12 Year Old Boy And Hygiene?

Question

My son is 12 years old and never brushes his teeth! Whenever we go to the dentist, he'll brush his teeth beforehand and then the dentist don't say anything. But they look disgustingly yellow and his breath smells! I don't know what I can do to make him see how important it is and forcing him only makes him do it less. Also, never washes his face properly and is at the age where he's getting spots any way, but I know they could be reduced. Any tips??

Answer 1

Tell him directly. But be sure to let him know that you're saying this because you care about him. I had to do this with my son, but I told him that I was saying something out of love for him instead of letting someone say something out of malice.  

Answer 2

Get on you tube or yahoo images and show him gross pics of what happens when you don't brush your teeth and show him pics of acne. Hopefully that will scare him. My children always brush teeth and wash hands because I have scared them so much on the facts of life. Like getting germ worms and acne. If that doesn't work start taking stuff away-like privledges and tell him he will lose friends. Nobody likes to hang around the stinky kid-teeth or body odor.

Answer 3

show him gross pics and tell him that will happen to you if you dont brush your teeth

Answer 4

If he is going to behave like a little child, then treat him like one until he decides to grow up and act his age.

He can't be relied on to brush his teeth on his own?  Then you or your husband walk with him to the bathroom and stand there while he does it.  Stand there while he washes his face to make sure he does it properly.  If he isn't showering long enough, then you or your husband take him to the bathroom once a day and stand outside the shower while he is in there.  Hopefully he will get tired of this routine and agree to take care of his hygiene on his own.

Answer 5

Get him clearasil or something for the acne... And the teethbrushing thing is ridiculous I learned my lesson when I was 4 about all that. Well just tell him to brush his teeth everyday and show him what decayed teeth look like.

I liked the idea of making a dentist appointment without telling him.

Answer 6

I say ignore it.  His friends will start telling him his breath stinks, they'll also start teasing him about his acne calling him "pizza face" sometimes a child's peers are much more effective in cases like this than parents ever could be.

Answer 7

Cover his face a bit in the pic, but put a few of him and his golden yellows online somewhere and wait for the comments to do more than your nagging ever could

Also, make a dental appoint for him WITHOUT telling him. Simply take him to it in his natural state.

Humiliating? Maybe a touch, but less painful than half a dozen root canals by the time you're 25 and or dentures popping out at dinner at Friday's when he's 35.

Answer 8

At this age I didn't ask my son if he showered, I asked if he used soap and shampoo. You need to force him to brush his teeth. He just doesn't want to take the time. Have a tooth brush and toothpaste in the kitchen or powder room and have him to it with you there at least twice a day.

Washing his face is proboly at the bottom of his list of things to do. Some guys at this age don't care about zits. Unless you are going to stand over him to get him to wash there isn't any thing to do about it. You could make him shower everyday when school starts. Show him a routine he should be doing now that he is older. Inculding washing his face, mouth wash and deorderant.  

Answer 9

Print off some pics from the net of badly decyaed teeth and pimply faces and ask him if he'd like to look like this????

As for his face, lol .......you could be mean like my mom was to my brother when he was that age and would go days w/ out washing, she got feed up w/ it and threw him in the tub and gave him a bath herself, an threatened to use a brillo pad if he didn't cooperate.....garenteed no more probs. boys that age do not want their mothers bathing them much less seeing them naked!

Answer 10

If he likes to do a certain thing like watch television or play video games, take those privileges away and tell him if he doesn't brush his teeth and wash his face on a regular basis, that he can't have those privileges back until he does.

When he does brush his teeth and wash his face, reward him with a returning of his privileges.

Eventually it'll just become a habit and you won't have to tell him to do it.

Good Luck.