Good hygiene involves more than just hand washing. Teaching your kids to have a healthy hygiene routine when they’re young can create habits that last a lifetime. Here’s a helpful head-to-toe guide…
By Marlene Kubicka
Hair. For most youngsters, having their hair washed just two or three times a week is enough. Too much hair washing can dry out young scalps and make them more prone to dandruff.
Nose and mouth. Teach toddlers to blow their nose by pressing one nostril closed while they gently breathe out through the other. Kids are more in touch with their bodily cues by around two years, so keep working on it. Practise with pretend coughs and sneezes using a stuffed-animal friend who has “a cold.”
Brushing teeth. A child’s teeth should be brushed as soon as
the first tooth erupts. Brushing twice a day in the morning and
at night is ideal.
Bath time. Treat bathing or showering as a fun way to
get clean and encourage kids to take an active role themselves.
Hand washing. Teach this as a habit before and after meals, after playing in the dirt or with pets, and after being with someone who is ill. Encourage your children to wash their hands
for the length of two rounds of “Happy Birthday.”
Shoes. Shoes can get very smelly. Washing them from time to time or putting them outside will kill the bacteria that make them smell and help keep odours under control.
