As your kid ages, you must also change the routines around their life. You cannot continue treating your child the same way until adulthood. It is your responsibility as a parent to groom them right through the developmental process. Therefore, there are some changes you need to make as your kid grows older. These changes are necessary because of the increasing mental awareness of your child. For some kids, that comes fast enough (by age 5), but not every child grows that fast (mentally). So, you should consider making these changes gradually as your kid approaches the age of 7.
Stop Bathing With Them
If you occasionally bath with your child, then you should consider putting a stop to it when they are about 5-years old. It isn’t necessarily a problem that you bath with your kids. No law stops you from bathing with them. But, you might want to avoid the curiosity your child is sure to bring at that age. Some parents note that kids get particularly curious, and they begin to point and ask questions. Also, while you may decide to continue bathing with your same-sex kid for much longer, you should consider stopping with the opposite sex child. It may all be completely innocent, but if people outside of your family learn of it, it will definitely raise some eyebrows.
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Stop Them Bathing Together
If you have twins (or siblings or close age), then you should also consider stopping them from bathing together at age 5. Children can be very curious. You don’t want them trying to explore that curiosity. You should know that a curious mind is an anxious mind. While they may not be able to explore that curiosity with you, the two of them might (considering they both want to learn) try to explore it together. It doesn’t matter if they are both girls or both boys, or of the opposite sex. By age 5 they shouldn’t be taking a bath together.
Start Bathing Them Yourself Less Often
Before age 5 your child would most likely not be able to completely take care of themselves in the bathroom. But, they should be able to do a few things. By age 7 you should consider reducing how often you bath your kids. Of course, you will need to bath them once in a while. But kids at this age should have learned the basics of self-care. If you usually bath them 2-3 times a week, consider doing it just once every 2 weeks and let them take care of themselves (while you keep an eye) the rest of the time.
Encourage Them To Bathe Themselves
If you still bath your kid at age 5, you should consider teaching them how to wash themselves well. You must ensure to teach them how to do it thoroughly while supervising the first few times. You may also leave them to bath unsupervised for a couple of times after that. This is to show them you have confidence in their abilities and this can be a self-esteem booster for kids. They love it when you trust them to do something without having to supervise them. This is because they believe if you can have confidence in them, then they must certainly be capable.
Let Them Choose When To Bath
In addition to letting them take a bath by themselves, you should let them choose when they want to take their bath. Give them a bit of space. Even though you can’t rely on a 5-year-old to do that properly, still, it will build in them a sense of responsibility. When you hold them accountable for it at the end of the day. You should also consider setting a reward and a punishment for failure to keep clean. The language children understand the best is the language of favors. With time they will learn to bath regularly, and without you having to reward them or even remind them.
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Close The Bathroom Door
If you want to instill a sense of responsibility in your kids, then you should show them that you consider them worthy of being held up to certain standards. Show them that you know they are growing and they will acknowledge that fact themselves. Giving them their privacy will demonstrate to them that you know and understand they are growing and that you respect that. If you don’t do it, they will eventually begin to hint that they want their privacy by closing the door behind them whenever they need to use the bathroom. You shouldn’t let them start that on their own (if you can help it).
Let Them Use The Adult Tub
The kids’ bathtub is a great tool for children, especially toddlers and infants. But as your child grows we all know it needs to go. The question is, at what age should your child stop using the kids’ bathtub? Remember, you’re trying to instill in them a growing mentality, to make them aware that they are growing and becoming more responsible for things. You should not treat them as the same kids they were while holding them to higher standards. They should be able to use the adult bathtub (if they previously had a smaller one). After all, they will have to bath themselves now.
Change Their Toys
Yes, 5-year-olds are still children, you mustn’t treat them as adults. Even though you are trying to hold them to higher standards, you must not start treating them as grownups all of a sudden. You need to keep in mind that they are still children. They still have a long way to go and your job is to make that transition as smooth as possible for them. So, you should consider changing their toys, ask them what bath toys they prefer now and change the old ones. Not necessarily because the toys mean anything, but changing them will make the child see visual proof of change. The sort of toys your child plays with also have a profound effect on them.
Washing Their Genitals
Bathing and washing of the genitals are two entirely different things. A child might be able to take a bath on his/her own and yet not be able to wash his/her genitals properly. You must make sure to thoroughly teach them how to take care of those parts in the bathroom. Special attention needs to be paid to this aspect when it comes to taking a bath. You must ensure to make them understand that that is a sensitive part and special care must be given to it (without making it sound awkward). If your child is a girl, teach her to wash whenever she relieves herself to avoid toilet infections.
Get Rid Of Some Things
You don’t have to change everything to show your child that they are growing. Strategic implementation will bring to their notice the changes occurring. Children will continue to behave the way you treat them for a long time. The earlier you teach them, the quicker they pick up. Some things should go. You may decide to get rid of the hooded towel and replace it with a regular one. You can do the same for other things they might have used at a much earlier age. Don’t let them carry the relics with them till age 7, if you do, it becomes even more difficult to instill that mindset of growth in them.
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