10 rules of hygiene for children

Hygiene for children is not only an important component of life, but also a fun game, a fun pastime with parents. How to teach a child to cleanliness and explain that elementary rules help to prevent many diseases? More on this later in the article.

Personal hygiene of children: 10 rules 

Hygiene rules for children are daily habits that help maintain health and feel great. Firstly, they teach the baby to be neat, and secondly, they exclude the appearance of many diseases in adulthood. What personal hygiene skills should your baby learn from the first years of life:

1. Brush your teeth twice a day.
2. Use the pot.
3. Wash your hands after walking and before eating.
4. Keep your room clean.
5. Wash fruits and vegetables before eating.
6. Use individual dishes.
7. Separate clothes for the house and the street.
8. Use napkins.
9. Take a bath and shower regularly.
10. Cut your nails.

And now we will analyze each of these points in more detail.

Brush your teeth twice a dayBrushing teeth is a necessary skill of personal hygiene of children, to which it is important to teach from an early age.

Baby teeth largely affect the quality of the molars, so it is better to start oral hygiene as early as possible, with the eruption of the first baby teeth. At some point you will see that the baby is looking at your movements and trying to repeat the same with the help of fingers or toys. At this point, it is worth taking care of the availability of a separate baby brush, and closer to the year — and a special baby toothpaste. Make family trips to the bathroom for brushing teeth — and the baby will definitely not remain indifferent to such events.

Use the potUnderstanding and awareness of the process comes closer to 1.5 years.

But all children perceive the pot and its purpose differently. Pediatricians advise starting acquaintance with this hygiene item when the baby can take off his pants on his own and sit on the pot, and then do the same in reverse order.

Here are some tips on how to prepare yourself and your baby for saying goodbye to diapers: "How to teach a child to potty: tips for parents."Wash your hands after walking and before eating

Remember that the skin quickly becomes dirty and its pores become clogged.

And a child of any age is in maximum contact with everything around. It is important to teach the baby hand hygiene after going to the toilet, before eating and after playing with animals. Make sure that it is safe for the child to get to the washbasin. For example, buy a special step for kids. You will also need his personal towel, which he can get himself.

Keep your room cleanDepending on the age, the baby should have his own room or a separate corner where his personal belongings and toys will be placed.

From the age of 12 months, a child can take part in collecting toys, and at an older age it is necessary to explain that it is also important to clean systematically: ventilate the room, wipe the dust and do wet cleaning. 

Wash fruits and vegetables before eatingThe baby should receive enough energy for proper and full-fledged development.

Nutrition should be full, varied and systematic. This, of course, has been followed by adults for a long time. But it is important from an early age to teach a child to cope independently with tasks feasible for his age. 

For example, wash fruits and vegetables before eating. And it doesn't matter if they are from the store or from the home garden. Also explain to the baby which water is better to use for washing and which for drinking. And where you have access to clean drinking water at home. It is important to ensure the cleanliness of products on the street: wash food at home, buy bottled water.

Use individual dishesIt is advisable to tell the child as early as possible that each family member has his own cup, plate, spoon and fork, which must be washed after each meal.

And it is better not to use other people's appliances and dishes, because bacteria remain on them, which are in everyone's saliva and can cause unpleasant rashes in the mouth. Make sure that the children learn this skill before going to kindergarten.

Separating clothes for home and streetDetermine the set of clothes that the child will use only at home (including pajamas for sleeping) and explain the need to wear it on arrival from the street.

In addition to the fact that street clothes can get dirty and get wet, there may be germs on it that will remain on the furniture if you do not change your outfit. The baby should know that clothes should be washed as they become dirty and regularly change underwear, socks and tights.

Use napkinsThe first skills of neatness are formed already at the age of one year, when the baby actively watches his parents.

And if there is access to napkins at home and on the street, the baby will soon quickly understand how and why to use them. 

Each time, explain to the baby what will happen if you wipe his hands or face: they will become clean and soft, the palms will not be sticky and you can safely play on. 

Tell us that it is better to cover your mouth and nose during sneezing, and it is also convenient to do this with a napkin. Make sure that the handkerchief is with the child on the street: in a bag or pocket, where he can find it.

