Hygiene Tips for Young Men

Just in time for Father’s Day, June is “Hygiene for Guys Month.” As teen guys’ bodies change, it is important to know how to keep clean and presentable. Teen guys often need guidance in personal hygiene to help them cope with the changes that happen to their bodies during adolescence. “Hygiene for Guys Month” is a perfect time to help teen boys develop a system of personal hygiene that will allow them to be healthy and socially acceptable.

Basic Skills in Hygiene for Guys

When teaching hygiene to teens with special needs, it is best not to many any assumptions. Hygiene for Guys from the Daily Living Series presents clear, specific directions on myriad skills young men need to stay healthy and fresh.

Whether you use this program or some other, it is important that you consider these aspects of the curriculum for your students:

Is it accessible? Make sure the reading level and concepts are written in a manner that is appropriate for your students.

Is it non-judgmental? Chances are your students are the “before” in any “before and after” examples of poor hygiene. That could prove embarrassing and off-putting for kids who just want to do the best they can. Try to find a program that simply gives the facts without any ridicule or judgment.

Is it specific? Our students aren’t good with innuendo; they need simple, step-by-step information on how to accomplish a task.

Free Lesson on Hair Washing

This free lesson from Hygiene for Guys from the Daily Living Series will give you a complete lesson on hair-washing. Here’s how to use it:

Outline what you’re going to learn. Prepare students for the lesson by explaining that you will exploring exactly how to wash your hair and how to know when it needs washing.
Read and discuss pages 17 and 19. This defines clean/dirty hair and explains the steps to wash your hair.
Demonstrate page 20. Pour 1 teaspoon of shampoo or conditioner into your students’ hands so that they may see what that amount looks like in their hand. When finished, have them draw circles to illustrate how that looks.
Use the calendar. Send “My Hair Washing Calendar” home so that students can begin to analyze their own hair. Be sure to check in class every couple of days to assure that students are marking their calendars. Or, you may want to leave the calendars at school and take a moment or two each day to mark the calendars.
Create a plan. At the end of the month, analyze the calendars to discover how often each student might need to wash his hair. Explain that those time periods might change with the weather and as they get older.

For More Information

If you like what you see, go to our Teachers Pay Teachers Website, or check us out our shop on our very own T2L & DLS Website! Books are written on a 3rd/4th grade level and include grading sheets, answer keys and parent information letters to comply with federal standards for transition skills. The Teacher’s Manual (sold separately) provides information on program set-up and maintenance along with pre/post-assessments, written ITP (Individual Transition Plan) goals for each book, and parent/student interest inventories.