Is playing all day in a paddling pool in the garden an adequate substitute for a proper bath?

Question

I kept my boys to a proper bathtime routine every night as it was part of their winding down ready to sleep.I mean a proper hot (warm in Summer) bath with soap and hair washed especially on a Sunday.

Even when mine had been swimming they went into the bath before bed - in fact especially so as I needed to wash off any remaining chemicals/germs and so on and the same applies to a paddling pool I would say (well not the same chemicals but germs build up throughout the day especially in a hot Summer).

Answer 1

Well no I wouldn't of thought so, I brought my youngest in and made him have a bath even though he'd been playing in a neighbours paddling pool most of the day.

Answer 2

Paddling in a backyard pool is not necessarily a substitute for a proper bath, but I disagree that a child needs a bath every single night.  Baths and showers are wonderful ways to wind down every night, but unless kids are really dirty or sweaty, or loaded with suntan lotion or bug spray, they don't need to take a bath every day, and certainly don't need to wash their hair every day.  (And you'll find when your kids are school age that it's better not to wash their hair every day, because lice love to cling to clean hair!)

So if my kids were reasonable clean I wouldn't stress about skipping a bath unless they'd never washed off all the chlorine.

Answer 3

Eh not to me, but it sure would be fun! :)  A bath after swimming will help wash chemicals off from the water that could be irritants on some children.

I hope your boys had fun though :)  My children get bathes every other day because daily bathing can over dry the skin, as our doctor has told us.

*M*-  LOL.  Thanks for the laugh!

Answer 4

My kids, 2 and 3 live in our screened/in-ground pool during the summer.  They get a bath every other day before bed, more often if necessary.  Sometimes I give them a "pool bath", soap,shampoo the works.  They love it!  Children's skin can dry if bathed everyday.  People have varied opinions regarding daily baths. I for one enjoy the off nights for baths, it gives me more time to read or snuggle with them.

Answer 5

In my world any contact with water - bath, swimming etc counts as a bath - I wouldn't bath children everyday, they need to build up the oils on their skin etc. Unless they are really dirty two or three times a week is fine at most

Answer 6

no. what exactly is the question? just keep giving them routine baths.

Answer 7

It will not do any harm and is good getting them used to the water,

Answer 8

bet they have allergy's you can be to clean

Answer 9

No way--all the filthy germs and chemicals in the pool--should definitely have a bath as well.

Answer 10

If we go to the pool, we shampooed at the pool.

Answer 11

no matter if they sit in a pool all day my son would still have a bath shower as you are still in dirt no matter how clean the water is i am the same to would still have a bath as things tend to fly in pools when it's warm.

Answer 12

If there were substantial chemicals in the water, then yes, it makes sense to do so. Otherwise, I think you are just making more work for yourself.  During the summer, my siblings and I only took a bath once a week because hair needed shampooing. Otherwise, we were in the pool all the time.  My mom used minimal chemicals in this temporary above ground pool.  Heck, we didn't even take a bath after swimming at the clay hole (abandoned clay pit now a municipal swimming place).

BTW, bathing children daily isn't very good for their skin.

Answer 13

I give my lo a bath every other night on the normal days. The days she spends outside must end with a hot bath including hair washing. Playing at the pool is, for me, dirtier than staying around the house simply playing.

Answer 14

No, a proper bath should be taken in the bathtub.

Answer 15

my mum used to get my nanny to heat my paddeling pool up for me and add bubble bath n stuff so on warm days i could have a bath out side

Answer 16

my lil one has a bath every night even after being in the paddling pool to remove the sweat sun cream and grass of him. i think you always feel better after a bath and cleaner and as you say its part of his routine and he knows after a bath its milk then bed!

i could never put him to bed after being in a paddling pool and not bathing him..yuck!

Answer 17

kids need to be around a fair amount of germs so that their bodies can learn to fight off illness. i'm sure skipping bath time just this once wont hurt.

Answer 18

I have to agree with you here, I bath after they play in the pool. Especially if the pool has chemicals in it.

My tot's live in the pool here during Summer time, and honestly it gets pretty gross during the day. They are in and out, carting dirt and everything else in to it.

Yes, I say they need bathing.

Answer 19

Is this another dig at your daughter in law Joan, has she let HER children play all day in the pool and not bathed them??   Just because YOU think YOU brought YOUR children up perfectly doesn't mean others think the same

Answer 20

It won't hurt. Kids need to be exposed to germs or they won't build a good immune system and as for the germs in the paddling pool, well most of them will have come from your grandsons in the first place.

Just let them relax and enjoy their childhood Joan. What you see as a routine looks to me and others like some sort of regimented boot camp.