It is essential for children to know the importance of proper hygiene.. Parents, caregivers and teachers, are responsible for teaching them and giving continuity to these habits to be applied at school and at home.
The objective of maintaining proper hygiene is, mainly, to avoid infections and as a consequence, to keep away the possibility of contracting diseases. But it also has to do with physical presence and personal care. Therefore, children should follow these personal hygiene habits.
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Basic personal hygiene habits for children.
Each of these teachings requires patience and instruction for children.. These habits should be encouraged from a very early age, explaining the reasons and importance, but also maintaining a constant routine for the child to make them their own and incorporate them into their daily lives.
To achieve this you can use songs or stories. Remember to anticipate the action a few minutes before it will take place. For children to carry out personal hygiene habits, it is important to get them to be willing to do it and not to do it out of fear or for rewards and gratifications.
1. Showering
One of the basic hygiene habits for children is showering.. They should be taught that showering is done daily. It stands to reason that during the first few months of life, all responsibility for the child’s showering falls entirely on the caregivers. But getting into the habit of doing it daily in later years helps it become a habit.
Most children go through some stage where they reject bathing. Some even as young as a few months old seem to be uncomfortable with toileting. While this can be a challenge for parents, be patient and maintain the habit of taking a daily bath.
Accompanying the moment with a song and looking for a pleasant and positive environment will help the child to get used to this habit.
2. Hand washing
Children’s hands must be clean to avoid illnesses.. During the first years of life it is common for young children to put their own hands and other objects in their mouths, while touching surfaces and playing with dirt or things that may be dirty. This becomes an important source of possible infections and diseases.
For this reason, hands should be kept clean. When they are just babies, clean them constantly and explain what you are doing. Explain that soap is being applied, that the water faucet is turned on to rinse and finally dry them. And teach them that the act of washing their hands helps us to be healthy.
As the child grows, this habit has to continue in a timely manner until he/she does it on his/her own initiative.
3. Short and clean nails
One of the things that makes parents sweat the most is trimming a newborn’s nails.. Their fingers seem so fragile and the nails are so small that there is always the fear of cutting the baby. However, it is important not to stop doing it, the reason being that a lot of dirt and bacteria accumulates in the nails.
Baby nail clippers are small and with enough care and patience nothing will happen. As with the rest of the hygiene habits, it is necessary to explain and talk to the child about what is being done and, as time goes by, motivate the child to be the one who performs the action and become aware of the importance of doing it.
4. Tooth brushing
Tooth care should be carried out from the first months of life.. Some people believe that oral hygiene begins only after the appearance of the baby’s first teeth. This is not correct. Cleaning the mouth should be done from birth and the child should be taught the importance of brushing teeth and the consequences of not having a proper oral hygiene.
During the first months of life, until teeth appear, wet a gauze pad with water and clean the baby’s gums and tongue. Once teeth appear, brush with a toothpaste appropriate for the age of the child, this should be indicated by your dentist. This habit should be taught and continued throughout the child’s life.
5. Clean nose
The child’s nose should be kept free for proper breathing.. When a flu episode occurs, it is normal for there to be excessive nasal fluid. During these times, parents and caregivers should take care to continually clean and clear the airway for proper breathing.
But even if there is no flu, children tend to accumulate mucus in the nose, just like anyone else. They need to be taught the correct technique to keep it clear. As children get older, they should understand the importance of a clear nose and how they should take the initiative to clean it on their own when they are able to do so.
6. Clean ears
Ears produce earwax, and excessive earwax can cause problems.. The subject of ear cleaning should be given special attention. The wax that is produced is normal, but care should be taken that it does not accumulate too much as this could cause some discomfort. However, cleaning earwax can sometimes be not so simple.
Care should be taken when cleaning the ear. Initially, the easiest thing to do is to clean only the visible part of the ear with a wet wipe. That is to say, no object should be introduced into the inner ear, as it could hurt it. Nowadays there are specialized products for ear cleaning, especially in the form of a spray. This makes this task much easier.
7. Changing clothes
Children should be taught from an early age to change their clothes, especially their underwear.. It is often difficult for children to distinguish that their clothes are dirty, unless they have very obvious stains. It also happens with underwear, they must be taught to distinguish that some garment is already dirty and should be changed.
In the case of underwear, especially underpants or panties, they should be changed daily. Although during the first two years of life, adults and caregivers are the ones in charge of this part, as the child acquires autonomy, they should be taught to change themselves and to replace dirty clothes with clean ones.
8. Clean and brushed hair
Hair should also be cared for with special attention. Children should be taught the habit of washing and brushing their hair. Sometimes, even though it is part of the shower, there are children who do not tolerate shampooing and then rinsing. The risks of not doing so should be explained to them, as it is important to encourage this habit.
In addition to washing, it is necessary to teach them that they should be brushed daily. All this with the aim of maintaining healthy and clean hair. This hygiene habit also includes avoiding sharing hats, brushes, or hair ornaments with other children, since the spread of head lice usually occurs through this type of action.