March 27, 2025

Teaching Kids Personal Hygiene – A Fun Family Approach

Teaching Kids Personal Hygiene – A Fun Family Approach

Join We Are the Hansons as we teach our kids about personal hygiene in a fun and engaging way! From brushing teeth to washing hands, we make cleanliness an enjoyable part of daily life. Follow along for tips, tricks, and family-friendly learning moments.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/we-are-the-hanson-s-family-life-practical-tips-self-care--6044253/support.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:12.919
Welcome back to We are the Hansens.

2
00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:16.960
Today, we're tackling something that every parent deals with, teaching

3
00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:20.719
kids about personal hygiene, whether you have one child or

4
00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:24.120
a house could of them like we do, keeping everyone clean,

5
00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:28.280
healthy and smelling decent is a daily adventure. We'll be

6
00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:32.880
sharing our strategies, funny stories and tips on making hygiene

7
00:00:32.920 --> 00:00:40.039
routines easier and even dare I say fun So let's

8
00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:49.799
jump in. Well, guys, I know I have struggled with

9
00:00:49.960 --> 00:00:53.079
personal hygiene, not so much with the.

10
00:00:53.079 --> 00:00:57.960
Older kids, but with the littler ones and the teens.

11
00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:03.799
And you know, personal hygiene isn't just about looking and

12
00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:10.920
smelling good. It's about health, self esteem, and even social success.

13
00:01:12.200 --> 00:01:17.280
Poor hygiene can lead to everything from cavities in their

14
00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:23.760
teeth to skin infections. And let's not forget how quickly

15
00:01:24.319 --> 00:01:30.879
germs spread in a household full of kids. If one

16
00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:36.159
kid skips hand washing, suddenly everyone seems to be sick

17
00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:40.120
here and in fact, we're going through that right now.

18
00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:48.400
You know, hygiene habits don't just magically appear when kids

19
00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:54.359
hit adulthood. If they grow up without good routines, they're

20
00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:59.640
more likely to struggle with self care later in life, plus,

21
00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:06.680
as they get older, social consequences kick in. No one

22
00:02:06.760 --> 00:02:12.080
wants to be that kid in school. Teaching good hygiene

23
00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:17.719
young saves them from embarrassment later on in life, But

24
00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:21.240
knowing why it's important doesn't always make it easier to

25
00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:27.240
get kids on board. So let's talk about what's worked

26
00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:33.879
for us. Toddlers are just unpredictable, and one day they

27
00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:37.879
love splashing in the bath and the next they scream

28
00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:43.319
like they're being tortured. The key at this age is

29
00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:49.759
consistency and fun. Hand Washing is our go to thing.

30
00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:55.560
Toddlers touch everything, so making hand washing automatic is crucial.

31
00:02:56.919 --> 00:02:57.879
We sing songs.

32
00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:03.280
We always sing the alphabet with my little ones, and

33
00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:06.120
my little ones aren't toddlers anymore. They're seven to eight.

34
00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:15.199
But we sing the ABC song three times, and that's

35
00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:18.360
just to help them and make it fun, you know,

36
00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:22.400
because kids don't usually like to wash their hand or

37
00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:25.719
we just make up a silly tune to make sure

38
00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:29.800
they scrub long enough brushing teeth. Some kids like this

39
00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:34.319
and think it's fun, and others act like the toothbrush

40
00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:38.360
is attacking them. Using a kid friendly toothbrush and toothpaste

41
00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:43.000
like bubble gum flavor or anything like that helps. They

42
00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:49.560
also sing songs while brushing their teeth, and that helps

43
00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:53.199
to it makes sure that they We do the alphabet

44
00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:57.159
and you brush the bottom three times to the alphabet song,

45
00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:01.280
and then you switch and go to the and brush

46
00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:05.400
and sing the alphabet three times for that, and then

47
00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:10.560
you do the full mouth everything, cheek's tongue, teeth again,

48
00:04:11.080 --> 00:04:15.439
top and bottom to the alphabet three times, and usually

49
00:04:15.479 --> 00:04:17.879
by that time it's good enough that they're good to

50
00:04:17.879 --> 00:04:25.519
go bath time. Keeping it lighthearted with bath crayons or

51
00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:33.399
even favorite toys helps make it easier for the bath.

