Hygiene
Beginner concepts

Keeping your body hygienic

Puberty is a good time for your child to learn to take care of their personal hygiene more independently.

Introduction

Changes to your child’s body during puberty means they will need to include new activities in their personal care and hygiene routines. This may include things like:

using deodorant
showering regularly
cleaning their vulva or penis
taking care of pimples
hair removal

Puberty is a good time for your child to learn to take care of their personal hygiene more independently. It gives them an opportunity to get to know and feel more in control their body. It is also beneficial for their future, as a child who can manage their personal care and hygiene will be less reliant on other adults in their life as they grow older.

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Strategies for you to try

Use a visual schedule

Use visual schedules to break down new skills into steps that can be represented by pictures or words. Your child can then follow the steps for completing that skill. For example, the steps for putting on deodorant.

Model good personal care and hygiene practices

Show your child how to put take care of their body by modelling to them how you take care of your body. Talk through what you’re doing as you do it. For example, ‘I’ve just gone to the toilet, so now I’m going to wash my hands’.

Describe what you’re doing as you do it

When providing personal care for your child, describe what you are doing as you do it. This helps them to learn the steps of the process, even if they aren’t able to do them independently. Also, 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.

Create an environment for your child to practice independence

Set up the environment to support your child to be independent. This could include giving your child a drawer in the bathroom with all their chosen products for their personal care and hygiene routine. It can also include numbering the products in the order that your child needs to use them. Pictures of these products can be included in your child’s visual schedule.

won’t shower, not washing their genitals