Shower time is so much fun… but most likely not so much for your kids. Some children just abhor taking showers. They’d rather be sweaty, grimy and foul-smelling all day than spend a few minutes putting shampoo in their hair. Trick your child to shower by making it more fun and less of a battle by trying these effective tips out:
Schedule showers
Most kids don’t want to shower especially whenever you really want them to. Trick your child to shower by letting them go to the bathroom at a different time. If morning showers are always a pain, let your child shower in the afternoons or nights. We know that establishing a shower routine is important but sometimes it is best to let your kid shower where time isn’t limited and you aren’t in a hurry.
Start with play
Most children like playing with water so let them. On a hot day, trick your child to shower by squirting them with a water gun. Once your target is wet enough, continue your water fight into the bathroom. Let your kid reload the water gun while taking a shower.
Allow toys
Allowing toys in the bathroom often makes a difference when you try to trick your child to shower. Let your kid bring in some waterproof toys or even those plastic containers from the kitchen. Temporarily forget about reprimanding your child about splashing too much water in the room until a proper showering routine is established.
Art time
Watercolours and washable paints are great shower fun tools. Your child can paint on the bathroom walls with colourful and fun drawings. This is an enjoyable activity especially since you don’t have to worry about cleaning up afterwards.
Go to page two for the rest of the tips to get your child to take a shower
Glow sticks
Trick your child to shower at night by handing glow sticks. Turn off the lights in the room and have a fun water show in the dark. Make sure to supervise to avoid any slipping accidents.
Swim in the shower
Goggles, snorkels and floaters are great tools to use when you trick your child to shower. Your little tadpole will have a great time pretending to be on some beach or huge swimming pool while in the bathroom.
Step in the shower
Most children hate going to the shower because they are scared. Trick your child to shower by getting wet too. Stepping in the shower with your children will make shower timeless of a hassle and more of a bonding experience. It is best to shower in your underwear though or you might be asked endless anatomy questions.
Offer rewards
Tick off the day in the calendar every time your child takes a shower without too much fuss. Once a full week has passed, offer him a reward – like extended TV hours, a trip to the park, or a home-cooked meal. If your child thinks the rewards are too trivial, make it 15 days or a full month of fuss-free shower days and buy the most wanted toy or video game. Use this trick as the last resort though.
How do you trick your child to shower? Were all of your tricks effective? Tell us about your experience. Make your kids more conscious about personal hygiene by letting them view this video too: