21d (edited) • Daily Support & Tips
Breaking Down Small Steps in Hygiene Independence (Podcast Audio)
“Your son will never be independent with hygiene.”
Those were words someone said to me when my son was little. And as a mom, those words stayed with me.
Today, he's 13. He walks into the bathroom, turns on the shower and completes his entire shower routine independently.
Did it happen overnight? Absolutely not.
There were years of frustration, trial and error, tears (sometimes mine!), and figuring out what actually worked for him.
And here's what I learned: Sometimes our kids aren't refusing to do something. They genuinely don't know HOW to do it.
I recently gave a talk about how we built my son's hygiene independence, and I wanted to share the 19-minute audio with all of you here in our community.
We talk about things like:
-The difference between "won't" and "can't." Sometimes what looks like defiance is actually a missing skill. I share the story of a mom who thought her son was refusing to brush his teeth, only to discover he couldn't identify which toothbrush was his.
-How to use anchoring. A simple strategy that can make hygiene routines more predictable and reduce some of those daily battles.
-Why it's OK to skip a step. Sometimes temporarily removing the hardest part of a routine is exactly what helps a child learn the rest.
This isn't about expecting every child to become completely independent. Every child has different abilities, needs and timelines. It's about finding ways to help our kids participate more, build confidence and gain whatever level of independence is possible for them.
🎧 The audio is just 19 minutes. Listen while you're driving to school pickup, folding laundry or finally getting a few quiet minutes after bedtime.
And then I want to hear from you.
What's ONE hygiene skill your child is struggling with right now?
Is it getting into the shower? Washing their hair? Toothbrushing? Toileting? Or something else entirely?
Share it in the comments. Maybe another parent has been through the exact same thing and found something that helped.
That's why I created this community. So we can learn from each other, celebrate the small victories and remind ourselves that progress doesn't have to look the same for every child.
2
2 comments
Breaking Down Small Steps in Hygiene Independence (Podcast Audio)
powered by
skool.com/bathroom-independence-2381
Step-by-step strategies, visual supports and printables for teaching everyday life skills, at any age.
Suggested communities
Powered by