How to Get Your Kids in the Shower

Getting your little rascals in the shower should not and does not have to be a battle, but for many parents it is. Many children, especially boys, dislike bathing and it is not their fault. Just imagine putting yourself in the shoes of a 7 year old boy, would you want to spend your time in a boring shower getting all wet when you could be playing. Here are some tips that I used for my 2 boys to get them into the shower.

First off, make sure your child knows the reason why they are taking a shower. You want them to bathe so that they can keep themselves clean from germs and bacteria, smell pleasant and look presentable. Now you must tell you child in their own language, for example "Once you take your shower you will feel clean and strong because you won't have germs dragging you down" or "Once your done your shower you will smell great and be able to make lots of friends because of it".

Next and most importantly your shower has to be an inviting place for a child and this doesn't mean replacing all of your shower accessories with new ones. You can make your shower more inviting by adding only a couple of things. For example, a shower radio with a built in cd player can be used to play your kids favorite songs in the shower, this will help your children think of showering as less of a chore and more of fun little habit. Also if you can incorporate other shower accessories like a shower curtain featuring your child's favorite television character, this also helps.

Lastly, your child should be bathing roughly twice a week any more and he/she is cleaning more than they need to and probably more than they want to. It can get to be an annoyance to them if they are forced to take baths and showers daily and the more of an annoyance it is for them the less likelyhood of them cleaning themselves properly. Shower or bathing too often also has negative side effects on the childs health. If he or she showers too often they can develop dry skin and their immune system will also weaken not being exposed to bacteria and other elements long enough. Finding a balance is crucial for your child's health.

If your child prefers baths rather than showers, let them have baths and give them some bubble bath and toys to play with. Eventually they will realize how to manage their time better and start taking showers.

Some common mistakes made by parents is to bribe their kids into taking a shower. Offering your children bribes is never a good idea, but it is usually the first ideas that comes to mind. Resist the urge to bribe your child and instead after they have taken their shower tell them how good they smell and tell them you are proud of them for taking a shower. To a child hearing their parents say they are proud of them is better than any bribe. Some kids despise taking showers and getting clean so much that they will fake it and simply wet their hair or leave the water running. If you suspect your child is doing this make sure you have taught them all that there is needed to know about washing themselves the right way, from shampooing their scalp to washing behind their ears. Give their head a good sniff and if it smells like shampoo they are on the right track.

I have 2 sons and these strategies worked like a charm. At first they would do anything possible to postpone taking their showers and now they do it with no questions asked. Follow this advice and you'll have your child in the shower as easily as you can say "go take a shower".