I need my teen DS to not be disgusting! Hopeless?

[Anonymous]

We switched to daily contacts for our teen boy: more expensive, yes. Saving him from eye infections or worse because of poor hygeine, priceless.

[Anonymous]

As parents, I think we need to remember that kids are born knowing these things nor do they often tend to just pick it up. We have to tell them. And then remind them. again. This list of items a PP posted above is useful. Although it can seem overwhelming all at once.

[Anonymous]

Why are you even allowing him to sit down at the table with nail clippers? I mean, the second he walked into the kitchen with them I'd have said "Turn around and go in the bathroom with those. And if I find ONE nail anywhere in the bathroom besides the trash, it will be you cleaning the bathrooms for the next month."

You act like you have no control over this situation. Aren't you the parent?

[Anonymous]

So hey have you also addressed these issues:

1. Wash your ass when you're in the shower. Now that it's hairy you'll have klingons.

2. Wash under that foreskin, you don't want cheese building up under there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD who is several years older than my DS (13) has given him the talk about "what girls like" in terms of hygiene and coming from her it has proved to be more effective than from parents. He became pretty rough looking - acne, dandruff, braces, eyeglasses, peach fuzz, gray skin, stinky feet - almost overnight around a year back, and then he straightened out quite a bit.

1) Dental hygiene - no one likes stinky breathe or yellow plaque covered teeth or tongue. He has taken to brushing twice, water piking frequently, using a tongue cleaner and using Listerine.
2) No dandruff - it is terrible to see flakes on your shoulders. DS uses anti-dandruff shampoo and good mild conditioner. Learn how to correctly use shampoo (use on scalp) and conditioner (use on hair). He has also learned to use a seperate towel for his hair and to not let water from washing his hair run down on his body to prevent bacne.
3) Bacne - yup this is a thing. teens get acne on chest, shoulders and back. Probably not kids on swim team (all the chlorine kills off the bacteria?). Anyhow, bacne gets treated with a mild scrub, clean cotton t-shirts and epiduo at night.
4) Acne - He has a skin care routine now - cleansing, moisturizing, sun protection, epiduo (derm recommended) for his face. Coconut oil all over his body before a shower. A whole lot of improvement in his skin overall. No more rough, graying skin on his elbows, knees and knuckles.
5) Nail clipping and hand care - clips nails and uses a file to smoothen out the edges (in the bathroom no less). No one likes chewed up cuticles or dirty long nails. Uses a hand-cream so that he does not have peeling cuticles anymore.
6) Peach fuzz - does not suit most teens. He shaves it off every two or three weeks. If you have facial hair and it does not look that great on you - shave it off.
7) Feet/Shoes/Socks - No stinky feet, clean regularly, inspect for ingrown nails and foot fungus. Use shoe deodorizing spray if your shoes smell as if a rodent has died in them.
8) Lips - chap-stick. Flaky, raw lips (especially for kids who wear braces) does not look good.
9) Smell - Nice clean smell. Could be the soap, could be cologne. DS adds cologne to outerwear - coats, jackets, hoodies, caps - rather than his skin
10) Deodorant - Necessity. Does not use anti-antiperspirant but does use a deo - every single day. MS and HS halls reeks of teen - so please have mercy on the teachers who have to teach them.
11) Clothes/backpacks/shoes/lunchbox/caps/gloves/gym stuff - all need a periodic run through the washing machine. Clean is not overrated. Dirty, grimy backpacks, gym uniforms is not cool.
12) Hand sanitizer/tissues/wet wipes - clip on or carry some. wetwipes also come in individual packs. Stash some in the backpacks and lunch boxes.
13) Wind instruments - Ugh! Clean these things that you blow into.
14) Contacts/Eyewear - Clean regularly.

Since it is Spring already, I gave my son the chore to clean and put away his winter gear. Coat, caps, gloves...and equipment for winter sports.