From bathing to hair care to teeth brushing, here's why you want to teach your kid the importance of good personal hygiene.
Hygiene refers to the importance of cleanliness in maintaining health. Encouraging children’s personal hygiene habits is really a day to day issue that parents and carers have to reinforce and practice so that they and the children in their care can stay healthy and steer clear of illnesses and infections.
While parents can be assured that children will not suffer greatly from entering contact with germs, it is also important to concentrate on good hygiene habits that will teach children how you can maintain good health. Parents can help motivate their children to concentrate on their hygiene habits.
Parents need to prepare themselves and the home and the atmosphere even when they are expecting. A baby should be welcomed to a hygienic home and all sorts of precautions, to make the baby grow healthy, should be arranged in homes.
Brushing their teeth:
Kids need to start brushing even before they start sprouting teeth. Which means you need to start with a flexible finger brush (that you slide your pointer) and brush with water. Toothpaste can be used only after a year when they can spit it. Also, brushing twice a day is recommended by having an emphasis on night brushing.
Bathing your child:
Some children hate using a bath. Bring their favorite toy within the bathtub, change to a mild baby shampoo, change the brand of soap – do whatever needs doing to get them to like bath time. You can even promise them a treat after their bath, which might speed up the process considerably.
Cleaning kid’s ears:
Everyone’s ears produce wax but excess wax gets dried up and comes out on its own. Don’t use ear buds to clean your child’s ears as you may damage the eardrum; instead, use a washcloth dipped in warm water to wipe the exterior of the ears and also behind them.
Putting the toilet cover before flushing:
Whenever you flush the toilet, germs from your urine or poop could fly outside and contaminate your toothbrush, toothpaste or other items. Hence turn it into a habit to cover the toilet using the cover before flushing.
Cleaning their private parts:
Boys should be taught not try to retract the foreskin within the head of the penis. Just clean the exposed area having a mild soap and water. If you’re teaching your daughter to wipe herself with toilet paper after urinating, remember the proper way of motion is from front to back and never the other way round.
Stopping bad habits:
If your child sucks his thumb or rubs his eyes habitually, gently remove his thumb or fingers in the spot and distract him together with his favorite toy or book. The more he clings on to this behaviour, greater it will be to get him to stop.
Washing hands:
Washing hands is something your child will end up doing many times a day so it’s important to educate your child on when washing hands is essential. For example; after using the toilet, after reaching home from school and before eating anything. Make sure to wash with a good soap or handwash liquid to get the germs out as plain water won’t do the trick.
Hygiene Tips For Children
Using a sanitizer:
Sometimes when soap and water is unavailable, teach your child cooking out the handy bottle of sanitizer. Just squeeze a little amount on the palm, rub both surfaces of hands there – clean and good smelling hands appear!
Wearing clean underwear:
In hot weather or once the child is physically active, underwear are usually necesary to be changed twice a day. Have enough underwear for your child keeping this in mind and inculcate the importance of clean underwear from the young age.
