Are you frustrated by stinky kids? Do you feel like your children just stand in the shower and do nothing at all? Are you wondering how to teach kids how to shower? Do you feel that teaching kids how to shower should be more… simple?
You are not alone!
Teaching Kids How to Shower: This Super Simple Printable Will Help!
How to teach kids to shower
This is one of those keepin’ it real moments, you guys. I am going to share a parenting struggle. This struggle is real, and it’s gone on for far too long. Frankly, it’s embarrassing, but it is what it is. This is how it all goes down…
After dinner, my kids morph into wild maniacs. They strip themselves of every stitch of clothing and run frantically upstairs. They are supposed to get into the tub, or shower, and act like they are cleaning themselves. At 7, 5 1/2, and 3 1/2-years of age, I don’t expect that they are going to clean themselves well, however, I do expect that they will be in there doing something, preferably with soap.
Instead, I typically enter the kids’ bath to find them sitting in the tub together, being all kinds of loud, with bone-dry heads, no soap in sight. At this point, I will ask them to get their respective noggins wet and to start washing their bodies.
Teaching kids how to shower can be a frustrating experience
In response? I get more noise and THIS:
I continue, “Hey you guys. Please pour water over your heads.”
Deep breath. Louder this time, “I need you to start washing your bodies. Now.”
Deeeeep breath. “Start washing your bodies… NOW!“
It is at this point that I’m wholly frustrated, tired, and cranky. I roll up my sleeves and enter what is now akin to a war zone. I attempt to clean these wild, out-of-control, squirmy little people.
It is completely, utterly, mind-numbingly, frustratingly EXHAUSTING. I always find myself questioning how this train got off its track. Bath time used to calmer, enjoyable. I used to look forward to it. Every night, I end this ritual asking myself:
“WHEN WILL THEY BE ABLE TO CLEAN THEIR BODIES?!”
Well, the other night, the school psychologist in me got a little more fired up than usual. I took matters into my own hands. I have incorporated visual schedules all over the place, why not make one for the shower itself?
Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones and this “How to Shower” printable changed our bedtime routine immediately.
How to Shower had an immediate positive impact on our evening routine. Now, instead of nagging and receiving blank stares from wild little bodies, we have a little bit of order. The kids take turns showering and when they are in there, I point to each item and tell them what the sign says they should be doing. And they do it! Is it perfect? Nope, not even close. But, I now have hope!
And, guess what else??
The other day I was whining talking to a friend about our nightly bath time debacle and my silly yet effective solution and she suggested I put it on the site. The reality is, if I’m having this unfortunate nightly occurrence, someone else out there is, too.
So, in the name of #keepingitreal, I am sharing this super-simple How to Shower printable.
Now, don’t get too excited, you guys. It’s not fancy. In fact, that isn’t even ClipArt, it’s CaitArt, but if it helps just one mama through that dreaded bath debacle, it is worth the rest of you giggling at me.
So, if you want my official How to Shower printable, simply grab it here, print, and laminate. Watch those important life skills take shape before your very eyes (with the hope that, one day, bodily cleaning will happen without your direct supervision).
Grab the How to Shower printable here:
If you’re looking for a super simple solution to a nightly situation, you can grab the How to Shower resource here.
Do you find it frustrating to teach kids how to shower, too?
Are you laughing right now? And, on a more serious note, how do you encourage those important life skills at home? And, speaking of which, have you read my friend Kara’s post Why We Practice Life Skills Summers over on Simple Homeschool? It’s a good one and you should head over there next!
great idea! Much better than continuing the pointless yell, rinse, repeat process. My only comment is about washing with soap every night. It is apparently quite hard on their skin, can lead to irritation and even infection and destroy their natural skin protection. https://www.etch.com/symptomchecker/parentadvice/135/
My kids (8, 6) only use soap in the bath/shower on rare occasions. (They do wash their hands with soap a few times a day, and sometimes in summer their feet). Even when really dirty a wet washcloth gets them clean (sometimes soap is needed to get off waterproof sunscreen, but even then a rub with a wet washcloth works wonders). And shampoo only once or sometimes twice a week. And they really do get clean!! Soaking in all that water gets off even the most ground in summer dirt. 🙂
Thanks, Cameron!
Word, Cait. We used a page protector for our far less pretty list, which keeps it dry as well. I point to the list, and say, do this, and I *will* check to make sure you did. Helps enormously.
Love it, Cristy!
Bathtime at our home used to be a horrific struggle. My son loved playing in the water, but hated getting his head wet. When it came time to wash his head, even sans soap, it would be a full blown tantrum. Every. Single. Night. One day my genius husband got the bright idea to turn on the shower and ask my son if he wanted to play in the rain (we’d been strictly baths). He let my son stand in the back of the shower, then slowly work his way under the water on his own, all the while making a game of it. My son had a blast and hasn’t taken a bath since. After a few days we even got him his own bath pouf and he washes himself. I know we got super lucky, but my 2 1/2 year old now loves shower time!
I love that story, Jennifer! Isn’t it great when you stumble upon a simple solution? Glad your showers are a happy time now!
I printed this off for my older kiddos who balked at the idea of being taught how to shower (but they needed it). Their main observation was that the kid in the pick didn’t even need the dime size bit of shampoo since he didn’t have any hair! 🙂 Thanks for doing this, it is a very important skill that many of us take for granted!
I’m dying laughing, Rebecca, because my kids made the same comment. I have many skills but I do not claim to be a graphic artist 🙂
I like Cait Art better than clip art anyway! thank you so much for keeping it real! It’s tough when yiy feel alone in something!!!
This had me literally LAUGHING OUT LOUD! Love the images, too!! Great idea for a laminated checklist!!
I am not laughing, I am seriously considering using it. I have an 8yo who theoretically showers herself, but routinely comes out with soap still in her hair (just one example).
You are not alone! 🙂
Oh my goodness. This is so utterly obvious that I can’t believe it never occurred to me to try making something like this! Thank you!!!