more put together when I pick him up later in the day.
Posted by: Leah | July 23, 2008 at 06:57 PM
When my little one was an infant, I showered every morning with him in the car seat in the bathroom with me. Now that he is a big and busy toddler, I shower at night. I actually like it because it relaxes me and I get off all the drool, banana slime, and other dirt and particles from our fun days.
Posted by: Mary | July 23, 2008 at 08:50 PM
My schedule for showering didn't change all that much when I had kids, except for some exceptionally rough weeks with sleep/behavior/chores around the house. I'm another person with very dry skin and dry scalp, so I don't shower every day. I try to plan my showers for after I work out, and even then I only shower if I've really worked up a sweat, which means soccer games rather than gym workouts. Since my gym workouts are early in the morning, I often don't have time to shower before getting kids out of the house to school, so I splash some water on my face, get dressed and head out. I'd like to shower then, but don't have the time. By later in the day, I don't feel dirty and I know I'm not stinky, so I usually put it off for another day.
So I probably shower about 3 times a week, sometimes more and sometimes less. For those times when I shower frequently, I enjoy it, but I end up paying with itchy, rashy skin and scalp.
What I do appreciate now that my son is 8 and my daughter is 3? I can shower any time without waiting for nap time or corralling a toddler into the tub with me. That's luxury!
Posted by: Jan | July 23, 2008 at 09:35 PM
I have never liked showers. So, having a kid is a great excuse to be my ever-grubby self. I get one in a few times a week, whether I need it or not. I guess it's better for everyone that I have moved back to the farm....Fortunately my daughter has a clean father in the house who can teach her better hygiene....
Posted by: abby | July 23, 2008 at 09:35 PM
I've never been that fond of showering either. It always seems like kind of a chore, although I have to admit I feel better after. Before baby I would shower every work day. My job involves working outdoors with animals, so I would want to shower before bed. Now I'm working part time, so I have a part time showering schedule too.
When my baby was small showing become the high light of my day for a couple of months. I could put him in the bathroom in his car seat and the sound of running water and the fan would keep him happy. It was so peaceful. Now, at 7.5 months he is very active & no longer able to wait in the bathroom.
The baby is actually getting a bath more often than I am taking a shower! If someone had told me a few months ago that it would come to this I would never have believed them.
Posted by: cg | July 23, 2008 at 10:58 PM
I shower more in the summer and infrequently the other months. I am very fair and must wear goopy sunblock whenever out playing with the wee one in the sunny summer months. I cannot stand the feeling and sunblock blocks my pores, causing my body to go into overdrive to sweat it away. So I end up showering at least once a day when I've been outside for any period of time.
During the other 9-10 months where Portland is not so hot (allowing me to cover more skin with clothing as opposed to sunblock) or not-so-sunny, I think I average 2.2 showers a week. I take cat-baths in-between. I think it's better for my eczema-prone skin to avoid more frequent dunkings and I KNOW my hair looks better on the 2nd or even 3rd day post-washing. And I just have never had the time post-baby to shower more frequently.
Posted by: seasonallyclean | July 23, 2008 at 10:58 PM
Night shower every night. Best way to end the day, and I'm guaranteed to actually get into it. :)
Posted by: KE | July 24, 2008 at 01:35 AM
I work outside the home and during the week shower every day. I tend to skip it altogether on the weekends though, unless there's a special occasion.
Posted by: KM | July 24, 2008 at 07:36 AM
I wish I could shower every day! But I'm lucky if I get every other day. It was easier when I had only one. If she was awake, I would set her up in the bathroom with some toys. But now that there are two and the littlest one is into everything -- that doesn't work. So it becomes a question of sleep. Do I want to sleep a little longer or get up before the kids and shower. I've realized that as much as I like showering -- I like sleep more!!!!! So showering has become this little luxury for me. And my straightening iron has become my out of control hair fix!
