Parents Say They 'Very Rarely' Bathe Their Toddler — Only When She Asks Them To
Their toddler went without a bath or shower "for the first whole part of her childhood."
Ann Rodchua | Shutterstock Hygiene can be a touchy subject. It’s a personal matter that lots of people have very strong opinions on. Regardless, there will always be some people who insist on sharing their hygiene habits with the world online, and in cases like these, it’s not surprising that they faced some backlash.
That was the case when Dear Media posted a TikTok clip from "The Skinny Confidential Podcast" featuring guests Serenity and Joe Carr discussing their daughter's hygiene habits with host Lauryn Evarts. The Carrs discussed how often they bathe their children. They shared that their daughter “didn’t have a bath for like five months of her life,” and that they only bathe her “if she asks for it,” or if she’s “exceptionally dirty.”
Parents Serenity and Joe Carr said they didn’t bathe their daughter ‘for the first whole part of her childhood.’
Serenity and Joe are parents to a little girl named Della and owners of a healthy baby snack brand, Serenity Kids. The couple, while appearing on Evarts' podcast, explained that they wanted to “keep her skin microbiome healthy and intact,” believing that even rinsing with water would expose their child to “chlorine and all kinds of other preservatives and different chemicals.”
Validating their guests, Evarts' husband and co-host, Michael Bosstick, described the bathing habits as “coming back to a more primal way of life.” Evarts chimed in once again and claimed that “as a mother, you have the intuition to know when they need a bath.”
Unsurprisingly, comments on the video were not entirely supportive. “My mother's intuition says my child needs a bath daily,” one person commented. Others said, “This is why not everyone needs a podcast,” and “How do these people have a platform?”
Babies and toddlers don't need daily baths, but every child's needs are different.
When it comes to parenting, everyone has an opinion. Unfortunately, it's never just a "you do you" situation. People get heated when different parenting choices come into play. That doesn't mean there's a clear right and wrong, however.
Pediatrician Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD, FAAP, is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He explained that when it comes to babies, especially itty bitty just-born ones, the professional consensus is they don't need to be bathed right away, which was something most hospitals used to do within an hour of birth. Now, however, Dr. Navsaria insisted that's not recommended, and most doctors would urge parents to wait at least 24 hours.
Additionally, he stressed that babies should only receive sponge baths until their umbilical cord stump falls off, which can take up to two weeks. But here's the interesting thing: unless there is some medical reason that an infant should be bathed or they somehow get dirty, it's healthier for them not to bathe, especially in the traditional sense with soap and water. They don't sweat, so there really isn't a reason for it.
Bathing too soon can not only mess with an infant's ability to regulate their body temperature, raising the risk for hypothermia, but a study found that delaying a bath, especially right after birth, helps improve bonding and latching success for breastfeeding moms. Another interesting tidbit Dr. Navsaria mentioned was the health of a baby's skin. Baby's are apparently born with a waxy white substance on their skin called Vernix. It's a natural moisturizer, and it also has anti-bacterial properties that protect the infant in those early months. It's best not to wash that off.
When it comes to toddlers, things change a bit. Healthline recommends parents bathe toddlers 2-3 times a week. This prevents kids' skin from getting dried out and allows them to build resistance to germs and bacteria without going overboard. Obviously, if they roll around in a mud puddle with regularity, that changes things. But basically, if babies and kids aren't overly dirty, there's no reason to force them into a daily bathing schedule.
Parents and caregivers who had experience with toddlers were floored by the video.
“My kids are literally filthy every single day. I can’t imagine letting them go to bed like that,” said one user. “Do the kids of these parents just not play or eat?”
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“I don't know no child who doesn’t smell nor aren’t dirty after running around and playing in the playground… smh kids get bullied for smelling,” said another user. One commenter added, “Yeah I have an eight-month-old. Every mealtime requires a bath.”
A few commenters asked if not bathing your child for months at a time would count as neglect. Others responded by pointing out how factors like race and class could play into this consideration. “It is! And if they weren’t white parents they’d get sent to CPS,” said one user. Another responded, “If they were poor or POC their children would have been taken.”
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions on personal hygiene, but if you choose to share them online, don't be surprised if you face some pushback! That being said, it's obvious that the Carrs love their daughter. They don't want to cause her any harm. This is a parenting choice that they are entitled to make. Other parents don't have to like it, and that means they can choose an entirely different approach to hygiene. Turns out, however, even if little Della is bathed a lot less than recommended, it sounds like the experts all agree that when it comes to little ones, especially infants, less is more in the bathing department.
Jessica Bracken is a writer living in Davis, California. She covers topics related to culture, human interest, and relationships.