52
00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:39.040
But on extra crazy nights, it's a quick wash up

53
00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:42.360
and get out. Sometimes a quick wipe down with a

54
00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:46.199
warm wash cloth counts as a wind, you know.

55
00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:47.399
Elementary age.

56
00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:51.319
Once kids get a little older, they start pushing back,

57
00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:57.720
not taking a shower, not brushing teeth only if reminded.

58
00:04:58.560 --> 00:04:59.439
Changing socks.

59
00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.480
Oh my god, we go through that on a daily

60
00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:07.519
You gotta change your socks. Why would they when they're

61
00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:13.759
old they still fit? You know. At this stage, hygiene

62
00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:20.879
becomes a battle and reminders our daily necessity. So hygiene

63
00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:26.000
habits reinforce at this stage is daily showers or baths

64
00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:31.199
every night, no exceptions.

65
00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:34.399
Or reluctant bathers.

66
00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:40.720
Sometimes a bath bomb or their favorite soap helps, or

67
00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:45.600
just a favorite toy. Brushing teeth twice a day. If

68
00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:50.879
they resist, a fun electric toothbrush or a two minute

69
00:05:51.160 --> 00:05:55.480
sand timer can make it more engaging. Some kids love

70
00:05:55.519 --> 00:06:01.639
bubblegum toothpaste, others prefer mint. Letting them choose help fresh

71
00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:08.319
clothes every day, underwear and socks a must change daily.

72
00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:12.319
If they try to sneak by without changing, we start

73
00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:13.360
the sniff test.

74
00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:16.720
And let's just say they don't like that.

75
00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:21.000
So if I can smell their stinky feet, they better

76
00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:24.480
go clean their socks or get a new pair. This

77
00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:31.000
age group responds well to incentives. A sticker chart, a

78
00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:34.680
fun soap for washing hands, or even letting them pick

79
00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:38.000
up their own hygiene products can make a big difference.

80
00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:41.959
I did that today, guys. I took my eight year

81
00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:45.439
old and my thirteen year old to Walmart, and I

82
00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:54.279
let them pick their own body wash, shampoo, and toothpaste,

83
00:06:54.439 --> 00:06:59.199
and whatever they wanted they got because I want them

84
00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:03.720
to want to do got deodorant, got everything they need

85
00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:09.199
for their own personal hygiene. And preteens the age when

86
00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:14.480
they start caring what their friends think, but still don't

87
00:07:14.519 --> 00:07:19.480
think daily showers are necessary. This is when hormones start

88
00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:26.399
kicking in, making hygiene more important. So I usually don't

89
00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:29.040
have to tell my teens to take a shower. They're

90
00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:33.360
honestly very good about doing it on their own without asking.

91
00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:38.399
So body odor some kids don't realize they need deodorant

92
00:07:38.439 --> 00:07:40.879
until it's painfully obvious.

93
00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:42.600
That is my eight year old.

94
00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:48.199
She has had to wear deodorant since she was two

95
00:07:48.199 --> 00:07:51.480
and a half years old. That's how bad body odor

96
00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:54.800
was for her. And it was like I was washing

97
00:07:54.800 --> 00:08:00.360
her down every thirty minutes because it's smelled. I was

98
00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:02.639
throwing her in the bathtub because it was that bad.

99
00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:07.920
So she's been wearing deodorant for a long time. We

100
00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:11.759
make deodorant part of the morning routine before they actually

101
00:08:11.800 --> 00:08:16.600
start smelling bad oily hair and acne if they don't

102
00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:20.600
wash their hands enough or hair enough. If they don't

103
00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:24.920
wash their hair enough, it gets greasy. If they don't

104
00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:29.519
wash their face enough, acne starts appearing. Teaching them a

105
00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:33.720
simple skincare routine like face washing in the morning and

106
00:08:33.879 --> 00:08:39.080
at night helps a lot. Sweaty feet and smelly shoes

107
00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:40.080
is a big problem.

108
00:08:40.120 --> 00:08:40.720
In our house.

