Claire Goss made the confession on a Babble blog, in a post titled 'Do You Actually Need to Bathe Baby'.
Last week’s blog, which resulted in the 32-year-old’s appearance on ABC news, reads:
'He is my third baby so I probably don’t have to tell you that I have a lot going on in the evenings'
‘Honestly didn’t even realize it was true until today when I spotted his bathtub sitting dejectedly in a corner. “Huh,” I thought, “when was the last time I used THAT?!”
‘He is my third baby so I probably don’t have to tell you that I have a lot going on in the evenings. I can barely get the older two bathed, and they don’t require their own special tub and shampoo.’
The admission caused fellow parents to label the mother-of-three ‘gross’ and ‘lazy’.
But the blogger appeared on America’s ABC news to defend her actions.
'He's not a dirty kid, he's a baby'
'I aim for once a week. It might not happen. I will confess, it has gone longer than a week. . . It can be a good 10 days, but if you met my baby and held him, you'd probably think he smells as amazing as I do,’ she explained.
‘In my gut I don't think he needs it,' she said. 'He is a happy baby, he is a healthy baby. . . What I realized now after five years of parenting children is, he's not a dirty kid, he's a baby.'
New York mother Nina Postans disagrees with this parental approach, arguing that baths are part of a bedtime ritual.
'They are at a crucial age where they need to establish a sleep routine and having a nightly bath (water is fine - you don't need to use soap all the time!) is part of this.
'Bath is a time for physical closeness along with face to face contact when the mom'
'Most babies actually enjoy being bathed plus it's ultra soothing for them.’
And psychologist Stephanie Manes says:
'The bathing ritual can play an important developmental role for a child in that it offers a powerful opportunity for mother infant bonding.
'Ideally, the bath is a time for physical closeness along with face to face contact when the mom can follow her baby's gaze - experiences that foster healthy attachment.'
What do you think?