my 11 yr old girl with add has terrible hygene habits

Lori - posted on 05/24/2009

I think all 8-12 year olds are hygienically impaired ADD is just a contributing factor. They are too old for you to supervise and too young to be heavily influenced by peer pressure. Saturday night is crack down night for our house either you get-r-done or mom helps eeeeewwww.

Lori - posted on 05/24/2009

don't worry she'll notice boys soon and then she'll be spic and span but you'll have a different worrry:)

Kimberly - posted on 05/18/2009

Wow, I really thought my daughter was the only one like this!! This makes me feel better to know I'm not alone. My daughter will be 13 in July, has ADHD and loves to lay in the tub and read . . . but that's about as close to being clean as she gets. She has acne, oily hair, braces (been lucky that she hasn't had gingivitis), she always forgets her deodorant and I have to constantly check up on her or she'll wear the same underwear for days!! If it's bad now, I'm really NOT looking forward to when she starts her period!! I think it's a combination of a phase and the ADHD. My daughters therapist says that a child with ADHD is about 2 years younger (maturity) than they should be. So I'm just going to hang in there and pray for the best.

Elaine - posted on 05/11/2009

Oh i love this thread
It is so nice to know others have this problem. my son will sit in the shower and make up concotions instead of shower, he HATES the smell of deoderant or sprays so we have to get him an oderless deoderant but hes only just starting to occasionaly if reminded use it. washing hands and teeth are an issue too, I dont think its that they dont want to I think its more their minds on other things and are busting to get to what they are thinking about doing.

Elaine - posted on 05/11/2009

Oh i love this thread
It is so nice to know others have this problem. my son will sit in the shower and make up concotions instead of shower, he HATES the smell of deoderant or sprays so we have to get him an oderless deoderant but hes only just starting to occasionaly if reminded use it. washing hands and teeth are an issue too, I dont think its that they dont want to I think its more their minds on other things and are busting to get to what they are thinking about doing.

Jennifer - posted on 05/02/2009

I hope it's just a phase, but both of my daughters are the same, and they are 5 and 7. They just can't seem to remember to wipe AND flush AND wash their hands. . . not to mention brushing their teeth. . . this makes me feel better, when other people without ADHD kids are around they are shocked that the girls can forget to do these things! but my friend's 9 year old boy has to be forced to take a shower and still wets the bed, so I don't feel like a total failure!

Rani - posted on 04/30/2009

Hello, my son has always had this problem and I have unfortunatley learnt to bribe him to get clean. Everytime he wants to play on his playstation, I tell him he has to brush his teeth first or take a shower etc. It works. He's teeth are still yucky but not as bad as it could be. Hope this helps...

Stacey - posted on 04/28/2009

thanks for all of the great advice, i am thankful to know this is juat a phase, now if i can just hang in there and put up wiyh the smell...ha ha

Kyle - posted on 04/26/2009

My 12 year old son doesn't much care about himself either. He doesn't like to brush and when he showers, there's been numerous occasions where we've made him get back in the shower because he didn't use soap! I don't really know if it's a phase or an ADD thing. I've often wondered the same thing. How much do you blame the child or blame the ADD? I just want to let you know, you aren't the only one out there with struggles. We can only hope it's a phase!

Teri - posted on 04/26/2009

It's definitely an age thing...my DD is almost 10 and is going through the same thing. She wouldn't shower at all except I throw her in, but once I get her in, she spends 20 minutes singing and doesn't so much as touch a bar of soap or the shampoo! As much as you shouldn't have to, get her in the tub and scrub her yourself, and tell her that if she doesn't use the Stridex you'll have to cut off her hair to deal with the acne. As for the brushing...wow! My daughter rarely brushes unless i stand there and do it for her, but her checkups are still decent. See if you can at least get her to rinse with some Listerine or some fluoride rinse to help or else she'll seriously be in trouble. It's hard, but maybe if nothing else, do a little chart with stickers, and if she goes a week with her hygiene tasks, give her a $15 gift card to pick out her favorite toy or put toward a bigger toy (DS games and a "real" iPod seem to be the biggies at our house).

Dodie - posted on 04/26/2009

My 11 yr old is the same way. I can't get he to brush her hair, use deoderant, brush her teeth, clean her room, or just clean after herself. I wish I could say it was a phase. My 15 yr old was totaly different at that age, and she doesn't have ADHD. I think they are so busy trying so hard to do the right thing at school and in public they want to be thenselves at home. I am working on getting her to add one thing at a time on to her morning routine. Seems to be working. Her big sister or dad help her with the rest until we can get her to get all incorperated into her morning routine. Thats because I'm at work in the mornings. Because we cannot get anyone to keep Alexandra who realy can deal with her and her emotions after a long day of school. I work mornings so I can pick her up from school. That after school routine seems to be the hardest for us. My husband works nights so one of us are always with her. It's hard on our marriage but we do what we have to for our girls. Just try adding one thing at a time, help her with the rest til you can get her to do it all. Adding all at one time for your daughter is overwhelming. There are no "simple" things for ADHD kids. Thing are all overwhelming for them.Be patient we will get them there.

