My daughter does not like to bathe or shower. Or change her underwear. i have tried everything i can think of as a parent to get her to practice personal hygeine to no avail. i have talked to her about health and cleanliness. i have bribed her with a reward chart. i have even flipped my lid and screamed my head off. i finally gave up and now i only tell her to shower when she walks past me and i gag. She is a happy kid with friends. She does fine in school. She has all the interests a normal kid her age would have so i really don't think it is psychological. Any constructive help would be very much appreciated! Anyone out there with advice? Thanks in advance!
2007-02-03 14:48:33 · 23 answers · asked by fair blue 5 in Family & Relationships ➔ Family
You're the parent; it's your job to make sure she takes proper care of herself. Obviously it's psychological, there is no other reason for such poor hygiene. Explain to her that she will be showering on a regular basis (at or she will not be leaving the house, will not be listening to any music, will not be watching any tv, will not be playing any games of any kind and basically will have no privileges whatsoever. She will go to school, come home, do her homework and retire to her room. She can't walk around smelling bad; and offending people around her, that's disgusting.
2007-02-03 14:58:07 · answer #1 · answered by maigen_obx 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I've never known a teenager who didn't go through this phase. They don't realise how much puberty affects the way they smell, the way their hair looks, etc. Instead of rewards, shouting, etc., have a quiet talk with her. Make up a story about someone you knew at school and how other kids were mean behind her back and you don't want that to happen to her, because you love her so much. Then try taking her and a friend out for a pampering treat - nothing fancy or too adult, but maybe ask her to choose some nice bath products. Also, you making an effort to collect her dirty underwear out of her room every night will be tiresome, but would solve one important problem - BO won't give her a vaginal infection, but dirty knickers will!
Good luck - and remember, she will grow out of it!
2007-02-03 15:39:59 · answer #2 · answered by ginnikins 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We have a 9 year old that is much the same way we have gotten her to take a bath up to 3 times a week now keep nagging her and after she takes off a set of clothes make her smell them and then she will know what other people smell when she is around them
2007-02-03 15:59:40 · answer #3 · answered by speddy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hope she does not get teased about not showering because she will smell.You need to be firm and tell her that her body will suffer from infections if she does not shower.Make arule.That she has to shower every second day.That her privileges will be taken away like tv viewing and not going out.You are the parent here. I heard of older teenagers not showering at all.
2007-02-03 16:04:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
A relative of mine had the same problem.
Don't let her do the fun things she likes to do until she's smelling decent. Even if you put her in the shower, she might not actually clean herself, so make sure she doesn't still smell bad.
Take away computer, phones, games, anything. Don't let her have them until she's bathed.
Sometimes this goes away when they are interested in someone and they need to smell nice to approach them.
2007-02-03 14:54:45 · answer #5 · answered by Tiffany 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do think this is just a phase your daughter is going through, HOWEVER that does not mean it is 'okay.' You do need to not let her do fun things till she can attend to her personal hygiene.
Whatever you do, this will pass because of her age. I am a little surprised that is has not already. When my daughter was 12 she was spending her allowance on expensive shampoos and such, and I just really think that in a very short period of time your daughter will be more concerned with her personal hygiene.
2007-02-03 15:37:44 · answer #6 · answered by Cris O 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I've been through this myself. What i finally ended up doing was telling my daughter she didn't have to shower, but, she wasn't leaving the house if she was dirty. This works better when there's no school. Like I told her, "you want to be dirty and smell? Fine, but don't expect me to allow you in public...it's me they'll be criticizing, not you". She's really good about showering now, on her own (she'll be 14 in a few weeks)
2007-02-03 15:01:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
well I don't think that I can help much because I AHTE taken showers too. this is my reasoning... if my friends don't like me cause of the way i smell I don't need them. I hate girls that take like 6 hours t get readu therefore I'm going against ever girly grain possible and won't bath. I also hate getting up early just tp get wet and then freeze and then have to figure out how to make my hair look bad cause when it's wet it looks all sleek and I don't like it. I doubt any of these are your daughters reasons but i think the worst thing to say is that people aren't going to want to be around you because of the way you are and telling us a million times that we stink trust me of the people that know we smell it's us. we know we stink we know the last time we bathed. so that;s what I think.
2007-02-03 14:56:38 · answer #8 · answered by Suya 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
A shower every night before bed should be as non-negotiable as getting up in the morning to go to school.
She wants to watch TV after dinner? When she's had her shower.
2007-02-03 15:03:24 · answer #9 · answered by Liz 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since I am 11 and my mom really bugs me about hygeine...you should tell her if you start to smell your friends wont wanna hang out with you because you smell really bad. My mom tells me that and I take showers every day
2007-02-03 14:59:03 · answer #10 · answered by mexican dogs. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