Part of being a parent is teaching your child things and one of the most important lessons your kid will need to learn is how to take care of their personal hygiene.
Part of being a parent is teaching your child things and one of the most important lessons your kid will need to learn is how to take care of their personal hygiene.
It may not be something they will believe to be very important but it is up to you to show them. You may not realise but kids that have bad hygiene may face consequences like they may be more prone to developing rashes and infections. However, most important is in school they may become known for being dirty or smelly, none of which a child would want to be named. Here are some of the basics and how to teach your child that hygiene matters.
- Shower and bathing- Most primary school kids don’t shower each day and nor do they need to but they do need regular baths or showers. However, for teenagers daily showering is essential to keep themselves fresh and clean. Your child should know how to clean their hands, under their nails and feet instead of just lazing in the shower and not doing anything except getting a rinse!
- Washing hair is necessary- It is ok to skip days of washing hair as some hair needs less washing then others but hair should be clean always. Greasy hair isn’t a good look and once again you don’t want your child been a victim of name calling.
- Using deodorant and anti-perspirant is vital for teenagers- Your pre-pubescent kid may not need to use deodorants but once a kid hits their teens it is vital. Sweat smells stronger during your teen years and using roll on or sprays must become part of your teenager’s daily hygiene routine.
- Changing and washing clothes must be done- Some kids will see nothing wrong with wearing the same tops or under garments for days on end but this isn’t advisable. Clothes should be washed daily and your kid should know that their clothes need to be put into the machine. Not rolled into a ball for another day-still stinking!
- Oral health matters- Kids and teenagers can be relaxed in regards to their oral hygiene no matter how much the dentist has told them otherwise. Nag at your kids to brush their teeth and go as far as banning treats for the non-brushers! Tell teenagers no brushing equals bad breath- That usually works!
- Shaving days will come- There will come a day when you must teach your son or daughter how to remove hair and it is also vitally important that they know why and how to. For the young ladies, there are lots of options available for hair removal and the lads usually use what their Dad uses. Some kids can be quite embarrassed about it so go easy and advise gently rather than blurting out that they have bodily hair!
Tell your kids to take pride in their appearance and that they need to know these things for themselves so they can be clean and smell good rather than yucky. Push them by saying their skin will benefit and they will look better overall.
Written by Emma Hayes, staff writer with Family Friendly HQ
