After Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis appeared on Dax Shepard’s show and commented that they wait until they see the dirt to bathe their children, Dax Shepard and his wife Kristen Bell revealed their own position on the dicey matter, “I’m a big fan of waiting for the stink” Bell commented to the amusement of The View crew.

The thing is, in summer weather, “the stink” is omnipresent. It’s not that prepubescent children have a lot of natural body order, but when they’re out in nature, it tends to cling to them. Grass, dirt, chlorine. You definitely notice an aroma when they enter the house (then run out again, then run back in . . . and out) and it doesn’t take long term exposure to the outdoors for the odor to form. Twenty minutes in the yard will do the trick, especially if you live in a humid region.

I don’t advocate over washing the hair or the body. It strips away natural layers of protection and causes dryness. Indeed, the feet, hands, underarms and orifices are probably the only body parts that need cleaning on the reg. Elbows? Oh, soap need never touch those. Most of us can get by with just a brisk wash up for days on end. But when it comes to adolescents, I’m not sure how thorough their “wash up” skills are. I’m not overly confident in their ability to get the hard to reach spots. Do they have the dexterity? The desire? That’s why it’s just best to dunk them in a soapy tub or turn the shower hose on them, so that the water generally hits the areas they’re most likely to miss.

Let’s face it, if kids were as clean as they needed to be, pink eye would not exist. We all inadvertently touch feces sometimes, but children more often than most.

Then too, the less often the kids bathe, the more often you have to clean the sheets, the furniture, the carpet. I don’t make them bathe because I’m a good parent, but because their daily bath can often save me a daily headache.