Teaching Kids the Basics of Personal Grooming

Teach kids grooming habits through routine and practice.

Your appearance is important and impacts how others perceive you. A kid needs to learn personal grooming habits early to become responsible for his daily hygiene and care. Parents should teach a young child by modeling and assisting the child until he can independently care for his personal grooming needs. Once a child learns to groom himself, the parent has more time in the mornings when preparing for the day. Does this Spark an idea?

Tooth Brushing

Dental care begins before a child's first tooth even erupts. Dental habits such as brushing teeth, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash are necessary to protect a healthy smile. Let your child watch you brush your teeth daily to demonstrate the correct technique. Make tooth brushing a rewarding experience by singing songs during the process and praising your child for a job well done.

Bathing

Kids either love or hate bath time. Instead of coercing your child to bathe, lure him into the tub with some water toys. Place some water proof books in the tub to read at the beginning of the bath to calm the child. Then wash your child from head to toe and rinse him well. After you have bathed him, let him wash himself. The bathing process will soon become second nature and he will know what to expect during the evening bath.

Hair Care

Shampooing may be more difficult to do independently, but will become easier in time. Wash with a no tears shampoo to avoid any accidents. Teach your child how to dry and style his hair daily. Use a large comb that your child can easily grip and teach him how to correctly comb his hair.

Neat Attire

Teach your child to feel proud of his appearance and to take care of how he looks outwardly. Wearing clean, wrinkle free clothing is an important step in taking pride in his appearance. If too young to do laundry, he can place his clothing in the hamper and help separate colors. Demonstrate how to fold clothing and either place in drawers or hang in the closet. Let your child practice coordinating outfits and even choose what to wear to school. Giving him this freedom allows him to assert his independence.

References

• Kaboose: Five Grooming Strategies