Autism & Hygiene
I have links posted at the end of this blog with what products we use the most!
A few weeks ago I posted a question if anyone had any autism subjects they would like addressed in the blog. Hands-down the number one answer was hygiene.
How do you talk about it without upsetting your child? As the mom of five boys I have had this question posed to me more than once. Hygiene is a major problem with the boys regardless of if they have autism or not but Autism does add another layer.
When the boys were little they were all to happy to hop in the bath or kitchen sink and play with their toys. If getting clean was a by product then so be it. They also gave me no issues about brushing their teeth. It seems like the minute that they hit first grade is when they start protesting anything and everything that has to do with Clean. They all still loved their electric toothbrushes but water had become like lava and submersing your body in it had become a no go!
Our five boys all shared bathroom which made it a busy place. I started making each of them pass the mm sniff test before we left the house and if you smells like onions, outside or barbecue potato chips you were about to go back in the house take a bath and put on deodorant. It was a little tricky here with Justin. He has keratosis Polaris also known as chicken skin on his arms. The healthiest thing for him is a good dry brush of the skin and a good hydrating lotion. He also seemed to get acne quicker than the other boys so Proactive came in handy. We discovered that he like the bath better than the shower so my bath became the ticket to getting him clean every day. He also likes bath bombs. We discovered this after he dumped a 25.00 bottle of purple shampoo In the tub to have colored bubbles.
As the boys got older we let them pick their own bath products including shampoos. We set each of them up with a little plastic tote so that when they went in the bathroom they had all their own things to use. I truly feel this is the only way that we managed to get through the teenage years of ax body spray. Justin always liked things that smelled fresh and woodsy. Now that he is older he supervises all the house smells even detergent.
Every once in a while I’ll have to remind him to brush his teeth or go back and put on deodorant but he bathes every day at 3:00 on the dot. He wakes up at 6 am everyday and gets to work cooking and living his life. Takes a bath and uses deodorant every day. I often remind him about his teeth but to this day he has never had a cavity so it’s a little hard to argue with that. Hang in there mammas it will get better I promise.
Here are some of our most used Hygiene products!
Manage angry zits with this novel plant-based pimple cream, dermatologist formulated with effective botanicals that work on sebum regulation, inflammation and scars. https://amzn.to/3OTVYrf
Oral-B Kid’s Battery Toothbrush Featuring Star Wars The Mandalorian for Kids 3+ https://amzn.to/3AM2Z7i
Powerful 2200w Ionic Hair Dryer Fast Drying Professional Blow Dryer JOHN Blast Turbo 6900 https://amzn.to/3Uclskz
Handmade Bath Bomb Sampler 8 Pack of Our Fan Favorite Scents https://amzn.to/3U9TEgw
Cuccio Naturale Sea Salt Scrub – Gently Exfoliates To Remove Dead Skin Cells – Leaves Skin Supple Radiant And Youthful Looking – Paraben And Cruelty Free – Vanilla Bean And Sugar – 19.5 Oz https://amzn.to/3GLsE45
Dry Body Brush ö Anti Cellulite Brush ö Blood Circulation Skin Smoothing ö Tighten Tone Exfoliate & Firm Skin ö Use on Scalp Skin & Muscles https://amzn.to/3GM38eP
Proactiv Holiday Deals https://amzn.to/3OBKuIJ
Soap Saver Bath Foam Body Scrubber Exfoliating Bathroom Shower Kitchen Soap Drying Mesh Pocket/Bags for Leftover Soap Bits Women Men(Grey) https://amzn.to/3ifn1ku
Haniel Roll on Woody Aromatic Pheromone Perfume Oil For Men https://amzn.to/3F2NE4S