109
00:08:41.639 --> 00:08:46.120
This is a real struggle, especially with active kids. We

110
00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:50.840
enforce sock changes, foot washing, and sometimes even sprinkling baking

111
00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:54.000
soda in our shoes for the ones that have the

112
00:08:54.039 --> 00:08:58.720
bad feet. At this age, peer pressure is an advantage.

113
00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:04.159
If their friends are starting to care about hygiene, they

114
00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:05.519
will too.

115
00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.159
Sometimes a general.

116
00:09:06.840 --> 00:09:09.919
Reminder like you don't want to be that smelly kid

117
00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:14.799
in class is enough for motivation. Once kids hit their

118
00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:19.639
teenage gears, hygiene can go one or two ways. One

119
00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:24.720
they become obsessed with it, which is long showers, expensive

120
00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:28.600
hair products, and a sudden interest in cologne or perfume.

121
00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:35.399
And two, they don't care and need consistent reminders. Teen

122
00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:41.960
hygiene musts daily showers with soap, not just standing underwater

123
00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:47.600
deodorant every morning no exceptions. Skincare routine to prevent acne,

124
00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:54.399
shaving if they choose to washing clothes regularly aka learning

125
00:09:54.720 --> 00:10:00.360
to do their own laundry, which again I do not

126
00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:05.840
let my younger ones do laundry because they overfill the

127
00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:12.039
machine and it tends to start breaking. You know, by

128
00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:19.159
this age we shift from nagging to letting them take

129
00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:20.639
their own responsibility.

130
00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:24.240
If they choose to skip hygiene.

131
00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:29.639
They'll deal with the consequences bad breath, pimples, friends avoiding them,

132
00:10:30.039 --> 00:10:35.000
and sometimes natural consequences are the best teacher. Not all

133
00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:40.080
kids resist hygiene, but for those who do, here are

134
00:10:40.120 --> 00:10:44.360
some tricks. Let them choose their own products, which that's

135
00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:48.639
what we do. A fun shampoo or fancied deodorant can

136
00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:54.159
be surprisingly motivating. Turn it into a game. Timers for

137
00:10:54.200 --> 00:10:57.639
brushing teeth, you know, races to see who can get

138
00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:00.000
showered and dress the fastest.

139
00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:06.120
That works for us very well. And then using technology.

140
00:11:06.279 --> 00:11:10.159
There are apps that remind kids to brush their teeth

141
00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:14.679
or wash their face. Sometimes a phone notification works better

142
00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:20.559
than a parent's voice and lead by example. If they

143
00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:24.399
see us taking care of ourselves, they're more than likely

144
00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:28.919
to follow suit. Like I said, I've never ever had

145
00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:34.759
to get after my kids for not taking a shower.

146
00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:38.960
My kids have always been that child that they want

147
00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:39.480
to be clean.

148
00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:43.559
Usually it's the little ones.

149
00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:48.679
If it's still light outside in the afternoon and I

150
00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:50.240
say you got to eat dinner and you got to

151
00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:52.440
get in the shower, they don't want to get in

152
00:11:52.440 --> 00:11:55.919
the shower and tell it's almost bedtime, which is okay

153
00:11:56.039 --> 00:11:58.960
because baths tend to help kids sleep.

154
00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:00.960
Better bushing their teeth.

155
00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:05.960
They're really good about brushing at nighttime, but they get

156
00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.200
up in a hurry in the morning for school and.

157
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.679
They do not. You know, it's last minute.

158
00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:18.399
So usually if we're running late in the morning, I

159
00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:23.000
will have them out the door wherever we need to be.

160
00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:26.159
And then usually if we forget the teeth brushing in

161
00:12:26.200 --> 00:12:28.519
the morning for the little ones, they do it when

162
00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:31.559
they get home, and then they also do it again

163
00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:38.840
at that time obviously, So if you have kids and

164
00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:45.679
your kids give you any grief about showering, washing their hair,

165
00:12:45.799 --> 00:12:50.519
washing their face, brushing their teeth, putting on deodorant, changing

166
00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:56.919
their socks, because I know from experience watching my older boys,

167
00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:00.120
they will wear their socks until they're black and all

168
00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:05.200
off their feet, and I'm constantly getting on them. Usually

169
00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:08.879
if they put them on, they have holes in the

170
00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:13.080
bottoms because they don't throw their old, wretchedy ones out.

