Stupid hygiene questions

Rappel

Sun, Jan 06 2019, 12:48 pm

FranticFrummie wrote:

You are not a bad mom at all, you just sound really frazzled. What you need are a few life hacks. Everyone can use a shortcut here and there. When I mop, do you think I move the furniture and do the corners every single time? Heck no! I hit the middle of the room and call it good. Corner mopping gets done once a month. Don't make yourself crazy trying to be perfect. Your kids need a happy mom, not a perfect mom.

Just my opinion, but if kids aren't visually dirty, and they're not stinky, then they can skip a bath for a day or two. A quick shower works just as well, and saves time and water too.

Electric toothbrushes work way better than manual ones, especially for little kids. Kids who are still developing fine muscle control, or have low muscle tone, in particular - but great for lazy kids too. Let the motor in the brush do all the work, and 30 seconds of brushing will do more good than 2 minutes of manual brushing. (One of the things I miss most on Shabbos is being able to use my electric toothbrush.)

Why are you spending 15 minutes to get everyone's teeth brushed? They should all be brushing at the same time, which will make it a 2 minute job, max. They can stand in line to spit in the sink, or have everyone spit in the shower and you can rinse it out quickly. Think outside the box!

Use detangling spray, for sure! Johnsons & Johnsons makes the best, imho, and it smells very nice without being too strong.

If your girls won't let you braid or pony tail their hair before bed, invest in some satin pillowcases. They're not that expensive, and they keep hair from getting tangled up overnight. Very effective with curly hair as well as straight.

How old is your oldest? Is he/she old enough to make sure that the little ones don't destroy the house while you are trying to bathe the others, or make dinner, or whatever? See if you can offer some kind of special privilege or treat in exchange for some help.

One more suggestion: Google "games" that you can teach toddlers that will help them clean house with you. Baby wipes are great for lower cabinets, tape a square on the floor and see if the toddler can sweep all the crumbs into the square, etc.

Have the kids "race" to see who can put away the most toys before a timer goes off, who can make their beds the fastest, etc. Chocolate chips and dollar store prizes are a parent's best friend.

Hang in there, you got this mama!

I love this post!

amother

Blush

Sun, Jan 06 2019, 12:52 pm

Brushing Hair - My girls have curly hair so we only brush in the shower, when it's wet. In the mornings, after they get dressed, I shpritz it with plain water to rejuvenate the curls that got flat when they slept on them.

Cutting Nails - after a shower, if they are long. I usually rotate weeks - one week toes, one week fingers. I usually cut them on Thursday nights or on Fridays but if it's hectic, whenever I manage to do it during the week.

Diapers - Dirty - right away, which is as soon as I smell it or as soon as they tell me. My toddler starting letting me know when she needs to be changed. Wet - in the morning, after a nap, before bed at night, before leaving the house, and 1-2 times between that if they didn't have a dirty diaper.

Baths - Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. I also start showering my kids as soon as they can sit up, which goes so much faster than a bath. Sometimes, if dinner isn't ready at 5:30, I'll shower the two youngest before dinner but they need to eat with a bib.

Haircuts - my boys need about every 6 weeks and my girls every 3-4 months. Depends on their hair.

Tights - holes that don't show can be worn if they're small.

PJ's - once a week unless they get it dirty somehow. Underwear and undershirts are usually changed at night, so the PJ's are going over clean undergarments.

Rappel

Sun, Jan 06 2019, 12:54 pm

amother wrote:

I also think three hours is too much and disagree with the IMA who said leave wet ones until they poof up. I change even if a slight wetness to encourage the nice feeling of feeling dry.

Of course my kids are dry. We use Huggies, and they are worth every penny. Seconds after my son pees, he's dry, even when he sits. You can try poking the diaper on the inside, and see for yourself: no moisture comes out until A LOT of liquid has been absorbed.