How to help my teen develop good hygiene habits? My teen doesn’t shower, brush their hair or teeth!
Believe it or not, it’s common for kids (tweens and teens) to start becoming less concerned about their personal hygiene when they reach middle and high school. In some cases, young adults can also become lazy with their hygiene, which is part of the reason life skills programs have become very popular.
When your kids were small, they relied on you for guidance, now, just because they are in their preteen and teen stage, they will need those gentle reminders (without nagging) especially for some of the newer tasks such as shaving and especially showering more frequently. The fact is — at this age they can smell strangely they aren’t the ones that smell themselves.
7 Basic Steps to Good Teen Hygiene:
Why is Teen Hygiene Important:
Poor hygiene in teens can not only cause medical concerns such as developing acne, infections or rashes, but just as important is your teen will be become known at school (or in the neighborhood) as being dirty or always smelling or with the greasy hair. Especially with preteens and teenagers it can be very damaging to their self-esteem.
A Parent’s Role:
Good hygiene needs to be part of your teen’s responsibility. As noted above, it’s not about nagging them, as much as giving them gentle reminders until these habits are engrained into their lifestyle. Explain that taking care of themselves is a responsibility, and start treating it like other household duties. If they don’t, there should be clear consequences.
As a parent, you need to be empathetic. Remember that puberty is an incredibly confusing time. Your child may have lot of questions about teen hygiene that they don’t know how to get answered. Try to give your teen the space to ask them.
Read: How Bullying Effects Your Teens Mental Health.
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If you’re struggling with your teen, hygiene is one of the issues that is leading to poor choices, and you have exhausted your local resources, learn more about how residential treatment can offer teen help. Contact us for information.
