spinoff from the washing thread....

[charmarty]

Do you make your young kids wash with soap?
And do you have them scrub the southern regions esp?

I will add my post in that thread to give you a little background.

[charmarty]

hmmm........ I am feeling like I am the only one who does not give my kids soap.

They bathe in a mixture of baking soda, Sea Salt and Epsom Salt. No need for soap as well. About once every 2 weeks they wash with a shampoo ( thier hair) and they do not like me oto help. There has been a very few occasions when they have asked for help but not usually. I actually think them just being in the bath is good enough for a cleaning.


That being said, they are not potty trianed for the poop yet so i have to wipe thier bum with a wipe after they poop. They are 5.2. I will continue to do it until they are ready to move on whatever age that they be. I do have to add that I have asked them if they would rather themselves wipe thier vaginal area on thier own after tehy poop. The answer is, "No Mommy, you do it. I don't like Poop." :lol Can't say I blame them.

So am I the only one who does not make thier kid scrub the netherlands? And esp with soap? they have never had a yeast nor baldder infection and no rashes either. I am wondering if we should be doing more now.
:D

[FrederickMama]

I know alot of adults who don't use soap for their "southern regions".
I think it's fine if you have no problems so far.
Why change something that is working?

[UnschoolnMa]

I never made them wash with soap, and truthfully I didn't really care on their bodies if they used soap or not. Warm water seemed good enough to me. :shrug I did tell them about how shampooing their hair (or baking soda) is to get some of the excess oils out etc. They were cool with that.

[RubyWild]

Do you make your young kids wash with soap?
And do you have them scrub the southern regions esp?

I will add my post in that thread to give you a little background.

We use an all natural shampoo for washing everything. Bar soap is too strong for me, and I never use soap on mucous membrane such as on female genitalia.

[~member~]

And do you have them scrub the southern regions esp?
Why would anyone ever scrub their southern regions? I guess mine have never gotten dirty enough to need to scrub.
Or are you using the word scrub as something else?

[Ruthla]

I make ds wash his hands with soap (NOT antibacterial) after using the toilet.

Bathtime is warm water with epsom salts and lavender oil if I bathe him or bubble bath if he takes a bath with his big sisters.

[kamilla626]

Dd's bath is just warm water and about 1/4 cup of baking soda. I will wash her with a wash cloth if she has something specific - like peanut butter or paint - on her, but I feel like just letting her play in the water is enough. I almost never use soap in the bath. Occasionally she will ask to "play with the floaty soap" (Ivory) but even then she just plays with the soap, she doesn't get scrubbed.

For her hair, I just pour bath water over her head and brush it when it's dry. Every couple weeks daddy will shampoo it, but more because HE likes to do it.

[zoebugsmom]

dd washes herself in the tub. If she asks for bubbles she gets them but otherwise she just gets oatmeal or apricot oil in the tub. Her hair gets washed and conditioned once every 2-3 weeks. She does wash her hands with bar soap after using the toilet and before eatting.

[Irishmommy]

I do not allow them to use soap on their privates. My 5yo doesn't need to use it anywhere generally as she spends so long in the bath that all the dirt comes off anyway. My 11yo only showers, and she has hit puberty, so soap in her oxters is a necessity.

[charmarty]

Why would anyone ever scrub their southern regions? I guess mine have never gotten dirty enough to need to scrub.
Or are you using the word scrub as something else?

scrub= wash in that sense for me.

[LavenderMae]

Normally my kids play in the bath and do not use soap or they play in the shower again not using soap. I do wash their hair with shampoo maybe once a week but probably not even that often. I will also give my son a head to toe soapy cleaning once in awhile and ask my dd to do the same to herself. I do have them wash their hands with soap and warm water we have been out and about or playing outside.

[eilonwy]

My kids often take several baths a day because they enjoy it. I only use soap on the poopy bits, and kid's shampoo on their hair 2 or 3 times a week (depending on how dirty they are). If they take more than one bath on any given day, they only use soap once. I've washed my hair and body with baking soda before and it left me feeling dirty, demoralized, depressed, and feeling ugly (my hair was *unbearably* dry afterwards, and impossible to do anything with). It sucked, and I'd never do that to my kids.

[skye's mama]

We also don't use soap. Just plain warm water. And I don't worry about having them specifically wash anywhere either, except aound their faces if they have a lot of food there that is not coming off with the splashing. We did have some bubble bath awhile back, but it was just for the fun of bubbles not for cleanliness. Alas, the gentle stuff seems to be very expensive, so I didn't buy anymore.

They don't really like to have their hair washed. I give it a try once in a blue moon.

I stopped using soap myself completely for a couple of years. Then a (woman) doctor told me I should really use something, and so I started again. But unless I have something specific like bike grease on me, it really just seems completely unnecessary.

As for "southern regions", I also thought it was bad to use soap there, especially anything antibacterial. I find rinsing with warm water completely sufficient.

