“What are the negative effects of bathing a toddler too long?”
I have contamination OCD and I bathe my child for longer than necessary. What are the impacts and negative effects of this?
Female | 2 years old
Complaint duration: 2/2/2022
2 Answers
The effects that I would expect from bathing your child too frequently would be: dry skin, skin damage or reactions from scrubbing or using harsh soaps, and a psychological impact on the child causing an abnormal fear of germs and need to bathe frequently into adulthood.
Heather Collette
Heather Collette
The negative effect could be excessive drying of the skin and irritation. Make sure to use skin moisturizers immediately after bathing/toweling off and to limit bathing to once per day for no longer than 10-15 minutes. For most children, bathing 3 time per week is sufficient. A bath at the end of the day can also be part of a relaxing and calming bedtime routine.
