Childhood is one of the best phases of life. Anything and everything that you learn or experience at this age stay in your memory forever. Habits acquired at the early stages of life become a routine for a lifetime, and hence it is crucial to acquire the best habits at this age. Along with discipline and moral values, hygiene habits are necessary to learn at a young age. To all the parents and elders having young kids at their home, here we bring you a guide to developing good hygiene habits in kids.
1. Teach Them the Importance Of Hygiene
Kids are innocent as well as curious about everything in life. They will not follow the hygiene tips unless they realize the importance behind them. So, firstly teach them the importance of hygiene. Educate them that there are germs all around that are ready to attack human bodies and spread infections. These germs are bitter enemies of hygiene and the immune system. When you follow good hygiene and boost your immunity levels, these germs never come near you. Share with them a few stories, examples of how these germs attack and then help them realize the importance of hygiene. If they understand the benefits fo personal hygiene, they’ll automatically make it a routine.
2. Practice Before You Preach Them
Childhood can be considered a blank notebook, in which the content gets filled as and how children learn new things and gain experiences. Most of the things a kid learns are either from his/her parents and family. You also know that kids imitate whatever they see. Hence to develop good hygiene habits in them, you must start following the same, so that they learn it on seeing you. Here are a few hygiene habits to be followed.
- Wash your hands regularly and compulsorily before and after every meal.
- Appropriately wash the hands to clean fingertips and nails as well.
- Wash hands every time you visit the washroom.
- Brush and floss your teeth regularly to prevent teeth and gum diseases.
- Rinse your mouth with a mouthwash to prevent harmful bacterial build-up in the mouth.
- Bath every day and wear neat clothes.
- Care for your hair, and do not let ice or nits form habitat on your head.
- Keep your place and surroundings clean.
- Use a handkerchief when you sneeze/cough.
- Wash the fruits and vegetables before eating them.
- Keep the food and drinks covered to avoid insects feeding on them.
3. Inform Them. Don’t Frighten Them
It is necessary to inform and educate children about the harmful germs and personal hygiene requirements. But that does not mean you must frighten them. In the recent spread of coronavirus, you must calm them by saying that it is just a microbe and nothing to be afraid about. If you follow good hygiene, corona and other microbes will never come to you. Make them strong, both physically and mentally.
4. Set Up A Routine
Just as the school provides a timetable for classes, you also create a routine for their hygiene activities. When a hygiene routine is set once, it will stay with them forever, thus making hygiene a part of their life.
5. Make Hygiene A Fun
Children love fun, and this is one of the universal truths. No child would like that you lecture them. Instead, teach them these hygiene habits while playing and in a fun way. Like buy them some cool toothbrush with cartoon characters and then teach them how to brush the teeth. Play activities that teach hygiene habits. When it is fun, children would willingly come forward to take up these activities and also, learn the underlying lesson behind each activity.
6. Follow the Safety Guidelines
The recent pandemic has made us more self-conscious and safety-conscious. Explain to your kids the need to follow COVID guidelines such as maintaining social distancing, wearing personal protective equipment and staying safe. Teach them the correct way to wear a mask such that the infection does not spread to anyone. You can also visit https://www.ppezones.com to purchase personal protective equipment.
Spend maximum time with your kids during their childhood and imbibe good values in them that shape a better future for them. Today you will care for their health, but tomorrow they’ll have to do it by themselves, and hence it is your responsibility to prepare them for a self-dependent tomorrow. Hygiene habits developed today will keep you safe from infections forever.
