Shower before school?

[Madi]

Do your kids shower before school/going out for the day?

I used to make sure the kids had a shower in the morning when they were still in nappies, but once they were night dry, I just got out of the habit.

I was thinking how much I enjoy having a wake up shower, and wondering if it's something I should reinstate..... not sure how much of a cramp that would put in the getting ready routine though!

[kateking]

I just play it by ear. We always have showers before PJ's every night so they go to bed clean. (Little boys feet would destroy sheets otherwise!!!) However morning shower is more "by request" or if they wake up and are irritable I usually get them to have one as the water puts them in a better mood and I allow them longer in there to just chill out and play with their toys while the shower (on low) gently sprinkles them :)

[SpringMumma]

The girls have showers in the morning before school/daycare/work. Because we both work (and study) FT, it's so hard to get them to have a bath or shower at night after we've done homework, had dinner etc. And as we both shower of a morning before we go to work, it's easiest if they just jump in with one of us (I tried to have both girls in there this morning with me, and it was a little bit crowded :2lol). Usually Miss 3 gets in with me while DH & Miss 7 sleep, then Miss 7 gets in after us, then DH after her. So for us, it's way easier to do it of a morning than at night - plus it means we all get our wake up call together!

[Kali]

It depends on what time you are up. We ditched the morning shower and started having showers before bedtime when DS started school. I found it was much easier to get organised without that one big job to do three times over.

[michelle_j_r]

i'd go with what's easier for your routine and whenever it's easier to get the kids in the shower.

I know for me personally i love a night time shower. I sleep better when my skin feels fresh. And the boys play in the yard all day so their feet (and usually the rest of them) is filthy so they need a bath at night. I don't see the point for us for another shower in the morning. I don't feel any better for a morning shower. And the kids are far too busy first thing in the morning to want to have to have a bath then.

[Madi]

We always have a shower at night, no ifs, ands, or buts about it!
I might just give it a try getting the kids to have a shower in the morning as well before term starts and see how it works in getting them up and ready.

Personally, I feel like I always want a shower in the morning. It's like cleaning teeth - You go to bed with clean teeth, but after ten hours, even though you haven't eaten anything, they need a refresh! When I caught the train to work in the city everyday it was amazing (and gross) how many people smelled like stale beds or dirty clothes. Blergh.

[Karena]

We are in a great routine of having a bath at night. I'm very wary of changing that seeing that it works great, but recently Harry has asked if he could have a shower in the morning. May try it in the holidays when we have more time and see how it goes, but he still has a bath at night, as he and Brocky are soooo dirty at the end of the day.

[mama_bel]

We also shower at night and hardly anyone showers in the morning here. At night we are all dirty and yuk from work or farm or garden etc. Morning showers here are good for washing hair, shaving legs etc. I also shower in the afternoon most of the time, after I milk, then another quick 2 min shower at bedtime 'cos by then I'm dirty from going back outside barefoot or cooking or whatever.

Our kids' morning routine, whether home or going out is "get dressed, hair, teeth, face". Washing your face helps to wake you up. :)

[Kali]

One tip about morning showers, get them to have a shower after breakfast. Nothing worse than spilled milk on school clothes all day!

[Madi]

One tip about morning showers, get them to have a shower after breakfast. Nothing worse than spilled milk on school clothes all day!


Good call! :2lol

[Kali]

Silly me, I had to learn that the hard way.

[Savannah]

I used to shower morning and night until we lived on a farm in rural west aus where I learnt to value water a lot more. Now that we live in a place that has plenty of water, I am still can't have a morning shower every day. I guess I feel guilty to enjoy the water when other's can't...?

Anyway, we only have morning showers if it is to wash hair or if DS wet the bed. I can't sleep well without a night shower and normally we are grubby with sweat or dirt.

A splash of water on the face in the morning is wonderful for waking up as Bel mentioned.

[Hailstorm]

We shower at night, I don't like the idea of Haze walking to school with wet hair (even if I'm not washing her hair it still gets pretty wet)

[Ethereal]

I have a friend who does it very successfully, but she does routine waaaaaay more successfully than me :laugh. They have a quick (and I mean quick) shower to wake up of a morning and it's like all outta bed (she has 4 kids) then one after the other through a wake up wash and dressed and brekky. Hair is done then off to school. Evening showers are the norm as well but aren't as regimented (unless we stay there and then getting 9 through the routine is regimented believe me :p). Yet she somehow has this structure going that allows a looseness to other parts of the day.

We have bath or shower if hair needs washing (4 daughters & 1 long haired son - crikey!) in the afternoon/evening. Unless there's a need in the morning. The idea of showering them all in the morning makes me feel slightly queasy as they are swamp monsters in the bathroom. Cleaning that up twice a day, I'll pass!!

I'm like Sav in that I feel different about water from traveling (there were washcloth baths daily and 2 inches of water for kids baths and showered once a week) in the bus plus you see many areas that don't have water and you learn to go without. Learn to flush less etc etc.

