Bath or shower time

The boys are 7 and have just recently started taking showers. My problem, is for the life of me, I can't seem to make them understand how to wash their hair and body properly. They just take the shampo and rub it around on the top of their head. Then they take the scrubby and bearly even wash themselves. I have told and showed them over and over and it just is not sinking in. I think that they are old enough to understand this but maybe not. When did your kids start taking their own baths or showers? Any ideas on how to get them to try a little harder? I also have the same issue with brushing their teeth. They just brush for like two seconds and say they are done. So frustrating.

 

Do they want to be taking showers and washing themselves? If so I would use that as the incentive to get them to try a little harder. Tell them they need to do it properly or they will be back to baths/you washing them.
For now I would let them have a few minutes in the shower and then go in and supervise their washing. Get them to do it themselves but stand there and coach/encourage/remind them to do it properly eg: "You've done the top of your hair great now, see if you can reach down the back to your neck, and all round the sides by your ears. You've nearly got it all, there's just a gap here." You can do the same thing with washing their body, it might help to always wash in the same order (we do face-tummy/chest-arms-legs-back-bottom) because then, once they get used to it, it will be easier for them to remember and do properly without supervision. I would do that for about a month, by which time you will hopefully see a reduction in how much you have to remind them. Then you can try just watching but not giving pointers to see if they get it right without you saying anything.

As for the teeth brushing you can get special timers so that they know how long to brush for (should be 2 minutes). You can get a light up one or a holder with sand timer. I would stand and supervise them to make sure they brush properly all around, again point out to them the areas they have missed. I would continue to stand with them until you are confident they will do it properly alone. If they make a big fuss or just mess around all the time I would go back to brushing their teeth for them. I bet they won't really want you to do that and will make more of an effort to do it right.

Good luck!

 

I feel like that is a lot of the problem. They would rather I do it, it's easier for them that way. But I feel like they are old enough to take on that responsibility for themselves. I once saw a super nanny program and she had a cow when the mom was brushing a 5 year olds teeth. When I am standing there burshing my 7 year olds teeth I always think "It's a good thing super nanny isn't coming here, she would for sure go balistic".

 

I still wash the kids' hair. Timothy kept leaving shampoo in and Sarah doesn't really want to. The rest of the washing they want to do and want me to have no part of. I generally point out the worst of the dirt and tell them to make sure and scrub that or else I will put them back in and scrub it. I haven't had to have a "mommy redo" in a really long time. They just really want to do it themselves.

Marissa

 

We use foaming soap and the girls love to wash with it. I still wash the girls hair though.

 

My twins were having a problem with their hair. They didn't know where they were washing and they didn't get out all of the shampoo. I bought a mirror for the shower and this seems to help them a great deal.

 

When DSs started their own showering, they had the hardest time with washing their hair. One just plopped the shampoo on and rinsed it right out, with no other steps; the other plopped it on and didn't rinse completely. He had itchy, dry, flaking skin from that one.
They got better. I had to go into the bathroom and just watch (giving "tutorials" on hair-washing) which embarrassed both - even though I didn't mean to. So after that I would say "wash your hair, or I'll come and wash it for you." I had to say that about 3-4 times, but they both got the technique down and I never had to go back.

 

just to add on the teeth brushing - our dentist told us that the kids should NOT be brushing their own teeth yet - they can't do a good enough job until they are a little older (i don't remember what age - maybe 7 or 8?). our compromise is that they brush on their own in the morning and i do it for them at night. super nanny doesn't know what she's talking about : )

 

My son is 8 now and he just started getting the hang of washing everywhere and getting the soap out of his hair. And he still stinks at brushing his teeth too. I think he requires supervision for a little bit longer.

 

For my 7 yr old I had to stand next to the shower for a while and do it for him, then I would watch him wash his hair and eventually I think he got the hang of it. As long as he comes out smelling good and not dirty I have to assume he is doing good. It was much harder with my oldest daughter because her hair was long and it was hard to get out. She would yell for me before she got out and I would check her head to make sure she got all the soap out.

 

That's kind of what I wanted to know, if 7 was to soon to expect them to be able to do this. It seems to me that by time I was in 2nd grade I was doing my own baths. But maybe not. At least I know someone else has a 7-8 year old that still needs help. So, maybe, just maybe they aren't being lazy?

 

I think Super Nanny is being unrealistic. If I let my 4.5yos brush their own teeth, they'd have cavities in a week. They are happy to use the timer, etc., but all they do for those 2 minutes is chew on the toothbrush and swallow the paste. :laughing:

I do hope they'll be able to shower themselves by the time they're 7, but they'll have to make a lot of progress in the meantime -- at the moment, their idea of "washing themselves" is to smear some suds around their bellies.

 

Remember, the Brits aren't exactly known for stellar oral hygiene...

 

That's very very true! Still a good thing she's not coming to my house. I am sure there are a ton of things I still do for them, that she would have a cow over.

 

My two are 6 and they do showers themselves. However, I am standing there checking in a bit to make sure they are getting their hair done right. And I have to be sure Paige gets the conditioner out of her hair! As for washing their body, I just remind them to get everywhere and I check before they rinse off.

They also brush their own teeth. We do have a timer, but 2 minutes seems like a LONG time for those tiny little teeth. They see a dentist regularly and they have not had any problems.

 

If your boys still want your help brushing their teeth and washing their hair I don't think there is anything wrong with you helping them. 7 is not that old, I'd bet that within a couple of years they will want to do it by themselves. If you were on here posting that your 10/11 year olds still wanted their teeth brushed I'd think it was a problem.

I would not let a 5 year old totally brush their own teeth, I've yet to meet one who would do a good enough job. I agree 7 or 8 is more like it and even then I would be inclined to watch as they brushed until I was sure of them doing it properly. My twins (especially the older girls) were/are not overly happy about this policy, so our compromise was I would brush round their teeth first, then they would brush, then I would brush again at the end. That way they did the majority of the brushing and learnt how to do it properly but I knew their teeth were clean. Supernanny is way off on this one.

Hey! We just aren't obsessed with everyone having super-straight, super-white teeth at astronomical costs like you Americans are.