Hygiene

[mrsshortiesmind]

I am wanting to help my 9yr old DD understand the importance of good hygiene, but she is not overly bothered at the moment. She has started to get blackheads round the base of her nose and has had a couple of spots on her cheeks. Her dad and me both have oily skin and suffered with spots when were younger and even now we both get the odd one (or more in my case!) I'm 37 and he's 40, so no spring chickens anymore!

Anyway I have bought her a Simple face wash to help keep her skin clean, but she often says 'o well, I'm not bothered' when I ask if she has washed her face. She is also not great on cleaning her teeth!

Has anyone got any good books they can suggest that might encourage good hygiene, or any words of wisdom, I know if she is going to get spots it will happen whatever, but she is only 9 and she seems to young to have to deal with it all yet.

This book by american girl place (available on UK amazon) is fab - I bought it for DD1 10 years ago, DD2 now has it. It talks about periods/BO/cleanliness but not sex - in a really friendly way.

TBH, with teeth I would say dental hygiene's important and if explaining the importance and encouragement didn't work (I know a lot of people will disagree) I would be inclined to say "If you're not willing to clean them, I'll have to do it for you".

I would get tough here and say you expect her to be old enough to wash her face and brush her teeth. If she won't do it properly then you'll have to do it for her. Act like a baby and you'll be treated like a baby.
That's what I do when my ds doesn't do his teeth properly, he doesn't like it so he does it without complaint for a few days!

No way could I brush DD2s teeth or wash her face for her, other than by force. She wouldn't have it.

Her big sis at 9-10 possibly? Much less stubborn.

DD1 gets spots applies lotion sporadically and is fine about being reminded.

Me, I have spots, am 40+ and can't be arsed with lotions, potions, makeup or face washing except when it gets wet in the shower.

Actually I don't understand face washing, just dries bits of my face out, doesn't reduce the oily bits. Faces don't sweat??

Of course they do Buntingbunny. They also get covered in whatever's in the air - dust, pollution etc.
If your face is getting dried out, the stuff you're using is too harsh.

But it's just as important to wash your face as it is the rest of your body.

Faces do sweat but it's hard to know when to introduce soaps etc. The DDs 2 and 3 just wash their faces with water unless there is actual dirt/dried on food! Think DD1 started using a mild cleanser at about 10/11

Thanks for your comments that book looks good Housemum, may well buy it. We have used force to clean teeth with our children when they were younger (and still do with the 2 yr old) but at 9 she is too big to hold down and force her mouth open. She seems to be getting better about her skin, I think I have just got to accept that it will be a gradual process and I need to keep reminding her.

Just to clarify, I don't use force to hold my ds's mouth open and never have. I meant I brush his teeth for him if he doesn't or won't do them properly.

He opens his mouth voluntarily!