Karen - posted on 08/15/2009 ( 9 moms have responded )
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My 14 year old daughter throws a fit if she is asked to take a shower. She has never been thrilled about it, but over the last few months it has become more and more of a fight. It doesn't matter how dirty she is or how long it has been. For example, she started working with horses a lot this summer for 10-12 hours a day... as well as spending a week at a time at a horse camp (4 times throughout the summer). Needless to say, she stinks when she comes in! We would say hi to her, ask how her day/week was, hear any stories she was dying to tell, and then tell her she needed to jump in the shower. At this point, she would go into "Why?"... well duh! It would be at least half an hour of fighting (if her dad told her, twice that if I told her) before she would finally get in the shower... meanwhile, she's sitting on the couch or laying on her bed (she shares a room with her sister). And her feet stink bad enough, on a normal day, to fill our entire house... no joke. She refuses to wash her feet or put powder, etc. in her shoes or socks. Last time she came home from camp her bags, sleeping bag, etc. stunk up the house and she refused to do anything with them. She doesn't care if she is on her period... she has complained that her belly button stinks and has "liquid" coming from it (which appears to be a slight infection from the dirt). She has gone so far as to bribe her little sister to tell us she took a shower while we were gone so that she didn't have to actually do it.
We don't allow it... we continue on her until it's done... she gets her phone, tv, etc. taken away. But it starts again the next time we ask her to take a shower. Yesterday it was seriously "I took a bath yesterday, why do I need to take one EVERY DAY????" (She is only asked to when we are going somewhere as a family, she comes home from sports practice or the horses, or if it's been more than 48 hours... It's not like it's a requirement first thing every morning just to sit in the house all day).
I know all kids go through this, boys especially... but a 14 year old girl? My 13 year old girl has to have a shower daily or she goes crazy. Even my 10 year old boys actually ask for one every now and then!!! Even stranger... she wants to wear makeup, name brand/in style clothes, etc.
Any suggestions?
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