Dirty pants and Tween daughters

[burgandyrain]

Thursday should be exciting because its the day before Friday. 

My Thursday is off to a horrid start because Caitie decided she wants to wear the same pants every day and, even though she got whipped cream on them last night, she stuck them(dirty) in the dryer so when I was folding clothes this morning I would fold them thinking they were clean.  This action would allow her to get away with wearing her dirty black leggings one more day....with mom's approval (after all...mom took them from the dryer and folded them so therefore they are clean).

Too bad I busted her bum!  I made her find clean pants and after she cried, screamed, and swore up and down that they were clean from the dryer she wore the black pants her grandmother gave her for Christmas.  I immediately threw the dirty ones in the washer and turned it on so she had no other choice except to go naked.  I am seriously considering hiding this particular pair of pants so she will HAVE to look at other options. 

By the time I got her to school she was full-on glaring at me and her nose was all red from crying (good thing her butt wasn't because she came "THIS" close to a spanking. This is a 6th grade girl.  What do I need to do to get her to notice herself and at LEAST practice good hygiene?  I have to fight with her to comb her hair, brush her teeth, and now...to wear clean clothes......FOR GODS SAKE!! I have tried to take her shopping, get her haircut, etc.  she is not interested at all.  I am pretty concerned that she is going to be made fun of pretty soon and once she hits middle school........I am not even  going to think about that right now YIKES!

So this should set my anxiety off when its time to pick her up from school.  Because she left mad at me, my brain is going to go into overdrive with every second that she does not come out of school.  Everyday I struggle with the thoughts that she was kidnapped from school and I go into a full panic attack because I can NOT remember what she was wearing.....well....at least today I can definitely remember what she is wearing.

If anyone out there has ideas on how to make an 11-year-old take care of herself better, please, please I am begging you.

[2Hopefull]

Jan. 14, 2010 at 5:40 PM

Instead of a chore chart, maybe a hygiene chart? I know there was a time right before middle school where my mother added "clean undies" and "brushed hair" to my chore chart. I don't know why I was so bad at either... LOL... but to this day I put on new undies every time they come off, even if it hasn't been that long...  good luck!