[Sharlla]

We use soap, but not down there. It stings when you pee afterward.

[Mom4tot]

We sometimes use soap. but not in the Netherlands. Although, now and then, we do Benny's wingy in a lttle soap...he isn't circ'd, I'm assuming he's clean...but, I'm not always sure?? Once in awhile, we soap there, it is usually homemade soap from a friend. He soaks i the tub, too. Ellie uses soap on her underarms. We did use soap in the summer here and there when 'dirty'.

[charmarty]

As a wpman with natural secretions and an active sex life, I use soap everytime I shower. I don't feel clean otherwise. OTOH I see no need for my dd's to use it yet.

[Wabi Sabi]

As a wpman with natural secretions and an active sex life, I use soap everytime I shower. I don't feel clean otherwise.

:yeah:

As for DS, he's only one so he really doesn't get that dirty. I figure the hot water is good enough for him most of the time. However, on occasion I do lather up his little bottom and boy bits when he has stinky-butt or a really messy poop. Not all the time, just when needed. I also use a drop or two of shampoo on his head when he's got something funky crusted in his hair. Most of the time though we just stick to plain water.

I wouldn't use soap on a little girl- I remember how irritated and sore I used to get as a little girl just from my Mr. Bubbles. Ouch!

[MotherWhimsey]

We don't use soap either. We wash our hair with baking soda and I scrub myself with it, so we don't own shampoo. DD usually gets clean just fine soaking in a bath with baking soda. If she's got something really stuck on her, then I use burts bees baby soap. I only wash her hair with the burts bees if it looks dirty... but usually just rinsing with bath water does just fine. She has some skin problems and if we use anything on her, she breaks out in a head to toe rash. And her ped is the one that told us not to wash her hair with anything unless it was visibly dirty.

[mthomas]

I use soap when I wash the netherlands as mom4tot put it :lol . But DD stopped using soap when she said it made her itchy. I just stopped helping her clean her vagina this year (she's 6). She became uncomfortable and started expressing a certian amt of modesty and I respected that. I just remind her to clean herself while she showers. Sometimes she doesnt and she can get a little stinky. So I remind her extra times the next day. lol
DH is the ds bathgiver. I think he just lathers up his hand w/baby soap and kinda washes. I know that he's usually more concerned w/the cleanliness of ds' bootie than his penis, tho.

[FrederickMama]

I don't mean to be picky ............but, I doubt you've cleaned your daughters vagina. Vulva most likely.

Again, not picking on anyone - just a pet peeve.

Thanks for listening.

[johub]

My kids bathe like twice a week and I always wash their hair and the Netherlands with baby wash.
My water heater was out last week and dd went 5 days without a bath with soap (she had been cleaned with wipes and warm washcloths) and her bum just STANK like a dirty diaper no matter how clean I tried to make it with wipes.
Joline

[oldchick]

I have never heard of the term "netherlands" before. What is up with that? Do you not think it just may be offensive to someone who lives in the Netherlands? Ummm lets call our vulva "America" Yes, I'm off to take a shower and to wash my America. :nut

[johub]

You are right. I have used "nether region" but "Netherlands" did really seem clever. It was short sighted not to consider that before using it.

[Mom4tot]

I have never heard of the term "netherlands" before. What is up with that? Do you not think it just may be offensive to someone who lives in the Netherlands? Ummm lets call our vulva "America" Yes, I'm off to take a shower and to wash my America. :nut

I actually do call my vulva America, isn't that funny??


Want to know what we call dh's............... :p

[EnviroBecca]

I think it's more important to wash a diaper-wearing child's bottom (and leg creases!) than the genitals. EnviroBaby gets washed all over, including hair, w/small amount of mild soap during his bath once or twice a week, but only his bottom gets really thorough attention. In the summer when we were taking a bath every night, I still washed him only a couple of times a week; the other baths were just for playing in the water.

For myself, I use Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap all over except my hair (which I wash w/apple cider vinegar), and private areas get thoroughly lathered. I don't think this is too harsh for me as I don't get irritations or infections.

edited to add: Somebody mentioned irritation from "just" Mr. Bubble. While that is marketed for kids, it's actually an extremely harsh detergent w/added coloring, and it causes so much genital irritation that my pediatrician's office when I was a kid had a flyer up warning parents against that specific product! When we take bubble baths, we use our plant-based dish soap.

[Robert Goodman]

Somebody mentioned irritation from "just" Mr. Bubble. While that is marketed for kids, it's actually an extremely harsh detergent w/added coloring, and it causes so much genital irritation that my pediatrician's office when I was a kid had a flyer up warning parents against that specific product! When we take bubble baths, we use our plant-based dish soap.
Mr. Bubble got that reputation in the 1960s, when it and several other brands of powdered "all-family" bath foams (unscented "fun baths" marketed via supermarket) had compositions similar to those of laundry detergents. It's been reformulated several times since, and its liquid version was never that harsh, but the reputation obviously lives on. I'm an expert on the subject, having invented an even foamier and milder mixture.

