8 & 10 year old hygiene

[hattiesmumm]

It’s driving me insane! Ds (8) isn’t too bad, will brush his teeth and shower without moaning too much. But he’s starting to get bad BO and needs to shower more, that’s the struggle. He gets in the shower/bath but doesn’t wash properly unless I sit there and instruct him. But I feel he’s getting too old for me to be in there with him.

Dd is awful. She doesn’t brush her teeth properly. Every day I send her to do it again. Iv bought her an electric toothbrush. Dentist said they won’t refer her for braces until she learns. Iv showed her, Iv showed her videos, Iv spoken numerous times about it. Iv even lost my temper 🙈 it drives me insane!!
She’s also awful for washing herself! She argues all the time about having a bath/shower. She doesn’t wash her hair properly and moans about me doing it.

Arghh how do I get past this?!

Try disclosing tablets for the poor tooth-brusher. I had a smelly kid, and I had to do military showers each morning, where I did the 'sniff test' on her pits before she was allowed to leave the shower. After a few times of being sent back to wash again, she got the idea. She's now a spotlessly clean 20yr old. Make sure they're using soap rather than shower gel (but sanex zero for lady area perhaps) and I found that she had to scrub with a flannel and soap a couple of times to smell fresh. Some kids are just stinkier than others, but you're right to tackle it now. My younger ones are coming into the smelly stage now, and I'm preparing for soap wars again. Keep fighting the good fight!

You need to wash him. At 8 he obviously isn't old enough to do it himself. Because he isn't!!

My DD was a bit soap shy at their age, they do grow out of it.

I have to supervise washing with my dc and often clean their teeth too.
The dentist complained about the plaque on their teeth but it was better after I started doing it.

Dd won’t let me brush her teeth. She’s awful with it. Iv bought the tablets but she just cries and refuses to use them!

Ds is nearly 9, he should be old enough to wash himself.

I’m going to start shoving them in the shower before school every day

2 DDs here 8 & 11. The older one started to be a bit whiffy much earlier than I'd expected - age 8 or 9. I bought her some deo at the supermarket - a pink version for children with no Al. I have to remind her to wear it but it seems to work. Both girls have a shower and wash hair 2x a week after swimming. I stand on the sidelines passing them the shampoo but no bodily scrubbing seems to be necessary. They sometimes shower at home but find adjusting the water temp tricky.

My son has just turned 11 and has only just stopped needing supervision in the shower. I ewouldmy sit in with him, but would go in or yell through the door.

My 10 year old is the same, I also do a pit check after baths and found giving him real soap and a sponge worked, as he washing but not rinsing the soap suds off.

I think a lot of DC this age go through this stage!

My DD certainly did - at one point I was despairing because all I felt I did (from about the age of 8 yrs) was nag about showering, teeth-brushing, hwk, putting stuff away, hanging coat up etc etc - but unbelievably, by some miracle, it all suddenly changed the summer she turned 14 yrs, something 'clicked', and she is now in the shower constantly (for hours!) and is largely autonomous wrt all the other stuff!

So don't despair op; this too shall pass... .

My dd (just turned 12) is a nightmare. I have to constantly remind her to get a shower or she would just go days and days. I have to prompt more than once usually too.

My ds (10) wouldn't shower unless I told him to, he does agree when I tell him and I just turn the shower on and hand him the shower gel etc and leave, he showers alone and gives himself a good scrub.

What age do they start to do this without being told?!

Have just shown this thread to 9 yr old DS, just to convince him it's not just us that have these constant battles.

I have 2 DSC (9 & 12) both with an aversion to water. Last weekend they were reminded at least 3 tines to brush their teeth - by 3pm I almost had to drag them upstairs because their was no sign of devastation in the bathroom (a sign that they have been in there).

My 12 year old DSD’s hair constantly looks wet - when in fact it’s greasy. Weird, because she has all the time in the world to take pouty selfies (rather than wash it).

Can’t wait for a bit of peer pressure to kick in.....

DSS is 10, he's bathed himself since I've known him (four years), and now he even runs his own bath most of the time. He likes to light candles and put bubbles in. Its a real change from last year when he once went 9 days without washing, yuck