When your kid is a toddler, you will naturally enjoy his appearance - with his hands smeared with mud and his clothes drenched in sweat. As he grows older you are bound to get infuriated about the mess he creates with the same mud and the obnoxious smell his sweaty clothes bear. A kid's personal hygiene should be given foremost priority as he grows older. Children are likely to pick up infections and illnesses easily. This ascertains the need for you to pay extra attention to help him inculcate hygienic habits.
- Using a Hand Wash: Once a child is taught to wash his hands, it is easy to teach him when to wash them. Experts opine that the best way to make a child wash his hands is by making him recite a song. According to them, you can make a child scrub his hands the first time he sings the song. On the second recital rinse the lather around his palms, upper surface of his hands and between his fingers. Most importantly you should teach him to rinse off the mud stuck under his nails.
- Brushing Properly: Dental care is required from year one owing to a risk of cavities as children consume smaller meals frequently. Try getting your kid a motorized toothbrush or a toothbrush in the shape of his favorite cartoon character so that brushing becomes a fun activity for him. Ensure that he brushes his canines and incisors in an up and down motion, while using a circular motion for his molars and premolars. Make him brush twice a day to remove any food sitting on his teeth. After he munches on food rich in sugar make sure that he rinses his mouth with water and spits it out. This helps prevent tooth decay.
- Cleaning the Tongue: Teach your kid to clean his tongue after he has brushed his teeth. The tongue acts as a surface for the bacteria to grow and traps small particles of food that he consumes. For younger kids a toothbrush is sufficient to scrub the front two thirds of the tongue. If the surface of the brush is too rough then avoid using it. Wiping off the front portion of the tongue would suffice. In older kids the back of the tongue can be scrubbed as well.
- Bathing Twice a Day: According to experts, the frequency of bath depends on the season. During summer, children usually sweat profusely and hence a bath twice a day will cleanse your child's skin. Teach him to scrub his face, hands, feet, underarms, groin and bottom and to wash off all the soap on his body under the shower. You can provide a mild soap for his use and a shower head which may match his height so that it makes it easy for him to bathe. If your kid refuses to take a bath, entice him by placing his favorite toys in the bath tub or buying bath products which appeal to him. A typical example is that of a bubble bath. Promise your child rewards after a bath. This system works out better with kids.
- Cleaning Your Child's Ear Wax: Wax is a protective coating in the ear canal. It is advisable to get your kid's ear wax cleaned by a doctor as it prevents the risk of any complication such as an infection, irritation or damage to the ear drum.
- Toilet Training: Teaching a child to wipe himself after his potty training will help him learn to do it even in your absence. Some kids volunteer to wipe themselves at the age of two or three, while some prefer to get their parents to do it till they reach the age of five.
Start teaching your kids these habits to make them clean and germ free. Do make sure that you don't let them give up on any of these. After all, a sense of personal hygiene is a key to good health!
