Dear readers welcome to another blog post carrying some stories and some tricks or tips that have worked with my two little humans and made my life a bit easier. “Healthy” and “kids” are two topics that run on my mind almost 70 percent time of the day. From what healthy meal to cook for them to teaching them something as common as drinking water from the glass, the search history of a mother’s phone is a thing to be made movie on.
My two kids are at a polar opposite phase when it comes to their eating habits or general hygiene habits. While the elder one’s meal prep requires planning like I am going to war the younger one has denounced that brushing is a thing for animals. We keep finding new things to be creative when it comes to teaching them healthy habits. It takes consistent efforts but once their habits are formed our day gets better. Today’s blog post, as the title suggests, will be on hygiene habits.
Maintaining personal hygiene is important for all of us including children. We need to be creative and supportive to teach kids about it. Kids get in touch with a lot of dust, dirt, and bacteria when they go out.
Good personal hygiene habits help kids stay healthy. It is at the root of our overall health. Kids learn more by observing rather than what’s been taught to them. Here are a few of my tried and tested tips that made my toddler learn a few good hygiene habits:
Monkey see monkey do
Kids are keen observers and they love to imitate what they see. My toddler tries to copy everything she notices. From words, she hears from us to the way her dad works on a laptop. I need to keep a watch on what I say when she is around (once she heard me say a bad word and it was a hurricane task to erase it from her memory). We need to be a role model for them. Follow a hygiene routine and they will surely imitate it. From as basic as brushing our teeth every morning to eating fruits, they will do what they see. By ages 3-5, let your child try to do these tasks, brushing teeth, and washing hands, by themselves with you present.
Sing away
Remember the catchy tune from Dettol “Khane se Pehle…. Dettol Ho!”? Yup, it works. If you want to grab the attention of a toddler then do something that interests them. My toddler is a music lover (after listening to a few of her favorite songs umpteenth time, I am pretty sure she loves music). So, we created a song for her and made sure to sing it along every time we wanted her to wash her hands. From reading books to wearing clothes, we have a song for everything and it works like magic. The toddlers love to talk and the rhythm of music can help kids understand how things should be done in order or a certain pattern.
Be consistent, not persistent
It takes a good amount of time to form a habit and follow it regularly. So be patient when you teach your toddler about personal hygiene. They might not pick it up soon or show their interest towards it but your routine will help them understand that it is not a one-time thing and they need to follow it. Your agitation might put off your kid towards these things. Personal hygiene expectations for children must be age-appropriate. We can help them create charts that allow them to check off a task each time they complete one. the exercise will give them a sense of independence, not only that, it will help them learn to be responsible for themselves.
Books are the savior:
Books play a really important role in forming a positive personality for your kid. Buy books with bright colors and preferably board books if your kid is super naughty like mine. I picked up many books that helped her understand the importance of brushing their teeth, taking a bath washing their hands, etc., and read those to her many times. I have dozens of such books for my toddler. She is more like me when it comes to books. She picks the book she wants me to read every night.
Be creative
Kids bring out the most creative side of their parents. To bring their attention towards important things you need to be well equipped with options. Be creative and introduce these hygiene habits as and when your toddler is ready to learn them. Educating children on good hygiene is the best way to avoid spreading infection. Books, songs, or games are just a few examples that will help your kid understand the topic of hygiene.
Teaching kids about personal hygiene in early childhood is good as these habits will help them stay healthy. Hygiene education starts with the family, and eventually, children can learn what to do and follow cleanliness rules on their own. A child should be taught to bathe or shower daily and to wash his/her hands often. The best way for parents to teach their children about good hygiene is to lead by example.
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