Welcome to the April 2012 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Kids and Personal Care
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories, tips, and struggles relating to their children's personal care choices.
We have a weird dichotomy going on around here.
I'm a clean-freak (well, at least when it comes to my kid) and Burkley doesn't so much like to get clean.
I'm one of those incessant wipers...
I'm always wiping his face and hands, wiping his nose, picking his boogers, inspecting his ears and underneath is fingernails, and brushing off his booty if he sat in something dirty. Most of this he doesn't mind.
But when it comes time to change his diaper or brush his teeth, you'd think I was torturing the poor child. He used to be ruthless about baths and showers too, but somehow that has become a trial of the past.
Brushing teeth has been and on and off battle. He used to tolerate it just fine, then he wanted to use our toothbrushes, then I got him a big toothbrush, as opposed to his little one, and yet now he still just plain old hates it. I try to demonstrate on myself and then he'll let me do it for a millisecond to him. Of course I try to let him brush his teeth on his own, but he won't really brush them.
His favorite technique when it's time to clean his body or teeth is to simply run. Usually when it's cleaning time, he's naked too, which makes this somewhat cute and humorous. He and his little bare booty go running down the hallway away from the sink and tub in the bathroom with squeals of laughter. The running and squealing also happens when he tries to escape from being cleaned after meals. Cute, yes, but the sticky mess that gets wiped throughout our house...not so much.
Changing his diaper is THE.WORST. He writhes and cries and it's just terrible. We've tried every distraction we can think of (toys, books, singing, dancing, random objects that he can play with, etc.) and each one usually works for a day or two and then he's back with the arching and twisting to get away, all the while turning red and crying angrily. I hate it. I hate that diaper changing is such a traumatic event. For this reason, we mostly use Super Skivvies, because I don't have to lay him down to change them, but it is pretty gross when he poops in them. We do EC a lot as well, but there are times when he refuses to go in the toilet and needs a diaper change. I really had a good chuckle when I saw this hilarious illustration that helped me understand that I'm not the only mom to deal with this issue.
Thankfully we are in a phase right now where he's loving the tub and will stay in there indefinitely. He's also getting good at wiping his own nose. He still hates getting his fingernails and toenails clipped (not so much that he cries, but he just pulls away). It's the teeth brushing and diaper changing that's the worst. I have to trust that he'll grow out of this and one day will be easier to clean!
Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be live and updated by afternoon April 10 with all the carnival links.)
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared stories, tips, and struggles relating to their children's personal care choices.
We have a weird dichotomy going on around here.
I'm a clean-freak (well, at least when it comes to my kid) and Burkley doesn't so much like to get clean.
I'm one of those incessant wipers...
I'm always wiping his face and hands, wiping his nose, picking his boogers, inspecting his ears and underneath is fingernails, and brushing off his booty if he sat in something dirty. Most of this he doesn't mind.
But when it comes time to change his diaper or brush his teeth, you'd think I was torturing the poor child. He used to be ruthless about baths and showers too, but somehow that has become a trial of the past.
 |
| A few times I tried dumping in oodles of toys to try to help with his hatred for the bath. It didn't work. |
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| He does like to draw with his special bath crayons! |
His favorite technique when it's time to clean his body or teeth is to simply run. Usually when it's cleaning time, he's naked too, which makes this somewhat cute and humorous. He and his little bare booty go running down the hallway away from the sink and tub in the bathroom with squeals of laughter. The running and squealing also happens when he tries to escape from being cleaned after meals. Cute, yes, but the sticky mess that gets wiped throughout our house...not so much.
Changing his diaper is THE.WORST. He writhes and cries and it's just terrible. We've tried every distraction we can think of (toys, books, singing, dancing, random objects that he can play with, etc.) and each one usually works for a day or two and then he's back with the arching and twisting to get away, all the while turning red and crying angrily. I hate it. I hate that diaper changing is such a traumatic event. For this reason, we mostly use Super Skivvies, because I don't have to lay him down to change them, but it is pretty gross when he poops in them. We do EC a lot as well, but there are times when he refuses to go in the toilet and needs a diaper change. I really had a good chuckle when I saw this hilarious illustration that helped me understand that I'm not the only mom to deal with this issue.
