Bathing

I have already divulged how I have skimped on my own bathing habits lately, but I have failed to mention that the lack of bathing seems to have trickled down to my children as well. I realize this is entirely my fault, as bath time has always been one of my least favorite activities.

I wasn't always so lax about cleanliness. When Damon was a baby, he had a bath every day, regardless if we were out late or not at night. I realize now that I probably contributed in large part to the eczema he had as a baby, thus requiring special creams and lotions (if only he could've gotten them for free like the wrestlers in Nacho Libre:). I hated doing baths every night, but figured it best to keep up the routine so he would continue to sleep through the night. But with Allie, I eased up a lot. Mostly because it no longer seemed SO important that my child be bathed daily. And with Kyla, she still seems to have turned out alright (meaning: she has never contracted lice) and doesn't smell bad enough to be labeled one of the "stinky kids," so I must conclude that although she wasn't bathed daily, she probably was bathed enough.

I wonder if that is still the case. Since we moved into this new house, we have tried to be consistent about a few things. One of which is that the kids no longer all bathe together. We tried this a time or two (at Damon's request), but Kyla likes to play "yank the interesting body part" under the water, which instantly told us it was no longer a good idea to co-bathe. Damon can either take a bath by himself or take a shower, and he will do so every few days. Or when I tell him that I can smell him from across the room.

The girls, while still allowed to bathe together, mostly create huge floods when left alone for even a few seconds (typical, I know, but still very annoying). And so they are constantly grounded from the tub and forced to shower as well. But since they aren't asking for a shower (it's not nearly as much fun as the "slide" the tub creates), I again must instigate proper hygiene by insisting that they rinse at least the top layer of dirt off their feet and wash the rats nests out of their hair. The other night, I told Allie that her feet were filthy, and she proceeded to show me all the places on her foot that were still clean (the arches that never touch the ground). Apparently she hasn't developed a love of hygiene yet, either.

All of this questionable bathing behavior has had to change lately for one member of our family. Kyla can't seem to keep herself clean for more than 30 minutes at a time. She has developed traits you would expect any two-year old learning independence to develop, most of which involve helping herself to anything she can mix with water and put in her hair. Soap and gel are two of her favorites, but anything liquid within three feet of her grasp are likely candidates as well. She also likes to pour sand on her head. Connect those dots and you will realize that Kyla has forced my hand, and is now being showered almost daily. I mean, if your child walked into the bathroom looking like this, you would find it hard to convince yourself that she could wait one more day to wash her hair.


The irony of this is I had already gotten her dressed and her hair combed for the day (a rarity in the mornings as of late) before she found the "orange glue" (hair gel). Maybe she is doing her part, in her own small way, to make sure she doesn't become one of the "stinky kids."