Hygiene
Beginner concepts

Taking care of your vulva and vagina

Teaching your child to clean their private body parts is an excellent way to practice consent and build independence in their personal care.

Introduction

Teaching your child to clean their private body parts is an excellent way to practice consent and build independence in their personal care.

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Conversation Starters

You are doing such a good job of washing your arms and legs. You need to wash your vulva too. Can I show you how?

Cleaning your body is important to keep it healthy and feeling good. Your vulva is part of your body. It needs cleaning too. Can you show me how well you can clean your vulva?

Strategies for you to try

Visual schedule

Add cleaning your vulva to a visual schedule detailing your child’s personal care routine

Check in

When helping your child wash their vulva, describe what you are doing as you do it and frequently check in with them by asking ‘is this OK?’ This tells your child that taking care of their body is important and that they can say stop at any time.

Limited Mobility

If your child has limited mobility, give them time to clean their vulva as best they can before asking them if it is OK for you to finish helping them wash the area.

not washing their genitals