Anyhoo, I favour clean clothes (cereal-less like Kali said lol) and general hygiene (extra teeth brushing for example) over a daily morning shower :).

[boy wrangler]

I can't justify two showers a day unless there is real need, poo accident or similar. Water is just too precious to me to waste on two showers a day. Even after we moved from Brisbane's full on water restrictions and up here to town water with very few restrictions, we were still stingy with water. One shower a day for grown ups, boys in the bath together with a teeny bit of water, flushing after poos but not every wee, rinsing dishes for the dishwasher into the sink with the plug in and collecting the water through the day etc etc. Even now that we're on tank water that is overflowing with the rain and an underground bore I'm trying to loosen up, but I'm still a water nazi!

I reckon if the kids are used to bathing at night then keep it going and they'll be fine. People probably smell like stale beds because they don't clean teeth, brush hair etc in the morning and they probably hardly ever change their sheets too!

[lucylu]

We hardly ever bath in the morning. I just am not that organised.

Also, in winter, I find I can often get away with not putting the booster on for the hot water if it has had all day to heat up.

[Rinelle]

I'm a morning shower person myself. Far too tired for the whole hassle of finding clothes and getting dry and dressed at nighttime.

Ezri has a bath when she feels like it, usually 3-4 times a week, sometimes 3 times a day! If she's muddy, she can either have a bath, or a quick rinse off in the shower. Usually in the middle of the day.

[chaos]

totally not a morning person, so the idea of getting all the kids through the shower in the morning makes me cringe!

our routine is showers at night so that the kids are all clean to go to bed, but I generally prefer a morning shower for myself, unless I've been to derby training, in which case I'll shower at night out of necessity! I hate going to bed with wet hair though!

[Jamie]

We would never have the time!

[Madi]

Growing up we had to bucket water up from the creek, heat it on the wood stove, then pour it into a canvas bag with a shower head on it, so I'm pretty aware of water conservation. In fact, I would defy anyone to have a quicker shower than me :2lol I imagine my two showers in a day uses less water than most people's one a day.

Anyhoo, I guess my question wasn't so much whether it's ethical to have a second shower a day as whether it helps or hinders in the before school routine. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how frantic the school morning is as to whether it works for us. Thanks all!

[boy wrangler]

:2lol probably!

I'm nervous about the before kindy routine for next year too and I've already started changing our mornings so that we're all ready and dressed to go by 8:30 (Kindy starts at 9) but that hasn't been doing lunch, finding sheets, packing bags etc so I'm imagining it'll be a bit more chaotic!

Good luck! You're so organised I'm sure you'll be fine!

[Ethereal]

I imagine my two showers in a day uses less water than most people's one a day.

Anyhoo, I guess my question wasn't so much whether it's ethical to have a second shower a day as whether it helps or hinders in the before school routine. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how frantic the school morning is as to whether it works for us. Thanks all!

Probably - if I skip 3 days I have 3 days worth in one shower :2lol.

I'm sure you'll do great with the routine too, it's amazing how quick it becomes normal. I'd honestly forgotten all those pre-school routine feelings, trying to remember but it's all a darn big blur of coping :laugh.

[Phoenix]

I too think you will find out a routine that suits pretty quickly. If for the first couple of mornings you do it without the shower, see if you would have time for it and add it if you think it would be beneficial. (Which I am sure you will do a lot of over the next 13 years of schooling :2lol)

[cherish]

I wouldn't have time to shower/bath the kids in the morning.. no way- there's enough to do..

I always shower in the morning- can't go out without a shower.. and sometimes in the evening.. depends..

my kids don't always get a bath at night if they're exhausted, or I'm exhausted.. it's not a biggie to me.. I mean- my kids are clean.. but if they skip a night here or there the world isn't going to stop turning..

[Lisa]

Add me to the list of people who would not get out of the door on time if I tried morning showers before school. I do as much as possible the night before.

[Savannah]

Growing up we had to bucket water up from the creek, heat it on the wood stove, then pour it into a canvas bag with a shower head on it, so I'm pretty aware of water conservation. In fact, I would defy anyone to have a quicker shower than me :2lol I imagine my two showers in a day uses less water than most people's one a day.

Anyhoo, I guess my question wasn't so much whether it's ethical to have a second shower a day as whether it helps or hinders in the before school routine. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how frantic the school morning is as to whether it works for us. Thanks all!

Sorry Madi, I didn't mean to sound like I was judging your water use. I was simply stating that I can't shower in the morning now without thinking about living without water on the farm. Our neighbours only shower once a day and use twice as much water as we do. You don't need to go without to have respect for water.

[lucylu]

my kids don't always get a bath at night if they're exhausted, or I'm exhausted.. it's not a biggie to me.. I mean- my kids are clean.. but if they skip a night here or there the world isn't going to stop turning..
Mine don't have a bath every night either (neither do i!) - we're saving the ducks :2lol