Personal hygiene is directly associated with having better life habits, involving self-care and self-knowledge. Such practices are daily and need to be performed together throughout life – and especially in childhood – to provide even more benefits for health and well-being.
And how to include these mandatory tasks in children’s daily lives without making them something boring and tiring? This we will show you in detail below, but first, understand why you can’t give up children’s personal hygiene.
The importance of children’s personal hygiene
During childhood the first personality traits of an individual are formed and, with them, their personal tastes that will be taken to the adult stage. Moreover, it is in the first years of life that the child acquires basic notions about the functioning of the world and its norms and rules.
And you must be wondering what all this has to do with children’s personal hygiene, right? Well, continue the reading that follows we will explain in detail how three very important characteristics can be developed with the daily incentive of hygiene of the child:
The child gains consciousness about his own body
One of the most effective ways to teach the little ones to protect their physical integrity is by stimulating knowledge about their own body, and the best way to put this into practice is at times of daily hygiene.
Thus, during the bath, for example, it is fundamental that the child develops self-knowledge, understanding the function of each part of the body and how to clean them correctly.
The ability of self-knowledge should range from the care of the intimate region to the smallest and most hidden parts, such as the ear, navel or even the space between the little toes. In other words, it is important to have dedication and a lot of patience when introducing and teaching about the importance of personal hygiene for children, ok?
Learn about sense of cleanliness and organization
In general, cleanliness and organization are also characteristics of disciplined and responsible children. Therefore, nothing better than learning the value of these two qualities starting precisely with personal hygiene for children and always adapting new tasks according to the age and phase that the little one is living.
And of course, it is important not to forget that the freedom and fun of childhood need to be respected. That’s why games that cause dirt and even a mess or another should still be allowed, with so much that your child understands that after the game it’s time to organize everything and clean up without delay.
It is a care for the health of the little one
As we have already mentioned, the child’s hygiene is associated with leading a healthier life, since by doing the correct cleaning of all body parts, their little one ends up with the habitation of viruses and bacteria that love to be lodged in humid, warm environments and with residues of sweat, food and other little dirt.
Personal hygiene for children and antibodies
When it comes to health, antibodies and hygiene of children, there are many popular myths that end up confusing the family. If you’re a mom or dad and you care about children’s personal hygiene, you’ve probably heard someone say that your child is too clean and won’t develop antibodies against the thousands of microorganisms out there, right? That’s right, but know that’s not exactly how the human body works.
8 tips to stimulate children’s hygiene
You must be wondering how to make children’s personal hygiene time not a real sacrifice with cries, tantrums and requests for 5 more minutes in the middle of the mess instead of going to the shower, right?
Well, know that the time to clean and bathe the little ones can also become a great joke, and here we will give you 8 tips that will help you and other responsible or family members with the hygiene of the child:
Use colored soaps to wash your hands
There are several options of colorful soaps – and even with characters – that make children excited to use them. So, when you start using a new product, already show your puppy what will be the next color or design to be used when the current one finishes, because this way he will wash his hands frequently and without complaining, just thinking about opening the new item.
Toys in the shower are your allies
Those who think that children’s personal hygiene moments need to be tedious and tiring are wrong. To change this scenario, try to adopt little animals and rubber or plastic toys that are appropriate to be in contact with water, so that bath time will have many laughs and the fun can continue even after the shower turns off.
Do hairstyles while washing your hair
You can be sure that your puppy will find the maximum in having his hair all soapy with a different hairstyle. The look lasts only a few seconds, but it’s enough time to accomplish a good part of children’s personal hygiene without leaving the least bit irritated and crying.
Create stories for your fingers while taking care of your nails
There are already many songs about little fingers that can be used as a distraction during personal hygiene. In addition, you can create your own stories whenever you clean and cut the nails of the little ones. Oh, and it’s even worth giving a name to each finger and toe to make your tales more interesting.
Choose a song to brush your teeth
Oral health professionals state that it takes, on average, three minutes to perform a complete and adequate brushing on all teeth. So that this time does not get boring, always put on a little music that your child loves to listen to and only finish this stage of children’s personal hygiene when the sound is over.
Watch a drawing while you clean your ears
To clean the ears requires that the child be quiet so as not to cause any injury and still be able to reach all the folds of the ear. To make this mission easier, put an episode of your puppy’s favorite drawing and wait for him to stay focused to start cleaning – but of course, before even playing, let him know that the time has come to clean his little ears.
Wash the toys together with the little
Toys are also large accumulators of germs and unwanted bacteria, so they also need to be part of children’s personal hygiene. At least once a week, if possible, invite the child to clean and organize the dolls together with you, and take advantage of this space to talk about the importance of body hygiene and personal accessories.
Encourage the child to practice its hygiene on its own
After these rituals are already inserted into the child’s routine, allow the child to practice personal hygiene alone. Start by letting her wash her hands without your help, then move on to the toys and so progressively, always according to the age of the little one. Oh, and at the beginning of this process don’t forget to supervise to make sure the cleaning is effective, ok?
Now you know that children’s personal hygiene is fundamental for a healthy life and that introducing this care routine into children’s lives can be a lot of fun, right? So, follow all the tips above and don’t give up taking care of your little one’s well-being, always explaining the importance of keeping each part of the skin clean and showing how to do it in a light and good mood.
