When your kids were little, it was up to you as their parent to make sure that they got clean. But as your kids get older, the responsibility for cleanliness shifts to them.
As elementary-aged kids, you might have found that your children just needed a little nudge to make sure they showered occasionally and washed their hands before meals. But once your kids hit puberty, there’s a whole new world of hygiene that they’ll have to get used to.
So to help them in bridging this gap, here are three tips for teaching your teen about hygiene.
Talk About Daily Showers
As was mentioned above, your kids likely didn’t need to take daily showers when they were younger. In fact, taking a shower each day can often have negative effects on the sensitive skin of your little ones. And while this habit of only showering occasionally may be hard to break, your growing teen needs to you reiterate to them how important showering is for their personal hygiene.
According to R. Morgan Griffin, a contributor to WebMD.com, it’s important that you teach your kids not only to get in the shower and wash their hair at least every other day, but also how to wash the parts of their bodies that are now going through some changes. Remind your teen that they need to use soap and water to wash parts of their body like their armpits, groin, hands, feet, face, and bottom on a daily basis.
Taking Care Of Body Hair
Going through puberty brings about some hair growth in places that you teen might not be used to. Depending on your teen and their lifestyle, they might be more comfortable using wet shaving products to remove this hair in a safe manner.
When teaching your teen about shaving, Dr. Steven Dowshen, a contributor to KidsHealth.org, recommends that you buy them all new shaving equipment and spend some time teaching them the proper way to shave different areas of their bodies. Make sure you remind them to go slow and use the right shaving creams or gels so they don’t wind up cutting themselves or developing painful razor burn.
The Importance Of Brushing And Flossing
While your kids have been brushing their own teeth for years now, the onset of puberty and teenage years might be a good time to reinforce some principles of healthy dental hygiene, especially as some teens become interested in dating.
According to Barbara Poncelet, a contributor to Very Well Family, you as the parent should set the example of brushing your teeth at least each morning and night as well as flossing on a daily basis. To further encourage your teen to continue these healthy habits, remind them that clean teeth mean fresh breath and reduced chances of cavities or other oral health problems.
If you have a teen who’s been letting their hygiene slide, consider using the tips mentioned above to know how to address these issues with your child.