Thankfully we are in a phase right now where he's loving the tub and will stay in there indefinitely. He's also getting good at wiping his own nose. He still hates getting his fingernails and toenails clipped (not so much that he cries, but he just pulls away). It's the teeth brushing and diaper changing that's the worst. I have to trust that he'll grow out of this and one day will be easier to clean!
***
Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:
(This list will be live and updated by afternoon April 10 with all the carnival links.)
- Rub-a-Dub Co-Bathing in Our Tub — Bath time is more than soap and water! That Mama Gretchen shares how co-bathing with her toddler has opened up a world of cleanliness, learning, and bonding.
- This is How We Take a Bath — Shannon at GrowingSlower shares her special formulas for babywash and a happy bath time.
- How to Gently Trim Your Toddler's Nails — Shannon at The Artful Mama discusses some of the gentle suggestions she has received to help Little Man overcome his anxiety of having his nails trimmed, as well as how she copes with her need for his nails to be trimmed.
- Baby bath time and skin care — Ursula Ciller shares some simple and natural tips for bathing and skin care.
- Want Your Child To Love Getting Clean? Have Them Make Their Own Soaps, Shampoos, and Lotions! — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares her secret to empowering her daughter to "get clean." Together, Jennifer and her daughter make their own body washes and lotions which makes clean up time fun!
- Encouraging Self-care Through Awareness... and Fun — Amy at Presence Parenting shares some tips on how to transform self-care from a struggle into an opportunity -- for kids and adults.
- Caring for kids' curls — Lauren at Hobo Mama tells you how to clean, condition, comb, and style ringlets and waves on little heads.
- Playing in the Rain — Jorje of Momma Jorje loves how her family has come to make a family event of showering!
- The Cleansing Power of the Football — Rachel at Lautaret Bohemiet talks about her son's favorite bath buddy.
- Coconut Oil: Nature's "Baby Magic" — Megan at The Boho Mama has only one must-have baby care item in her cupboard: Coconut Oil!
- For Sensitive Kids, Less Is More — Kadiera at Our Little Acorn finds less cleaning is better.
- Bathtime: Just Another Chance to Play! — Lyndsay at Our Feminist {Play} School discusses the many reasons bath time is important - getting clean isn't one of them.
- Hygiene? What hygiene? — Sheila at A Gift Universe confesses some of her most embarrassing hygiene secrets.
- Confused About Chemicals? — Jaye Anne at Wide Awake, Half Asleep describes how to find out where the toxic chemicals are in your house and tips on alternatives.
- Clipping Those Talons — ANonyMous at Radical Ramblings describes the ways her daughter's tolerance for personal care has changed over time, especially when it comes to nail clipping.
- Sit Back, Relax and Unschool Hygiene — Instead of focusing on tactics of how to 'get' your child to focus on hygiene, Authentic Parenting explains how to help your child internalize hygienic standards.
- Help! My Tot will not let me brush her teeth! — Mudpiemama shares five positive ways to help toddlers brush teeth and sabotage the tooth fairy’s secret conspiracy.
- Self Care and the Spirited Child — Amy at Toddler In Tow shares how a balancing act between independence and connectedness helps her spirited child learn appropriate self-care.
- Hairbrushing is a Safety Issue — Dulce de leche guest posting at Natural Parents Network explains that although tangles are not a safety issue, self-confidence and body boundaries are.
- 15 Ideas to Prepare Toddlers and Preschoolers for Dental Procedures — Dionna at Code Name: Mama is sharing ideas on how to thoughtfully prepare little ones for dental visits (particularly those that require anesthesia).
- Holistic Care of your Toddler's Teeth — Erica at ChildOrganics tells a tale of her children's teeth issues and how she uses homeopathy and good nutrition to keep cavities at bay.
- Bath Time Bliss : Fuss-Free Bath Time for Toddlers — Christine at African Babies Don't Cry shares how she has made bath time completely fuss free for both her and her toddler.
- Homemade Natural Toothpaste — City Kids Homeschooling hosts a guest post on a homemade natural toothpaste recipe that kids will love!
- Bathing Strike Strategies — Crunchy Con Mommy offers her best tips for keeping your little ones clean when they refuse to bathe.
- Bodily Autonomy and Personal Hygeine — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children discusses the importance of supporting a child's bodily autonomy in the prevention of abuse.
- A Tub Full of Kiddos! — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment has kiddos who love the water, so bathtime is a favorite evening activity!
