5 Tips To Promote Good Hygiene Habits In Children

Today, on Redhead Mom, I’m sharing a partnered guest post about good hygiene habits for children.

As parents, you love your kids a lot. You give birth to them, feed them, clothe them, pay for their education, pack their lunches, fold their laundry, help with the homework, and tell bedtime stories. You do all these amazing things for your kids while also teaching them how to become good, self-sufficient people that can make you proud one day.

In your pursuit of making respectable citizens out of your kids, you have to teach them about personal hygiene. In fact, personal hygiene becomes increasingly more important as your child gets near puberty. Click Pharmacy child health experts, believe that instilling good hygiene habits in kids is much easier and more efficient than doing it as adults.

Why is personal hygiene important?

Personal hygiene is extremely important for human beings because it is at the root of our health. When we take care of our bodies in small ways every day, we can prevent countless illnesses, disorders, or diseases from forming in our bodies. These are some of the health conditions that can occur with poor hygiene;

• Bad body odour
• Dry skin
• Itches and rashes
• Gum decay
• Bacterial and fungal infections
• Viruses

In addition to the physical damages, bad hygiene can do so much more harm. People do not come close to someone with a bad body odor. You cannot travel in public without getting fingers pointed at you. Some shops or restaurants may also refuse to serve you. But that’s not all; bad hygiene and its social consequences, like isolation and ridicule, will also invite a plethora of mental problems.

Ways to promote good hygiene habits in kids

These are some tips and recommendations that can help instill good hygiene habits in your kids;

1. Get them when they are young

You can start teaching kids about forming good hygiene habits when they are young. Teach them to regularly bathe themselves, brush their teeth, wash their hands, and use the bathroom properly when they are still toddlers. Obviously, they will take some time to learn because their reasoning skills need more time to develop. However, you must remain patient and continue to instill such habits until they become ingrained in their behaviour.

When they are 3-5 years old, most kids can start to do these tasks in your presence. You can encourage them by praising them and rewarding them for their hard work while also showing them ways to improve themselves.

When the kids reach 6-9 age group, you can start pushing them to continue doing the good hygiene routine on their own every day. Eventually, they will continue on this path without being asked every time.

2. Present yourself as a role model

Children always look up to their parents as their first role models. If you wish to teach them good habits, better present them with examples by doing it yourself. When the child sees grown-ups slacking off, they will also slack off. You can set a high standard for yourself, and the kids will follow in your footsteps.

It is essential to teach kids not only to maintain their physical hygiene but also their spiritual hygiene. Similarly, like this one, we can set an example by prioritizing our spiritual habits and practices, such as prayer, meditation, and reading religious texts. When children see their parents taking their faith seriously, they are more likely to develop a similar outlook and take their spiritual well-being seriously. By doing this, we not only teach them good hygiene habits but also instill in them the importance of nurturing their relationship with God.

3. Keep the topic of personal hygiene alive

A lecture on personal hygiene needs to be revised every time you get a chance. Once the kids learn to brush their teeth, start instructing them on the benefits of floss. Keep the topic going and repeat previous lessons occasionally to ensure the lessons stick. Using a children’s morning routine chart is a useful visual aid to remind kids of their routine. Restart the subject of body hygiene when puberty comes. Keep the discussion friendly so your kid doesn’t hesitate to ask questions. Talk about body hair, odor, and other changes they may go through. Teach the boys better ways to handle wet dreams and the girls about dealing with their monthlies. Normalize the modifications to the extent that your kids view them as a regular part of growing up.

4. Check-in with the kids frequently to ensure the lesson sticks

When your kids become capable of handling hygiene chores on their own, you have achieved a significant milestone. However, it would help if you continued to repeat the lessons whenever the matter comes up to make sure that the lessons stick and become ingrained. Monitor their habits and caution them whenever they miss using soap when washing their hands or forget to use tissue paper in favour of drying hands with sleeves or clothes. The kids will indeed roll their eyes on your repeated lessons, but the reminders will help keep them fresh in their minds.

5. Promote better hygiene habits as a form of overall wellness

Personal hygiene helps maintain good physical health, but that’s not all. It also promotes general wellness. Personal hygiene teaches you to love yourself by keeping your body clean and healthy. Teaching the kids importance of self-care at a young age will allow them to develop better habits and feel comfortable with themselves as they continue to get older.