Being a family of 8 with 1 (yes one) bathroom we definitely face a few challenges now and then. I really try to take advantage of any creative thoughts that come to me to make things work a little better for everyone concerned.
It’s been challenging recently since we now have three of our sons in the above 10 category, and the younger two of those three are still figuring it all out. Between ages 10-12 boys start to have BO … and they need a little (or a lot of) instruction on proper hygiene.
The biggest problem has been making sure everyone can find what they need when they need it, especially our oldest son who wears contacts and has a little different bedtime/morning routine than his siblings.
Recently I decided to put together a Shower Kit for CJ and it worked out great!!! It’s perfect for him, and keeps everything organized!
What you purchase for each child’s shower kit will obviously depend upon their individual needs, and this concept would definitely work for a girl as well as a boy.
Here’s what I did for my (almost) 15 year old son:
- Basket (should be small, have a handle, have separate compartments, be well ventilated, plastic is easiest to clean)
- Body Wash (since he’s in football he needed something that was tough on odor)
- Shampoo
- Deodorant (depending on the child, usually simple deodorant is sufficient, if your son is a teen and in a sport you may want to consider having him use on that’s antiperspirant/deodorant during sports season)
- Toothcare: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, small mouthwash
- Shaving cream and razor
- Contact case and Storage solution
Again, this is super adaptable for each individual child and definitely costs under $20 to put together. Once your child has their shower kit and a storage place of their own, it’s easy for them to let you know when they are out of something.
In the long run this technique definitely saves us money since everything is in one place and not getting “lost” in the rest of their things.