Robert

[corhorvath]

When I was pregnant with my first daughter, my doctor told me to not use soap on my private parts-and that using soap actually leads to "reactions". I don't want to say yeast infections because I can't remember if that's what he said. But, our vaginas are clean and clean themselves-unless you have an infection.

Also, if you don't have an infection, urine is sterile. So, using soap is actually harsh on our system that is already working to clean itself. I have myself and 2 girls so I have no idea what protocol may be for boys. Now, for the back end, yes, I use soap and have my daughter use soap. My second daughter's only 6 mos.

I have my daughter clean with water in a downward stroke-from front to back. Then, she uses soap on the back end.

[JamesMama]

I don't use soap on my girly bits...nor do I really wash DS's penis...I wipe if off when I change his diaper and it soaks in the water while he takes a bath.

For his body I use baby soap.

[Evan&Anna's_Mom]

Both of my kids bathe or shower every day. They both spend a long time playing in the water, which I figure gets them reasonably clean. Both also do a brief rub with baby wash/liquid bath gel including a wash of their bottoms. I don't do any of it for them, but they are 7 and 3, so no need any more. We have taught 7 YO DS how to rinse his penis better after he had a nasty infection. But no soap there. They wash their hair at least 2 times a week with kid's shampoo. Lately they are in love with the chocolate one I bought for them and have done their hair every night for the last week. They have never complained of any irritation and they smell nice, so I'm happy with this routine.

[becoming]

DD (11 months) normally has a warm water only bath every night (because she loves them, not because she needs them), and I wipe her with a wet washcloth at the end. I don't wash her bottom at all. She sits in the water for at least 10 minutes, so I figure the soaking gets those parts clean enough. I don't add soap or anything to her water because I had really bad UTIs when I was a small child caused by bubble bath, and they are very painful. Occasionally I will put a dab of baby soap on a washcloth and wipe her with it, but only when she's really grubby. Her hair gets washed with water only unless it's got something funky in it, in which case I use lavender & chamomile baby shampoo (not sure what brand it is). This happens maybe twice a week.

DS (5) insists on showering every other night and using "man soap," which is his daddy's Axe body wash. That's a battle I'm not going to fight. He has very oily hair, so he uses Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo. I don't supervise his washing anymore, so whether he washes his bottom and penis is his business. I know he does soap up pretty well, so I figure between that and the shower water, he gets clean.

[KayasMama04]

I always put a small amount of baby wash in dds (2) tub. I rarely wash her hair unless it really is yucky (food, sweat etc). I will run a cloths or hand across her lower half to make sure nothing is there.

[Yooper]

I do not use soap or shampoo on dd. She soaks for like 2 hours once every two weeks or so. She smells fine and her hair is not greasy so I figure she is clean enough. I like to be frugal so I like to avoid buying unnecessary products. I use baking soda on my hair about once a week and do wash with Bronners when I feel the need but most days I just rinse off really well. I do not wash any part of dd. But we use cloth toilet wipes and she often uses damp ones after a BM so that probably is enough.

[Storm Bride]

DD bathes in warm water, which is mostly sufficient, imo. I do shampoo and condition her hair (it helps me get through the tangles - dd's hair is really long). Soap is a sometimes thing...if she's got a really bad dirty patch that's greasy or just won't come off, I'll sometimes use a little bit of soap. Aside from that, no. She gives her genitals a quick wipe, but just with the bath water, not with soap. I don't use a lot of soap, myself - mostly for shaving, not for washing.

[kwren23]

everybody here washes hands with soap after using the potty or going to a public place. as for showering they both use dr bronners extra mild castile soap. the baby absolutely hates water so she only gets washed once evey other week at most, but we wash all of the bits and creases and rinse her good as quickly as possible with the screaming and flailing, because she usually needs it at that point. i do wipe her down every other day or so with a warm washcloth, no soap. the big guy plays hard and is perpetually dirty and sweaty so he bathes every night. i dont know how thorough he is but i'm assuming he gets everything clean that needs it. he uses shampoo/conditioner happily.

[Sharlla]

I don't make the boys use soap, once DS1 got some in his pee hole and was crying for like 20 mins. I always wash with soap down there, washing without it just doesn't do the trick. I've never had any infection down there as a result from using soap.

[mamalisa]

I use shampoo on dd, she's got tons of hair and gets a good wash about every 2 weeks. I only use soap on her booty and behind her ears(they get so gross), the rest I just let soak clean. We wash her hands a few times a day with soap, mostly because getting into the dog food is like a hobby for her :lol


Ds still uses "baby" soap because he likes the way it smells. I'm not sure how well he soaps up, he takes his own shower and he doesn't ever stink, so he must be doing ok. He has thick hair so it holds smells and needs a good washing every few days.

I use soap because I have a thing for my tingly Dr. Bronners :D

Dh only soaps his bottom half and pits. He's very unstinky and most soaps dry his skin out horribly.