Children need autonomy from a very young age so that they learn responsibility and also, so that they realize that they are capable of doing things for themselves. With the passage of time and with good routines, they will become independent children with confidence in themselves and their abilities. In addition, they will acquire the necessary personal confidence for a good comprehensive development.

Grooming and hygiene routines

Grooming and hygiene routines should be encouraged from when they are very young because that way, over time, they will have them well internalized and will do them on their own whenever appropriate. These skills are necessary and thus they will not have little confidence in their personal abilities to achieve good results. What to do when your child neither helps, nor studies nor obeys?

At first they will need you to guide them through the process, but with practice and over time, they will be able to do it without your help. They will be able to take a shower, brush their teeth, comb their hair, dry themselves with a towel… and then, put everything in its place.

Of course, at the beginning and as they grow, they will need to have things close at hand or use stools to reach objects both to pick them up and to store them, as well as to reach the tap whenever they need to turn it on or off. There are parents who opt for a sink adapted in size for small children, but it is a great investment that not everyone can afford, so stools are always a more affordable option.

You will also need baskets within reach to be able to put dirty clothes, a toilet adapter or reducer, toilet paper and wipes for the toilet so that you can easily pick them up, etc.

autonomy to dress

Within hygiene and cleanlines  is the autonomy to dress on their own. In order for him to be able to do it more easily and to succeed, he will need your help at first, but he will also require the following:

• Have a chair in the room where the little one has the clothes ready to pick them up when they are going to put them on. Put his clothes in order so that he understands what his body schema is.
• Keep your clothes stored in a closet and drawers that you can easily access.
• In the closet you can have storage boxes so that you know how to differentiate what is inside each of them and be able to easily take it when you need it.
• If you have hangers in your closet, which are at your height, it will make it easier for you to pick up clothes and thus be able to choose what you want to wear on a given day.
• At the entrance of the house you should have a coat rack at your height so that you can leave the jacket and pick it up before leaving.
• In your bedroom you should have a stool, low chair or pouffe to be able to sit on it and thus put on and take off your shoes comfortably.

Daily hygiene routines

Depending on their age, your children can follow daily hygiene routines. Therefore, do not lose detail of what we are going to explain to you because that way they will gain autonomy. Of course, the information is indicative and you will have to adapt the responsibilities depending on the real capacity that your child currently has. Always give him opportunities for autonomy with the utmost respect and guiding him in everything he needs.

From 12 to 36 months

• Change the diaper with their help (let them stand up, stick the diaper stickers on or take them off, give you what you need for the change such as creams or wipes, throw the dirty diaper in the trash, etc.).
• Wash their hands with your help after diaper change.
• Wash your face and dry it with a towel every morning.
• Try to remove simple clothing such as hats, open jackets or socks.

From the age of three

• Dress and undress alone. It may require your help for some pieces and you will only have to teach it to do it well, with daily practice it will gain autonomy.
• Choose your own clothes to dress to your liking, or at least the accessories.
• Brush your teeth, with less and less help (the technique is perfected around the age of 6).
• Trying to comb your hair can be tricky if you have long hair, but you can start trying to improve your coordination and dexterity. Even if it’s just a strand and the rest you do.
• Lather up in the bathroom with the soapy sponge and rinse with water. Drying himself with a towel teaching him how to do it well to dry all parts of the body correctly.
• Wipe your ass (although you review it later).
• Replenish toilet paper when it runs out.
• Put cream on different areas of the body.
• Blow snot.
• Throw things in the trash.
• Put dirty clothes in the hamper and put clean clothes in the closet.

These tasks will increase as the months go by because their motor development changes remarkably and it is not the same at 12 as at 24 months, for example. As he approaches the age of three we can increase the difficulty, for example, in undressing, but without requiring him, always with our love and help.