Posted by: Shannon | July 24, 2008 at 07:55 AM
OK - I'll fess up. I was an every morning showerer when I worked outside the house, but now I'm every couple of days. But you know those mornings when you just can't get started without the shower? And you didn't get it in before they woke up? (2 and 4 year old boys for me) I turn on the TV for them and jump in the shower. It is rare enough that I know that they will sit spellbound in front of the moving pictures while I get my shower and not get in any trouble. Heck, I'm not even sure they move sometimes.
My rational is I'll be a better mom if I can shower on those days and Sesame Street is a positive show....
Posted by: Betsy | July 24, 2008 at 08:26 AM
Funny thread! I showered every day when I worked outside the home. The shower is such a great place to think!!
Now that I have a toddler, I shower about every 3 days. I do, however, wash my hair everyday. If I didn't do the hair, I would just feel yucky!
Posted by: Kristi | July 24, 2008 at 09:05 AM
The first couple of months after my son was born I showered every few days (sleep was much, much more valuable to me than getting clean). When I did manage to shower, I was lucky that he would happily hang out in the Moses basket on the bathroom floor.
Since he's been about 2 months old, I've been showering everyday. Now that he's 8 months and very mobile I just plop him in his pack and play at the bathroom door with some toys, or sneak a shower in during his naptime. If I don't shower, I just feel downright icky. I'm envious of you mamas that can shower at night. My hair would be a frizzy mess!
Posted by: Doreen | July 24, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Hahahaha. I am laughing at all the comments from everyone. I was amazed at the amount of input from everyone about this issue of showering. I have 2 young kids and work part time so a shower is must for me to get me going. Now as for the weekend, that's another story depending on how motivated I am. It's good to know that we all do different things depending on our lifestyles.
Posted by: Mommaof2 | July 24, 2008 at 12:31 PM
I need a daily shower for my sanity, the earlier the better. I try to squeeze it in while my baby sleeps or put the baby in the bouncer I have parked in the bathroom.
Posted by: Andi | July 24, 2008 at 04:07 PM
I, too, think showering is a chore, but I love the clean feeling so those conflicting feelings play out to about a shower every 2-3 days, unless I have somewhere to go (but school pick-up doesn't count).
However, having a baby around the house again (he's 3 months old), sleep definitely comes before cleanliness. So much so, I had to bribe myself with a bar off too-expensive soap from Lush just to get myself into the shower! I figure though, the water I am saving by showering less frequently will help offset the water I am using washing the cloth diapers.
Posted by: K | July 24, 2008 at 06:36 PM
Once when I was on maternity leave, my mom was helping me fold laundry and she asked: why do you only have one pair of underwear for every three pairs of your husband's? It was clear cut evidence that I showered at a rate 1/3 of my husband.
Although I still work FT, I will often work from home, and it seems that I will shower once every other day. When I worked FT outside of the home, I showered every morning, then did a shower rinse at the office if I had a noon-time run. In the winter, I like to preserve moisture and make a real effort to shower every other day, at minimum.
Dirty feet in bed gross me out, so I do like to wash my feet, especially in the summer time. Plus, it feels so good and refreshing on a warm summer night.
Posted by: olivia | July 24, 2008 at 11:24 PM
What a great question! I've often wondered how other moms schedule their day! When my daughter was an infant, I had one day where I didn't get to shower, brush my teeth, eat or anything. And I was a mess. That was the day I decided that no matter what I would shower and brush my teeth before she woke up. So I get up while my husband's still home and shower then, then (hopefully) get some personal time in the a.m. Personal time and shower are my coffee! (Well, that and coffee!) :)
Posted by: Jillian | July 25, 2008 at 06:42 AM
i take a bubbly bath every night after the kiddos (1.5 and 5) are asleep and just before i go to bed, but only do a 'full' shower (hair wash, shave, soapy scrub, etc.) about once a week. wait, is that gross?! fun thread!
