May Garden
• Sep. 21, 2008 - On hygiene
I guess our grooming activities are a part of studying HEALTH related topics.
We spend TIME in this area so isn't it part of their learning process?
Our testimony is that of a fair balance of messiness and neatness.
when we got out -which is aprox. a few times a week I usually go through pains to make sure everyone is relatively neat and well dressed.
If we walk in the neighborhood or go to the park they wear play things but I make sure they have hair brushed and faces washed.
When we are just out in our yard they know that unless I have told them we are going away from the house getting dirty is okay. And they do... garden mud is their favorite and dirt under their nails is common from digging for bugs to play with.
All that said I am not perfect about my reaction to some of their bigger messes or the need for extra work on my part!
But over all I realize we'd be spending a huge amount of money on toys and such if I didn't let them mingle with nature regularly.
So we tend to do shower rinses or baths at least a few times a day.
I also am one that prefers the help of a full rinse when diaper bottoms are really messy or a diaper is soaked at night with urine!
I have to add that with girls that have curls using conditioner every day in the shower and detangler after naps is the EASIEST way -for me at least, to keep the snarls down. This actually has negated a lot of brushing -and the resistance that comes along with scalp sensitivity.
BTW quick warm shower rinses have often been the key to a nice relaxed nap time!
I trim nails about every week or week and a half and cut boys hair with electric clippers every month and a half with a trim in between around neck and ears.
I really like nail day it is a day I take hold of each child on my lap -it is almost a snuggle time where we talk and 'work' together through the discomfort of trimming those nails.
Hair day is a day we make lots of comments on how handsome the boys are becoming and DAD is always proud to have his boys not so 'shaggy.' I get a little praise for
the work I've put into going through the cutting. With our dark haired boy it can be trying- he doesn't like it , resists... and it takes longer as he also needs his neck shaved
because well he takes after dad and produces very thick dark hair everywhere!
I get pleasure in that even if my house gets a bit overwhelming I can enjoy seeing the kids looking nice.
BTW I don't recommend carpet in the downstairs for active families LOL we got rid of ours and replaced with inexpensive tile and though it needs daily
sweeping and 'should' even be mopped daily but doesn't but maybe once a week it still is easier to care for than carpet ever was!
Yes, feet get dirty! I usually ask them to rinse feet before bedtime.
I do look forward to the cooler weather coming so I can have a break from the constant dirt that gets tracked in daily!
Oh, also changing of clothing... I often rotate in one days time a few outfits for instance we eat breakfast and brush teeth before dressing for the day.
Toothpaste smeared across my boys t shirts first thing in the day is a pet peeve of mine!
This seems to help in that I can toss their jammies in the wash, give them a rinse in the shower and dress them according to what I plan for the first part of the day.
For instance if we go out for an appt. I dress them 'better' and change their clothes when we arrive home to play clothes.
If I am letting them eat a whole apple -pectin staining or something with tomato sauce I put an old t shirt or dress on them.
I find this easier and more comfortable for them than bibs.
All that said we still have days like yesterday that my toddler was messy two times in a row with major spills to her front and I changed her those 2x in 20 mins only to give up temporarily and let her run around for a bit in a diaper... and of course she got out the front porch door that was left unlocked, ran to the neighbors house where her girlfriends live, got their attention, And when I was retrieving her thought it was great fun to take the diaper OFF and have me chasing her naked body to carry her home!
We will all receive some kind of criticism in these areas from others even in our best efforts. We just must do what we feel is important for our own family.
I know I will probably have to change my tactics this next year as we will have a new baby to care for. Maybe not able to be so diligent.
Still I guess we look at bathing and grooming as a bonding time. I will enjoy having the new baby bathe in one of the older ones laps as I suds him up and rinse him.
And my husband mentioned the other day that he was excited that he will be able to help with shower rinses with the baby soon.
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