The tween age is a difficult stage because your tween is finding their independence and trying to test you too. Tweens are heading into or going through puberty and with these changes comes a lot of things to consider, including their personal hygiene.
Most young kids love getting into the bath and they hop in and out while playing with the bubbles. However, when it comes to tweens personal hygiene, they are less inclined to play in the bath and while you need them to wash themselves, they may not be as keen.
With the numerous changes, one of the main (and noticeable) changes may be that your tween doesn’t like washing or cleaning themselves.
Here are a few things you can do to encourage your tween to look after their personal hygiene.
How to encourage tweens to look after their personal hygiene:
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Talk to them about it.
Firstly, you need to chat to your tween and if they are getting into showers and baths without supervision, they’ll need to know about shampooing their hair alone and how to wash themselves. In most cases, they know this, but some kids let their parents wash their hair for longer than others and then, they will need guidance for when they do it alone.
Young tweens may struggle to get the bubbles out of their hair, or they may not want to clean their feet or armpits. You need to tell them why hygiene is important and if your tween is not keen on washing themselves, make it a part of their schedule so they’ll get used to it.
![How To Encourage Tweens To Look After Their Personal Hygiene]()
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Clean schedule.
It may seem silly but if you make a note of the days your child should shower then you’ll be more likely to notice when they have not had a wash. There may be days when they have exercised and as they are older now they won’t get away with a little basin wash.
Make it a rule that your tween washes their face in the morning and evening as well as brushing their teeth. Teach them about cleaning their ears and show them the importance of washing hands before handling food. -
Don't forget about all of the other stuff.
No one likes having those conversations, but your tweens need to know why cleaning their private parts is important, as well as about hair, shaving and if your tween gets their period, how to keep themselves clean.
Furthermore, their hormones may begin to play havoc on their skin so remind them about cleansing their face, invest in some new cleansers and creams to encourage them to keep their faces clean too.
Then there are other things like changing their underwear, socks and clothing. While jeans and leggings may not need to be washed after one use, underwear and socks need to be changed daily.
If your tween is a little smelly then tell them quietly and without giving out to them or embarrassing them. Remind them that if you can smell them then others can, and this may lead to some comments from others.
Teach your tween about deodorant and antiperspirant, buy them the things they need and remind them to use them. At the start, this may take a lot of effort, but it should get easier as your tween settles into their new routine.
