It’s one of my guilty secrets as a parent: I don’t give my kids a bath every day.

When they’re caked in mud from playing in the backyard, as they often are, I put them straight into a bath. When they’ve been to the beach, a bath follows. When they’ve covered themselves in flour or paint or whatever, it’s bathtime.

But apart from that… well, some evenings I’ll pop them in the tub and some evenings I won’t bother, especially if they’ve spent most of the day inside. My son’s ideal bath involves enough plastic sea creatures to open an aquarium, 45 minutes and minor flooding of the bathroom, and I don’t always have time for that.

I’ve always thought I was just being slack. But recently I’ve read that a daily bath isn’t necessary for children under the age of 12.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends kids aged six to 11 should have a bath "at least once or twice a week". They also need a bath if they're obviously dirty, have been swimming or have body odour.

Paediatrician David Geller doesn't think a child necessarily has to climb into a tub. He advises that if your child doesn't like baths, you can "wipe her off with a damp washcloth, or take her for a swim in a pool or a lake".

"This will get her almost as clean as a bath, without any of the fighting," he adds.

Of course, the pool owner may not appreciate it.

So could there actually be benefits to not bathing your kids every day? Well, possibly, yes.

Some parents whose children suffer from eczema have reported an improvement when they've stopped giving them daily baths. Writing for The Washington Post, Lauren Knight told how her son developed itchy patches of skin on his back and legs at a young age.

"Then a funny thing happened," she added. "During the times our children went for three (or more, I admit) days without a bath, I noticed that our oldest boy’s skin seemed healthier and less irritated."

It's estimated that as many as 30 per cent of children suffer from eczema. Worldwide, the rate is on the increase.

Most health authorities do recommend a daily bath for children with eczema. However, they say the bath should be kept short, the water shouldn't be hot, and no soap should be used.

Of course, there are some undeniable benefits to giving up on bathing your kids every day. Less water use. Less fights, if your kids hate baths. More time in the evenings, which I'm certainly happy to have.

Do you give your kids a bath every day?