Don?t tell my kids?or my mom?but when I was seven years old, I stopped brushing my teeth for a year or so. A classmate called me ?stink breath,? but it didn?t bother me. I?d just breathe in his direction, and he?d run away.
I have no idea why I decided to forgo that essential bit of personal hygiene (or how I could have stood the feeling of fuzzy teeth). But it turns out I probably wasn?t alone. Many school-age kids, old enough to know better, don?t regularly brush and floss their teeth, wash their hands, bathe, or shampoo their hair.
There are myriad reasons your kid might not handle his hygiene properly. Younger school-agers may lack the dexterity to properly brush, or a loose tooth may make it painful. Some kids are sensitive to strong odours and flavours, and may find minty toothpaste too ?spicy? or the smell of their soap or shampoo nauseating. When it comes to older kids, proper hygiene ?can be perceived as a chore,? says Susan MacKenzie, a child and youth psychiatrist with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. ?Sometimes the reluctance is part of a larger power struggle with the parents.? To avoid any guesswork, London, Ont., paediatrician Michelle Ponti recommends having a calm, non-accusatory chat. ?Find out what it is [about the hygiene practice] that?s bothering your child,? she says. But pick your moment. Standing in the bathroom while everyone?s getting ready to rush out the door in the morning is not the best time to have that conversation. I...