171
00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:15.679
So I do tend to have to get after them

172
00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:19.519
and tell them buy new socks, because they'll come over

173
00:13:19.799 --> 00:13:22.480
to our house and I'll be looking at their socks

174
00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:24.559
and I'm like, man, you need some new socks. They're

175
00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:28.759
holy and like I said, when we set examples for

176
00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:32.000
our children and they see us getting up in the morning,

177
00:13:32.039 --> 00:13:36.600
brushing our teeth, brushing our hair, putting on deodorant, making

178
00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:40.960
sure we have clean socks on, they are gonna follow suit.

179
00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:43.200
They will follow what we do.

180
00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:48.720
And as a parent, yes, for the little ones, they

181
00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:54.840
need some nagging, So a little reminder, Hey, don't forget

182
00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:57.600
to brush your teeth, or what I say is, did

183
00:13:57.639 --> 00:14:01.840
you guys brush your teeth it's time for or as

184
00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:04.039
we're getting up in the morning, make sure you brush

185
00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:04.440
your teeth.

186
00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:04.799
Guys.

187
00:14:05.559 --> 00:14:09.840
They usually tend to do it, the older ones. Yeah,

188
00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:14.399
I'll do it, and then they forget. But my kids

189
00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:18.080
have always been really good about personal hygiene. We have

190
00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:22.080
done like rewards for the littler ones, like if they

191
00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:24.679
brush their teeth, we get a gold star. Once they

192
00:14:24.759 --> 00:14:27.399
hit five gold stars in a row, I take them

193
00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:29.600
to the dollar tree and they get something from the

194
00:14:29.639 --> 00:14:31.879
dollar Tree of their choice.

195
00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:33.559
So that was a little cool thing.

196
00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:38.960
And you know, like I said, the fun stuff, let

197
00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:43.320
them pick their own stuff because if they picked it,

198
00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:46.399
they're gonna want to use it because they got to

199
00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:48.840
pick it. Mom didn't pick it, Dad didn't pick it.

200
00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:51.480
They did so they're gonna be more apt to use

201
00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:54.879
it and they're gonna want to do it. Also, with

202
00:14:56.080 --> 00:14:59.960
what I said about shaving, whether it's legs, armpits, or face,

203
00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:05.600
teaching them how to do it safely is super important.

204
00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:09.519
I have taught all my girls how to shave. My

205
00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:12.200
husband has taught all of our boys how to shave,

206
00:15:13.399 --> 00:15:18.720
and so far we've never had to get after them

207
00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:21.279
about shaving wrong or anything like that because they have

208
00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:24.240
picked it up and they know exactly what they're doing.

209
00:15:26.519 --> 00:15:30.399
So these are the kind of things that are real.

210
00:15:30.759 --> 00:15:35.919
And like I said, hormones kick in and that kid

211
00:15:36.600 --> 00:15:42.240
who never cared about showers or deoder it or anything

212
00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:47.480
like that, they are going to want that stuff because

213
00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:52.519
they want to have that self esteem that they can

214
00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:54.559
walk in any room and smell good and k not

215
00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:58.600
get teased, especially at school because we know as parents

216
00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:03.600
how kids are at school. Kids are mean, and the

217
00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:06.279
first time you go to school and you start smelling,

218
00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:10.799
you are definitely going to be picked on for smell.

219
00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:13.320
I always remind my kids, you do not want to

220
00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:15.519
be that kid that smells. You want to make sure

221
00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:19.519
your hair is washed and not greasy, your face is clean,

222
00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:23.440
and you brush your teeth, put the odor and on.

223
00:16:24.039 --> 00:16:27.039
It is a good habit for all of that. To

224
00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:34.159
have personal hygiene is important for every age, so teaching

225
00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:39.679
hygiene is a long game. It starts with fun toddler

226
00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:44.879
bathtime and eventually turns into helping teens manage their own routines.

227
00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:51.360
Some kids take it naturally, while others need constant reminders.

228
00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:55.720
What's the funniest hygiene battle you've had with your kids?

229
00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:01.320
Let us know we'd love hearing your stories. Until next time,

230
00:17:01.639 --> 00:17:03.279
stay clean and take care