Our girl’s personal hygiene should be of utmost concern to us every time. Cleanliness according to a popular saying, they say is next to Godliness. Many of us start to teach our girls to take care of themselves between the ages of four to six years [ the pre-tween age}, but they don’t quite get a hang of it until they reach the tween age{9 – 12}, during which they begin to experience changes in their body {Puberty}. If your child is five-year-old and you have not started to talk to her about puberty, please start as you finish reading this. Talk to them as based on their age and what they can understand. Do not wait till the surprise comes knocking then you drop the bombshell! Start gradually and gently.
Moreover, part of our girl’s confidence stems from how they look and feel about themselves and how they are perceived and treated by other people. So, I put together a guideline to make sure that our girls are taking good care of themselves.
- Bathing: Ensure your girl is bathing properly to avoid unpleasant body odor and certain skin problems. No one wants to associate with someone oozing terrible odor. Taking a proper means choosing a very good body wash or bath soap, a soft sponge or washcloth, clean water and a lotion, Vaseline or body cream. Supervise your girls to make sure they are washing all their body parts properly, especially the armpit, body folds and private parts. The armpit should be treated like every other part of the body when applying the lotion or body cream. They should, however, avoid douching or using harsh soap to wash their body parts to avoid infection. you can make bath time fun for the girls by buying colorful towels and wash clothes or take them shopping to get the ones of their choice.
- Brush your teeth twice daily, floss and rinse with mouthwash after every meal. If they see us doing these, then it will become easier for them and eventually become a lifestyle. Also get them nice colorful toothbrush to keep them going. my daughters love the vibrating toothbrush with their favorite cartoon character.
- Clean up with a toilet paper or tissue roll after every trip to the bathroom to pee or to do the big one.
- Wash both hands after every trip to the bathroom with soap, water and dry with a napkin.
- Buy them mild deodorant and perfumes. Every girl deserves to smell nice. Teach your girls the proper way to wearing perfumes is not to spray directly on their skin but to spray in the air in front of them, then walk through the mist.
- Teach them to take good care of their clothes and how to choose, mix, match and combine clothes. This is the time to teach them on how to keep private things private. If we are raising Godly girls then they should not wear clothes that expose the private parts of their body. the idea is to look good, clean, fresh and presentable not like a piece of trash.
- Teach the ones with pubic and armpit hair to shave. Buy shaving cream or stick and show them how to do it carefully. Also, tell them to avoid using a deodorant immediately after an armpit shave {it’s not a funny sight}
- Trim their nails at least once every week, that’s a good hideout for gems. Also, make sure you get a different nail cutter for each child. Do not for any reason share their nail cutter with them or siblings and keep them sterile from time to time.
- It is very important to make sure our girl’s hair is tidy all the time. keep the hair well moisturized and neat. teach them how to brush and style the hair as they grow.
- For those that have attained puberty { you will be surprised some 8-year-old have already started }, buy sanitary napkins or tampons to use for their monthly cycle/ period. Teach them to change the pads at least four times a day or depending on their flow. They should also be ready always by keeping extra pads in their bags to avoid embarrassing stains.
- Teach them to keep their room and bathroom tidy. To lay their beds, pick up straying toys and empty the bin every morning.
- Teach them the proper ways to use public toilets, not sit directly on them.
Encouragement tips:
- Complements goes a long way. Always complement their look at every given opportunity. Say sweet words like You look radiant and beautiful. I appreciate the effort you put into taking good care of yourself.
- Reward system. Give them a treat especially when you see an improvement in their look.
- Respect their privacy, especially when their body starts to change. It will help them to know the right thing to do when they are out of the house and on their own. Encourage them to take note of their menstrual cycle date on a calendar to avoid accidental stains.
When all of these becomes part of their lifestyle, watch as they begin to blossom into women of class, honor, dignity, high self-esteem, confident to mention a few.
If these has been helpful in any way or you have other ideas to add, please leave a comment below.