Hygiene is not just about taking care of your own body but also helping others take care of themselves as well. If you have a pre-teen who has never learned how to properly brush their teeth or take care of their personal hygiene, then this article will help you teach them these skills so they can be prepared for adulthood and beyond!
1. Teach Them to Wash Their Hands
We couldn’t talk about teen’s hygiene without mentioning the importance of hand washing. It’s easy to forget, but it’s also a habit that you can teach your child in a very simple way. Educate your child to wash hands, using soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, then dry them on a clean towel.
You can explain to them why they need to do so by bringing real-life scenarios. For example, when they touch things in public places like school, germs from other people can get on their hands and then pass into their body once they touch food or put those unwashed hands into their mouth. If these germs make their way into the digestive tract, they may lead to stomach upset or diarrhea.
To promote proper hand washing in your teen’s routine, ensure you choose hygiene products, such as hand sanitizers and wet wipes to put around the house so that your child can use them when they don’t have access to running water and soap. And put some posters and signs inside your bathroom to remind them of the importance of hand washing.
2. Promote Oral Hygiene
When it comes to oral hygiene, your child should be brushing their teeth twice a day. They should also be flossing once a day and using an oral rinse in between. They must learn how to properly brush their teeth and floss, as well as how to use these tools effectively so that they can maintain good oral health throughout their lives.
Teach them that brushing is just as important at night as it is during the daytime. If they’re going to bed soon, then brushing right before bed will help remove any remaining food particles or plaque from around the teeth so that they don’t harden into tartar overnight.
Flossing helps keep spaces between teeth clean by dislodging food particles stuck there. If left untreated, these can grow bacteria that cause tooth decay or gum disease.
3. Teach Your Teen a Proper Skin care
Skin care is important for everyone, but teens in particular need to be vigilant about hygiene because their skin is still developing and maturing. Teach your teen the importance of a daily skin care routine and how to use it properly. Explain that sunscreen is important in protecting their skin from harmful UV rays, which can cause skin cancer later in life.
They can learn a lot from you about proper skin care habits, especially when it comes to sunscreen use. As they get older, they will need to learn how to properly use skin care products, what types of skin care products work best for their skin type, and how often they should be used.
4. Show Them How to Take Care of Their Hair
When it comes to teaching your teens good hygiene, one of the most important things you can do is show them how to take care of their hair. This means helping them learn how to wash their hair at least once a week (ideally in the morning), and giving them pointers on styling it so that it looks good on them. You should also show them how to brush their hair regularly (ideally after every shower), and explain why it’s important for them to use conditioner at least once a week.
5. Help Them Perform Nail Care
While you might not be able to teach your teen everything about hygienic nail care, you can certainly help them get started. Nail care is a simple, yet important part of good hygiene.
You can help your teen learn how to properly care for their nails with the following steps:
- Show them how to cut their own nails. It’s easy to do and requires little skill, so they can start doing it on their own once they’ve got the hang of it.
- Teach them how to clean under their nails with a nail brush or at least a damp paper towel after cutting them.
- Show them how to use a nail file (or emery board) instead of clippers if you want smoother edges on your teens’ nails.
Teaching your teen these skills will give them more confidence in maintaining their appearance as an adult by taking on some simple but important tasks like this one.
6. Teach Them About Body Odor
Body odor is caused by bacteria on the skin that break down sweat and cause it to release an unpleasant odor.
When teaching your teen about body odor, you should explain that the best way to prevent body odor is to wash their hands and face at least once a day, especially after eating or exercising. They should also be sure to shower at least once a day, or when they start noticing a change in their natural scent. You may also want to teach them how to use deodorant or antiperspirants if they’re concerned about dealing with body odor throughout the week.
7. Explain the Importance of Clean Clothes
You want to make sure your child understands why it’s important to wear clean clothes, so they can feel good about themselves and not be embarrassed.
Show them how often you wash your clothes. If you’re someone who washes clothes once per week (or less), your teen must see this process happening so they know what it looks like and how often it should happen with their own laundry.
8. Explain Proper Ways of Shaving
Shaving is a necessity for many teens, but it can be a tricky and sometimes painful process.
You may want to teach your teen how to shave the right way:
- First, make sure they use a sharp razor. Dull razors cause more nicks and cuts than sharp ones do, so be sure to keep them in top shape
- Next, tell your teen to shave in the direction of hair growth instead of against it — this will help prevent razor burn or ingrown hairs later on down the road. It’s also important for them to moisturize after shaving with something like lotion or coconut oil (which also has antibacterial properties). This helps soothe any irritation from shaving as well as protect against infection from bacteria found on wet skin surfaces like bathroom counters and sinks where you can easily spread germs around without realizing it.
- Finally, make sure not to shave too often because this could lead down dangerous paths such as an increased chance for infections.
One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to teach your teens good hygiene habits. It’s hard to believe how quickly they grow up and become adults, so they must learn what they need to know as early as possible. Hopefully, we’ve given you some helpful tips on how to accomplish this goal!