Friday, 12 October 2012

10 Hygiene Rules to Teach Your Kids from an Early Age

Maintaining good hygiene for kids is easier said than done. However, in order to gift your child a healthy life ahead, you must teach your kid these basic hygiene rules.


Kids generally have a tough time keeping up with hygiene, and when you ask them to clean up, you are not sure if your request is going to be met or not. After all, children's reactions can often be as unpredictable as the weather. However, irrespective of whether, they like to wash up or not; it is of utmost importance for them to learn personal hygiene. Make sure to teach your child these ten hygiene rules as early as possible.

Washing hands
Encourage proper hand washing before and after meals, after using the toilet, and upon their return from outdoors. Fill the bowl with warm water and coach your child to rub his/her hands thoroughly with soap and thereafter rinse and dry. Consider making it fun with towels and soaps having cartoon or animated characters on them. Washing your hands frequently is an ideal way to prevent germs from spreading.

Oral hygiene
Teach your kid to brush his/her teeth twice a day to prevent tooth decay and gum diseases. It is advised to supervise your children until they are capable of doing it themselves, and until you are sure that they will not skip the practice. Demonstrate how to brush both sides of teeth and top of the molars. Brushing teeth is only half the cleaning. Flossing is the other half. One of the secrets why many Americans have healthy teeth even at 80 is the daily flossing.

Bathing 

Like adults, kids must also take a bath daily in order to stay clean. Although, your young one may not be quite ready to bathe on his/her own, you should encourage your child to get more responsible about his/ her cleanliness. Try to make bath time fun and enjoyable by adding bubbles to water or using bath toys.

Short nails
Keep your child's nails short and clean. Longer nails trap dirt and considerably increase the chances of spreading germs. If, like most parents, you often find it difficult to clip your child's nails, do it when he/she is distracted watching television, or when asleep.

Keep it private

Playing or touching his private parts is not just unhygienic, but also embarrassing when done in public. Calmly explain your child the difference between private and public, and point out those things that do not make up for a good public display.

Wiping up

Hygiene is not just about washing hands after using the toilet; wiping the bottom and flushing the toilet is also a part of the rule. Use wet toilet wipes to teach your child how to clean himself.

Hair washing

Even though washing hair every other day is the best, encourage it at least twice weekly. This helps to prevent scalp problems, dandruff issues, and hair odour.

Sneezing

Teach your child to sneeze or cough into a tissue or handkerchief. A tissue is the best because it can be disposed of immediately. If a handkerchief is used, it should be changed two or three times a day. This will not only help in keeping personal hygiene, but will also help to prevent the transmission of germs from one to another. Discourage nose picking.

Clothing

Wearing clean and comfortable clothes is very essential to maintain personal hygiene. Make sure your child changes into fresh clothes at least three times a day- morning, evening, and during bedtime.

Ear Picking
Just like cleaning any other part of the body, cleaning earwax is also very important. If ignored, it can impair your child's hearing. Teach him to clean up his ears regularly using a fresh cotton bud and discourage ear picking with fingers. Make sure that you supervise this task initially. If earwax is left to build, it can lead to serious medical issues.

These are some of the hygiene rules you should teach your kids from an early age in order to give them a healthy start. As kids often imitate their parents, you must become a role model by incorporating these habits in your routine.
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