- The Trials of Tidying My Toddler — Adrienne at Mommying My Way shares the difficulties she has with getting her on-the-go son to be still enough to get clean.
- Wiped Clean — Laura at Pug in the Kitchen shares her recipe for homemade diaper wipe solution to clean those sweet little cloth diapered bottoms in her home!
- Snug in a Towel: Embracing Personal Grooming — Personal care is time consuming,especially with more than one child; but the mama at Our Muddy Boots is learning to embrace this fleeting and needful time.
- EC: All or Nothing? — Elimination Communication. Even the title sounds complicated and time consuming. It doesn't have to, if you adapt it to meet your family's needs, says Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy.
- Routine Battles — In a guest post at Anktangle, Jorje of Momma Jorje outlines a simple incentive to help inspire your little one to follow a routine.
- Redefining Beauty For My Daughter — Justine at The Lone Home Ranger relays her struggle to define her own femininity and how her preschooler unexpectedly taught her a lesson in true beauty.
- Rub-A-Dub-Dub, Three Girls In The Tub — Chrystal at Happy Mothering shares how she turns bath time into a few minutes of peace and quiet.
- Montessori-Inspired Activities for Care of Self — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now has a roundup of Montessori-inspired activities for care of self and ideas for home environments that encourage independence.
- 10 Gentle Tips for Little Ones Who Hate the Bath — Kim at life-is-learning gives 10 tips to get your little one into the bath and maybe even enjoying it.
- The Boy With The Long Hair — Liam at In The Now discusses his son's grooming choices.
- Personal Care in a Montessori Home — Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings shares a summary of the ways she has organized her family's home to make for easy, Montessori-inspired toddler personal care.
- Styling Kids — Kellie at Our Mindful Life is letting her kids decide what to look like.
- Clean Kids: Laundry and Bath Tips — Kimberly at Homeschooling in Nova Scotia shares tips on how to get your children helping with laundry plus recipes for laundry and liquid soap.
- How to Clean Your Children Naturally: A Tutorial — Erika at Cinco de Mommy shows you how to clean your children.
- Cleaniliness is next to... dirt — The lapse-prone eco-mom (Kenna at Million Tiny Things) sometimes forgets to bathe the kids. Except in the mud pit.
Now that warmer weather is approaching, will he do a backyard wading pool? A dip in one of those is always good enough as a bath in our house ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm the total opposite to you when it comes to how clean Jesse is, I consider water play sufficient as a bath ;) I change all Jesse's nappies with him standing up now, and he's about the same age as Burkley, and this seems to work well. When its a pooh one, I put him in the bath so he cant escape and mess everywhere and quickly wipe and change, works well actually. We are also battling with brushing teeth, I try to make it as fun as possible, and make lots of funny noises and faces, he lets me brush a bit but Im just happy he only has 7 teeth so far :)
ReplyDeleteFor us, it's nails. I don't like his to get too long because I do let him play in the dirt/outside/sandbox a lot and his little hands look so grimy. Little by little, Liam is accepting that his fingernails need trimmed and sometimes, he'll ask me to cut them. I'm hopeful. Nothing is worse than broken nails on a toddler!
ReplyDeleteOh boy yes! The memories have come flooding back! I promise, it's a phase and it will pass...most likely it will be replaced by something else, but usually the replacement will be less annoying than it's predecessor :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, man, toddler diaper changes really can be tough! We're already facing the squirm-and-twist-away moves at just the crawling age. They just do not want to lie still long enough!
ReplyDeleteI agree! It is always heart breaking when a hygienic necessity causes such upset. And we know as parents that dirty diapers much be changed. I guess we always just do the best we can for finding ways to keep them happy- and ourselves sane :)
ReplyDeleteWith my kids, I had a mental list of choices that they could pick from when it came to toddler diaper changes - where, when, what color, how, etc. That seemed to help a lot. Then reminders that they could go right back to whatever it was they were doing helped when they were a little older.
ReplyDeleteA small distraction to difficult diaper changes was (after little one is cleaned up) giving rasberries and tickling her around the neck and arms. It makes her laugh and giggle for a moment instead of protest (long enough to blitz on a new cloth nappy). I also now count and get her to count the next number when putting on nappies, i.e. 1 (for insert), 2 (middle tail), 3 (left wing), 4 (right wing), and 5 (for nappy snappy or safety pin). These work most of the time.
ReplyDelete