TEEN TALK: 7 Important Things Teens Need To Do For Good Hygiene
We’ve all been there. We’ve all been a teenager at one point in our lives. That whole puberty situation, always fun times (I hope you sense the sarcasm). So what happens when your daughter or son graduates from elementary school and heads into middle school slash junior high age? A whole lot of changes, hormones and stink.
So how do you convince your teen or pre-teen that they need to start paying attention to their hygiene now?
Well, it sure isn’t easy. You are going to probably get a lot of eye rolling, “I know, mom!”‘s and “I already did!” (even though they probably didn’t).
Here are 7 teen hygiene things you need to talk about with your teen before things get a little stinky.
1. SHOWER:
Once puberty hits, daily showering becomes essential! As long as your teen uses a mild soap, their skin shouldn’t dry out too much. When showering they really need to was the underarms, groin, bottom and face.
2. WASH HAIR: If your teen typically has oily hair, it is a good idea to wash it daily. If they have hair that dries out easily, it isn’t necessary to wash their hair daily.
3. USE DEODORANT: You will know when puberty hits. Those pits start growing hair and smelling something fierce. As their sweat glands become more active, the stronger the smell. Deodorant or antiperspirant should be a DAILY hygiene requirement. Letting your teen pick out their scent makes them more apt to wear it.
4. CHANGE CLOTHES: It probably is no longer okay to wear the same clothes every day anymore. Kids can get away with that in elementary school. But, your teen must understand that along with daily showering, wearing clean clothes is day is important too! Dirty clothes can lead to body acne!
5. PREVENT ACNE: Speaking of acne, at around the age of 10, kids should start washing their face TWICE a day. While some kids don’t have acne problems at age ten, it doesn’t hurt to get in the habit of washing their face twice per day. Being gentle washing the face is important, no matter how oily the skin.
6. SHAVE: When you notice hair on your son’s upper lip or on your daughter’s legs, you can offer a brief course on razor use. Whether or not he or she wants to shave yet, at least you’ve provided the information. Girls may also be interested in hair removal products. You can go over the options. Your daughter may also need some reassurance; stray facial hairs that loom large when she’s an inch away from the mirror may not be visible to anyone else.
7. BRUSH YOUR TEETH: My daughter absolutely HATES when I remind her to brush her teeth. And I’m not quite sure why. What I do know is that teens can get pretty lax about their oral hygiene. But oh my gosh, brushing and flossing are crucial, especially if they’re drinking coffee and sugary, acidic sodas and sports drinks. Not only does NOT brushing and taking care of your teeth lead to tooth decay (and oh so much pain), it leads to bad breath. And who wants bad breath??!!!
Does your teen have any issues working on these hygiene things?
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All great tips and ones that my almost 14 year old need to read. I think he sometimes forget that such a word exists.
Oh, yes, these totally take me back to my kids’ teen years! Great tips!
As a school nurse, I had to have the talk about body odor with a few kids. They sometimes don’t realize all that goes into staying hygienic.
I struggled with my youngest on these issues. But this year she has finally gotten it.
SUch great tips, some kids are lucky to never have acne; like myself I never had any at all!
Kiddo is 9 and hygiene has been a problem for her for a while. Her mom isn’t a stickler. She’s very much ‘if you dont get it done, its your own fault.” Kiddo has been picked on at school because of her lack of showers, dirty clothes she picks to wear instead of clean ones and not brushing her teeth. When she is here with her dad, we make her do those things everyday.
This is such an important talk to have! I remember hearing it from the doctor and my parents too.
Those are really useful tips. I have a teen: although he showers on a regular basis, he didn’t get into the habit of using a deodorant. I need to work on that with him
Hygiene is definitely important. We sometimes overlook issues like this. Thanks for the information.
My oldest isn’t even a teen yet and I am having to fight him on some of these issues! Go take a shower! Brush your teeth! Comb your hair!
LOL, that should all be common sense, but sadly it’s not.
I wonder why it’s such a fight at that age?