Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Clean and Mean

Today as Joe was getting ready to go to school I had to remind him to brush his teeth and wear socks. Bob had to remind him to wear deodorant. Last night we had to remind him to take a bath after football practice. Another challenge that I am usually successful with is getting Joe to wear clean clothes. He is okay with taking his dirty clothes out of the hamper and re wearing them. He did this last Friday with his Spring Creek shirt. He had worn it under his football jersey during practice earlier in the week. I did not notice until he got home from school. Let's just say that I was tempted to burn the shirt, but Joe had become accustomed to his aroma so he could not smell the problem.

I know Joe is ten and he needs these constant reminders about personal hygiene. I am relatively certain that in a year or two he will be motivated to take care of these things on his own. I remember what got me motivated to take care of my personal hygiene was the help I received from all of my 6th grade friends. Okay, they were real jerks but I got the point! Wash you hair everyday even though your parents tell you to wash you hair once a week. Bathe daily even though your parents tell you to bathe once a week. I am not sure why people in my parent's generation bathed and washed their hair so infrequently. Maybe it was a combination of depression thinking along with a desert-rancher lifestyle. Wear deodorant everyday and carry an extra bottle in case it fails in the middle of the day. Try to wear clothes from the right decade and make sure they are clean. Brush your teeth twice a day. Use mouthwash and carry mints. Keep your hair combed and carry a comb with you to fix things in the middle of the day.

My point is that what your parents fail to teach you, or what you fail to learn from them, or those things they teach you incorrectly, your pals in 6th grade will help teach you these valuable lessons and make the necessary corrections. It is never kind and never gentle but it is effective. Joey is still in fifth grade but next year he will be in the sixth grade. This is why I am confident that Joe will eventually end up with good hygiene.

Feel free to share how your 6th grade friends helped you become a more hygienic person in the comments. I know I am not the only one who was taught valuable lessons. If you would rather share stories about your kids or your brothers and sisters that would be great. They will never see this blog! But if they do see it they will think it is funny. I promise.

4 comments:

Deanna said...

My 6th grade friends didn't teach me much. I must have been better than you. I did have an older sister who paved the way for me. Thanks for making me my 7th grade graduation dress and teaching me about hygiene. Everyone who has parents who only let their children shower once a week needs an older sibling who will pave the way for them. Thanks for rebelling on conditioner and tampons. You made my life a lot cleaner!

Deanna said...

I can tell Joe C. has Stockam blood in him. He smells just like grandpa when he forgets to bathe. A few months ago I thought that Joe should go back to 6th grade and relearn his hygiene skills. He has improved since he has been in 9th grade, and who says remedial hygiene doesn't work?

Fisher Family said...

What I didn't learn from my parents my older siblings taught me. It must be tough being the oldest one. I guess thats where friends might do the teaching.

Megan said...

When I was in 5th or 6th grade, our class came in from recess. Our teacher announced how bad we all smelled, and that we needed to talk to our parents about wearing deodorant. I do not remember smelling anything funny and wondering what the heck the teacher was talking about. I think that is a bad sign.

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I am a stay at home mom but the clock is ticking. My husband and I only have one child left at home. I enjoy shopping and finding great bargains.