Posted by: dirty girl! | July 25, 2008 at 01:40 PM
my long hair appreciated the oil that comes from only washing 4x a week. it's never been healthier or shinier!
Posted by: jessieB | July 25, 2008 at 11:13 PM
Oh, my daughter is 22 months old. Until recently, it was a shower every other day because it was just too much hassle with everything else going on. i sometimes came home during lunch and showered. When I first went back to work, I showered at work. As she got older, I was able to put her in the "neglectomatic" in the bathroom with me. She seemed to like it ("neglectomatic == exersaucer). Then, she outgrew it. My apartment was very childproof, and I could shower while she was engrossed with "Dragontales".
More recently, she really wants to shower with me, even if she isn't all that keen on having water in her face. We were doing it every day for about a week, but I noticed it really dried her skin out, so we are back to every other day. Moisturizers are touch and go for us fair haired ladies.
If I feel as though I can't stand myself, I take a shower before going to bed at night.
Posted by: sorta icky | July 26, 2008 at 01:02 PM
I love the idea about saving water from tub and shower to flush the toilet. Thank you!
I ride my bike to work and shower at the nearby gym every morning. I also confess that I value time in the tub after both girls are in bed - I don't always get it, but it's the only time I stop moving and hate to give it up. That probably makes me water hog - thanks for the tip on putting the water to use.
Posted by: whenever I can | July 28, 2008 at 01:12 AM
i just had baby #2, and this time hubby is working from home so i am so thankful to have my shower every morning. with my DS (now 6), i was never up early enough to grab one while he was home so i'd wait until my mom came to visit or he got home. i am not awake until i've had my shower, i notice the later i take my shower - the less i manage to get done the rest of the day. weird.
Posted by: amancia | July 28, 2008 at 01:28 PM
I used to think I needed a shower every day, but now I shower about once every three days. My skin doesn't get as dry and I like my hair more after a day or two. We had a French exchange student once who showered maybe every fourth or fifth day... it amazed me but it did help me realize that I didn't need a shower every day. (Plus, I get tired of the routine!)
Posted by: Jennifer | July 28, 2008 at 03:46 PM
I wish I could say I would be stink free and clean if I showered every few days. No deal! I work part-time, at work by 7 am, so a shower in the am is a must to wake up and feel clean and ready. Weekends, I still shower! Even if my plan is to lounge around, clean, garden, whatever, I still "need" to shower. I won't do my hair or anything, just put it in a pony-tail, but I still shower or bathe. In fact, call me the queen of water wasting...I have a "thing" about not being able to fully relax and go to bed unless I am clean and fresh. Yes, I take a shower in the morning to "rise and shine" and then a hotter one at night to relax, think, calm down and signal to my body that it's bedtime.
Eh, I am indeed neurotic about clean. My kids don't go to bed with grassy, dirty feet either; I have been known to plunk their bums on the bath-side to wash feet before bed if they've been playing in the grass or whatever.
Posted by: Denise | July 29, 2008 at 06:33 PM
During the week if I work, a shower is a must. On the weekends or if I'm working at home, I may forgo a shower. I have to wash my hair every day or so else it looks greasy and that's something I am not o.k. with.
Posted by: hau | July 31, 2008 at 10:19 PM
I find it important to shower frequently. I am not a mom, however. I think that smelling good is one of the most important things in life. I would recommend at least 2 showers, and preferably 3-5. I will shower at least three times per day myself.
Posted by: Matt | October 17, 2008 at 06:54 PM
Shower---every other day......now, SHAVING my legs.....that's a whole other ball game. (once a week if I'm lucky) Poor hubby.
Posted by: Jen Benelli | October 18, 2008 at 02:29 PM
I think it depends on your baby's age. If he /she is still too young, thrice a week would do. However, if your baby starts to get active, you have to make it regularly. You don't want your kid to suffer from skin problems.
Posted by: Skin Care Reviews | December 12, 2011 at 12:27 AM