It’s true confession time (again).

The Catholic Church tells me confession is good for the soul. But some subjects aren’t really “confessional worthy,” so bringing them here, to the supportive family of Just.Be.Enough, works for me.

toothpaste and toothbrush

Image credit: Gloria Garcia on Flickr

You ready? Here’s my confession:

I don’t really think about hygiene.

I sometimes forget to shower. I sometimes forget makeup. I very often forget to wash my face. I never wash behind my ears. I will wear the same jeans until they can walk on their own before I wash them. I do brush my teeth every night, but sometimes (ok, a lot), I forget in the morning. I don’t wash the sheets as often as I should.

Am I grossing you out? Or are you like me? I know some of you have to be. Right? Please?

Anyway, why am I telling you this?

Because I have daughters and oh-no-what-am-I-going-to-do-to-teach-them-hygiene-when-I-don’t-even-practice-it-myself?

Not easy, friends!

I keep forgetting.

My tween is RIGHT at the age where she needs to learn things like making sure she rinses all the soap out of her hair, the importance of brushing her hair daily so knots don’t build up, the need for deodorant. And gasp! Some of her friends are even shaving their legs.

And how am I helping? Not much, I’m afraid. Because I keep forgetting.

So to help myself out, I actually made an Excel spreadsheet of the things she needs to do daily and weekly.

Things like brushing her teeth morning and night, brushing her hair morning and night, showering four times a week (for now), washing her face on the non-shower days, wearing deodorant.

She’s got the deodorant wearing down – she loves that. But some of the other stuff? If I don’t remember she doesn’t remember because it’s just not something on her radar yet.

And apparently it’s not on my radar either. I’d much rather lie around reading books with her until right before bedtime than remember to send her upstairs for her hygiene routine before bed.

And the same goes for myself. I often read until I literally can’t keep my eyes open anymore. Then I go to bed without washing my face.

Do you have any tips for us? This non-hygienic family of ours? I could use some! Maybe an Excel spreadsheet of my own to follow…

xo

Missy

About Missy


Missy Bedell blogs at Literal Mom where she encourages all parents to be thinking parents. She uses wit, humor and sometimes even tears to share her message. But above all that, there is hope, for our next generation. You can also find her on Twitter at @LiteralMom.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...