Karen - posted on 04/25/2009

ny 10 yr old is the same way.i think it is a mixture between add and a phase.. but i'm no specialist

Lyn - posted on 04/25/2009

My daughter is 13 Now and we have had this same problems since about that same age 10 or 11. Washing when she bathes, brushing teeth and deodorant is a biggie now that she is 13. I have done almost everything I can think of up to and including taking the nice little shirt away that i've bought for her if she comes home and i can tell she hasn't put any on. I have found that I just have to keep on her... which is tiring for me but hopefully habit forming for her. Just hang in there and hopefully we can remind enough for them to form the habits. good luck

Terri - posted on 04/24/2009

Stacey, I went through this with my daughter. She has ADD (is medicated). I thought I was going to go through the freaking roof with this kid. Now, she's 16 and I can barely keep her out of the bathroom and I'm nearly going broke buying makeup, acne stuff (oddly, once she got past 14 the acne was much better), shampoo, etc. It's a phase, IMO. Some girls get very "girly" and some don't. Mine didn't until she hit her teens.

Cathy - posted on 04/24/2009

I am so with you on the hygiene habits! My 9 year old girl has problems wiping, cleaning during her bath, teeth, hair also. She has add also. I thought it was just me and I was about to go crazy! Naomi says she washes - but her hair gets so bad and I know that she is now developing - acne is getting really bad! She won't let me help her.

Cheryl - posted on 04/23/2009

We go through some of that with Heather. She hates to brush her hair unless she is in the shower and has conditioner in it. She will then brush it right after she gets out also but she will not brush it after it dries because she says it is too hard or pulls.



Perhaps a chore chart with the hygiene things she needs to do would help. Heather needs some redirecting sometimes but she is pretty good most of the time. Heather tends to take three baths per day most of the time.

Anne - posted on 04/23/2009

My 11 year old is Add and Autistic. Sometimes cannot figure out where the behaviors are coming from. But she sucks on her tooth brush, we have to comb her hair. We've gotten her to 2 shower days a week non-opptionable. We have put up a chart in the bathroom and on her bedroom door. It is visual aid and word aid. That way she is reminded to do her "bathroom duties". She has to do before school and at bedtime. If we see it slacking then we go into the no priveledges untill you do whatever is slacking. No tv, games, computer, ect. We also explain that habits are being formed now. The way you take care of yourself is going to continue when you are independent. I really do believe this has something to do with ADD because I have 6 out of 7 kids that have been diagniosed and see the same pattern in all of them but 2. The non-ADD and the 18 year old daughter. hygine is not an issue never has been, but her room shows issuse of personal care. It is a mess, and chaos! Not just typical teen age room. Beyond that. So just ideas. She may need visual help to remind. Good luck

Barbara - posted on 04/23/2009

With my 14 yr old daughter, I blame it on the ADHD. She doesn't notice that her hair looks oily or teeth need to be brushed or her clothes are stained. Her mind is on a million other things and hygiene just doesn't top the list. It doesn't make sense to me since she styles her hair and puts on make up, but her mind works differently than mine does.

Christie - posted on 04/15/2009

I have a daughter that has ADD as well, but is only 8 yrs. She is very forgetful because of it and needs reminding about a lot of things. I have found that she also has terrible hygeine habits as well. So just know that you are not alone in finding this. However, when I remind my daughter about the things that need to be done, and sometimes help her, she always follows through. This is hard because you expect at this age, children should be taking care of their own needs, but I have found that mothers with children who have ADHD/ADD have to work twice as hard to keep children on track. I get very tired as I have two other children also (and 2 of the three have ADHD). BUT, in the end I know I have to get up and help them deal with the issues that they are dealing with. I can't imagine how they must feel, having to deal with something that turns their body and mind into something not normal and very unpredictable. My suggestion would be to just help her remember what her daily tasks are each day (maybe a list that she can see and check off when complete with each task). At first you might have to help her do these things in order to get her moving, but in the end hopefully she will get the idea. Good Luck!

Crystal - posted on 04/14/2009

i think this just might be a phase...sheis at that age where hygiene doesnt matter....