Most children do not care if they are clean or dirty. They do not care to brush their teeth, brush their hair, or clean their hands. They do not care if they wear the same clothes without making sure that they get washed between use. Many children are lazy about hygiene. But that does not mean that it is a choice and we as parents need to see to it that our children are CLEAN. This is an important part of our job. Children do not have the life experience to realize what the ramifications of not brushing your teeth for three days has on the health of your mouth. And they do not smell their own breath so they do not realize that they are inflicting odor on others when they speak to them.
In our house, it was "teeth time" and before they were too tired at night and after breakfast in the morning, my children brushed their teeth. I told them about the cost of cavities and how much worse a dentist visit could be if they didn't brush their teeth. I mentioned people with smelly breath or rotten teeth. I told them of the troubles in the future if they didn't take care of their teeth in the present. "Ignore your teeth and they will go away." I spoke the truth to them to help them make good dental hygiene choices. Many kids wet their toothbrush and say that they brushed their teeth. Have them get it done before they are feeling too tired and lazy as it gets late.
Of course when they are little and you are still bathing them you have control over when they take a bath or shower. My children loved to play in the bathtub. I had alphabet letters, bubbles, boats, spray toys,... all kinds of fun things to play with in the tub. I always started bath right after dinner so they could play in there for a while. Bath time was a positive experience and so it wasn't a problem to continue the keeping clean ritual.
Later when you expect them to bathe themselves or shower, this may become a bit more of a challenge. But you are the parent, you run your household and if they do not take the much needed (especially starting in about 6th grade) bath or shower, it is up to you to make sure that they take it. This is part of your job as a parent. If they refuse to listen take away a privilege, or two or three until they understand that skipping a bath or shower is not a choice. If they have a cell phone, take it until they have showered consistently for a week. Remove their gaming system, basically, whatever it takes because good hygiene is necessary not a choice. It is disgusting and unnecessary to see these kids with greasy hair and smelly bodies. Don't forget to make sure that they are wearing clean clothes after that shower and not putting on the same smelly ones. Also, they shouldn't be allowed to go to school the next day in the clothes that they slept in. Remind them to shampoo their hair and not just get it wet. I have seen kids ages 11 to 15 get away with all of the above and I don't wonder what is wrong with the kid but who is running the household.
Children need to be taught about clipping their finger and toe nails. If you allow your girls to paint their nails they need to be taught to remove the nail polish when it starts chipping off. Make sure they are brushing their hair before they leave in the morning. If they can't take care of their long hair, make them get it cut. It's about teaching them that self-respect, responsibility, and cleanliness is the healthier choice.
These are all tasks that are not going to come naturally to our children. They are tasks that they will sometimes feel are chores. But it is up to us to make sure that our child is not labeled "the smelly kid." Start the good hygiene choices young so they can become habits before they become arguments with your preteen. Don't forget that you run your household, not your child, and practicing good hygiene is a MUST!
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