How to Teach a Child to Take a Shower

Teaching a child to take a shower instead of a bath is a huge milestone in their young lives. This is truly a step toward independence. Some children are ready earlier than others but when they are ready, follow these simple steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Washcloth
• Towel
• Shampoo
• Soap

1. Have all of the right supplies in the shower. The shampoo, soap and washcloth should be ones that the child is already used to using. Do not try new products at the same time as teaching them to take a shower.

2. Have the child turn on the water. Point out to them how to make the water come out of the shower head if it is a shower/bathtub combination. At first, you may want to mark on the nozzle with a marker where the child should turn the knob so the water will be just right.

3. Tell the child to wash his or her hair. Have him look up at the ceiling and back into the water stream. After completely wetting his hair, he can wash it. Keep a dry towel or washcloth handy for when he gets soap in his eyes.

4. Have the child wash her body. Point out that she will need to balance on one foot in order to wash each leg.

5. Instruct her to clean up when she is done showering. She should hang up her wet washcloth and towel before leaving the bathroom.

Tips & Warnings

• Supervise for the first few times so that they do not forget a crucial step such as using soap.
• As they get older, let them experiment with different kinds of shampoos, conditioners, soaps, body washes and other shower accessories.