5 Reasons To Empower Your Teen To Manage Their Own Bathroom Routine – Showerbuddy
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5 Reasons To Empower Your Teen To Manage Their Own Bathroom Routine

5 Reasons To Empower Your Teen To Manage Their Own Bathroom Routine

Teenagers are fiercely independent, and they should be. If you’ve read anything about Showerbuddy and what we stand for, you’ll know we’re strong believers in the independence and freedom of all people in the bathroom. Something as personal as using the bathroom should be a dignified experience as much as possible. When a teenager is desperately seeking more autonomy in their daily life, whilst navigating a mobility impairment, the process to independent bathroom use can be challenging.
But in this article, we offer five good reasons why parents should empower their mobility impaired children to manage their own bathroom routine to the degree they’re able to.

1 – Independence in the bathroom should be a right of all teenagers

The bathroom routine is a very personal part of our lives. A mobility impairment does not automatically make bathing and toileting comfortable to conduct in front of a carer or parent.
While our young children may not think twice about getting help from a parent to wash or use the loo, most teenagers you meet will not want their parents anywhere near these activities. Commonly we see in our community a preference for independent home carers even with parents willing and able to help. This is made for the benefit and independence of the teen.

 

Enabling your teen to find more independent ways to conduct bathroom activity is important. If your teen has upper body mobility, you might want to encourage them to take a physical part in their own bathroom use. If you’ve got an open plan bathroom, your teen may be able to conduct the full transfer, bathing and toileting process on their own.
of a portable commode more seamless or ensure changing is hassle-free for everyone.

2 – Being responsible for their bathing and toileting can be great for confidence and self esteem

Teenagers are often preoccupied with fitting in and wrestling with their sense of confidence. Any opportunity where you can help shift responsibilities off your plate as parents and give these over to your teen, you may be helping them feel more confident in their abilities.
If the mobility impairment is significant and prevents your teen from taking complete control over their time in the bathroom, why not work with your occupational therapist to determine which tasks can be passed out to your loved one; any small wins here can really make a difference.

3 – They will have more freedom to have time away from their parents

When members of our teen Showerbuddy community finally get the ability to wash themselves without fear of stability, it’s a huge deal for both parent and teen. If you support your son or daughter to take charge with their own bathing and toileting, using proper assistive equipment, you’ll earn back time in the day and they’ll not feel so tied to you.
Sure you or a carer may still need to be involved with transfers or helping entry and exit from the bathroom, but the process will be far more hands off during use of the bathroom.

4 – Your teenager can have more control over their morning routine

It’s not until you stop and think about what you do in the bathroom each morning and night that you realise how many of our own personal preferences and rituals come into play at these times.

At an age where they’ll be battling you on everything from homework to going out with friends, a battle over what they are doing in the bathroom is a great one to avoid! The nuances of things like the order of brushing teeth, brushing hair and other small jobs might not seem like much to you as a parent, but to a teen who’s lived with mobility impairment and an inability to make those decisions for themselves, they can be a big deal.

5 – Without you in the shower, your teen can enjoy the privacy and enjoyment of a shower

Who wants their parents in the room while we have a nice hot shower? Your teen certainly doesn’t. Even if they’re used to being accompanied in the bathroom, this alone time isn’t just a matter of privacy but a key moment in the day where they can relax and gather their thoughts.
Provided you have a good process in place for knowing when to get back involved (such as helping a transfer out of a bathtub style shower unit), your teen can make use of assistive equipment and start enjoying newfound independence.

Independent bathing and toileting is possible

Helping independent bathing and toileting can be made possible with a good bathroom mobility solution

More independent bathing and toileting for people with a mobility impairment requires a good plan, the right support and effective assistive equipment.

A bathroom mobility solution or ‘shower chair’ as they’re often referred to can make the whole process so much easier. Learn more about what a shower chair is and how it works in our complete Shower Chair guide.

Showerbuddy’s range of products are designed for different users, applications and bathroom configurations. If you’re interested in helping your teenager enjoy more autonomy in the shower, learn more about how Showerbuddy might help.

Further reading on the topic

If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, read some of these excellent online resources:

And watch this video about WCMX Blake Simpson, a Showerbuddy user who enjoys independent bathing after a day out on the skatepark.

The information in this article is intended as general information only and is not a replacement for official health guidance by your local medical providers. Please always consult an occupational therapist and/or local healthcare for more specific guidance.

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