Take a bath and shower regularlyDaily hygiene is first completely carried out by parents when changing a diaper or before going to bed, but closer to the age of 2, children begin to show interest and are actively involved in the process.

From this moment on, it is necessary to gradually allow the child to carry out water procedures independently, since after 3 years, children are practically not allowed to help them in this matter. 

It is better to teach the baby to bathe in warm, not hot water. Pediatricians recommend a temperature range of 30-37 degrees. Even if the baby starts taking a shower himself, parents should examine his skin daily, making sure that there are no diaper rash or rashes on it that may require special care.

Parents should determine whether the child's skin is healthy, whether there is dryness or a tendency to dermatitis. Depending on this, you can choose the means for bathing and daily care. 

Cut your nailsOften this point of personal hygiene of the child is problematic for parents.

In most cases, children are very reluctant to agree to such manipulations. Therefore, we advise you to tell as often as possible why mom and dad do it, show it to yourself and attract parents to help.

What lies behind bad habits, read in our article: "A child bites his nails: why he does it and how to deal with it."How to teach a child to be clean

Brushing your teeth, taking a shower and changing clothes regularly is something that we not only try to teach children, but also have to do regularly ourselves.

There is one important rule that you should rely on when you teach children hygiene — they should have a positive attitude to these processes. Next, a few tips on how to instill a love of hygiene in children.

Don't create negative associationsYou can not scold, shout and punish the child.

This way you consolidate negative associations. The kid will think that washing his hands is unpleasant, insulting and scary. After all, he is still unable to connect your behavior with his reluctance or pampering, so he will wash his hands with even greater dissatisfaction next time. Also, intimidation does not work: "if you do not wash your hands or an apple, worms will start in your stomach and will eat you at night" or other nightmarish stories. This way you will only consolidate the fears of the baby, which in the future may develop into anxiety disorders.

Become an exampleIt is impossible to teach a child what you do not do yourself.

He will not brush his teeth if you yourself neglect this rule. Speaking to children about hygiene, be an example of what you say: "You see, my teeth are healthy and white, because I always brush them twice a day, come with me!", "I really like it when my skin is clean and soft, so I always wash it in the shower in the morning and in the evening, before putting on clean pajamas. Then I feel comfortable and cozy to sleep." If you say from the very first months of the baby's life that children and adults always wash their hands before eating, he will understand that this is the same item of his routine as sleeping and walking, and will not protest at the sight of the water tap turned on.

Observe and encourageIt is inherent in nature that children copy the behavior of adults.

This is how they learn basic hygiene, nutrition and behavior skills. In addition, they are also very indignant if you do not allow them to do the same as you. There is already an example with sockets, a TV remote control and a phone. But in all other cases, let the baby repeat after you, so as not to muffle the cognitive interest. It is important to observe when the first attempts of inheritance appear and not to interfere if something goes wrong.

Diversify the processIf at an older age there are difficulties with teaching a child personal hygiene, introduce a positive element into the process.

Replace the usual soap with a multi-colored one in the form of a cartoon hero, with cream soap, or teach a dirty guy to blow soap bubbles with foam on his hands. So the process will become more interesting for both the baby and the parents. You can even try to make soap together by melting a piece in a water bath or buying a soap-making kit.

Be consistentNothing bad will happen if the baby fell asleep on a walk and you didn't wash his hands and change his clothes when you put him sleeping in the crib.

But try to observe the rituals of cleanliness in any conditions in order to consolidate the rules of personal hygiene. Over time, you will see that the baby himself runs to open the faucet and will also make you wash your hands if he did not see it.

We have told you how to teach a child to cleanliness, and we wish that these lessons were fun not only for the baby, but also for you. Spending time together, even in the bathroom, is a great opportunity to strengthen warm relations in the family. 

If you want to raise a healthy person, register for a free 3-day online master class for parents: "What every parent should know". The images are taken from the sources: pexels.com , pixabay.com

November 1, 2021 2022-11-26 2021-11-01 Rate the article on a 5-point scale Did you like the article? Share it on social networks