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Expert Q&A

	By Michael F. Wasserman General Pediatrician

I have a 10-year-old. She's just now getting to the age where she's looking more like a teen than a child. She's also very active. She's been showering and taking care of her bathroom needs on her own for about a year now, but I want to make sure she has the information she needs to complete the tasks successfully – I'm feeling increasingly self-conscious about sticking my head in the bathroom to remind her to wash this and that. Once children hit puberty, what sort of hygiene routines or rituals are desirable? Daily showers? Washing hair daily? Washing face daily before bed? Am I missing anything? And I want her to know that's it's not just about looking good, it's healthy too. Right? Thank you for any information you can provide!

By the time your child is an adolescent, you have already had the opportunity to teach appropriate hygiene routines. "Sticking your head" into the bathroom is disrespectful at the very least, if not actually embarrassing to an adolescent. Think of this as an opportunity to begin the "letting go process," an area in your child's life that is appropriate for her to assume responsibility.

Hygiene, by its nature, is very personal. Your child will likely pick up cues from her peer group. Occassionally discussing hygiene in general terms is appropriate, but once taught, give your child some space.

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