Hygiene
Bath, teeth brushing, hair washing, grooming
The bath that triggers a meltdown. The teeth that haven't been brushed properly in who knows how long. The hair brushing standoff. Hygiene routines ask kids to tolerate sensations they find genuinely unpleasant.
What to Know
Hygiene routines ask kids to tolerate sensations they may find genuinely unpleasant — water in their face, bristles on their gums, pulling through tangles. What looks like defiance is often sensory discomfort or overwhelm. Kids aren't being difficult about bath time; they're finding the experience genuinely aversive.
For some kids, the issue is sensory. For others, it's the transition (stopping play to do something unpleasant) or the loss of control (someone else doing things to their body). Understanding which factor is driving the resistance helps you address it more effectively.
Hygiene compliance usually improves with age, predictability, and giving kids as much control as possible within the routine. Letting them choose the toothbrush, control the water temperature, or decide the order of steps can reduce the power struggle.
Signs to Watch
- •Melts down over specific hygiene tasks
- •Has strong sensory reactions to water, toothbrushing, or hair care
- •Resists hygiene routines consistently
- •Needs significant help with hygiene beyond what's age-appropriate
- •Avoids hygiene tasks and doesn't seem to care
- •Has physical resistance or fight/flight responses to hygiene
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