How To Encourage Your Child To Practice Good Hygiene
Kids aren’t really examples of good hygiene for the most part, it’s not new. However, that’s something that you, as a parent, can help change. Implementing good hygiene habits has to be done at a young age and can be taught and encouraged. Doing this the right way will be great both for you and your kid. Not only will it spare you those smells and messes, but it’ll also help your child become more independent! You might be wondering how do go about it. Well, we’ve gathered some tips from experts to get you started.
Break It Down
Talking to kids about any large topic can be difficult at times. They tend to have a hard time keeping up and comprehending all the things you’re trying to explain to them. For this reason, it’s best to break anything you want to tell them into smaller topics and explain each separately. This way, they’ll have an easier time following and understanding the conversations.
Hand Washing
The most basic thing to teach a child is proper handwashing. It’s such an important habit since not doing it properly can lead to trouble. Teach your child that every time they wash their hands, they need to do so with soap and water for a good 15 seconds. A way to help them know how long that is, sing ‘happy birthday’ twice in a row before rinsing the soap off.
Teeth
Another important habit is brushing the teeth. Encourage your kids to do so, and well, by allowing them to pick things out like the toothbrush and toothpaste. On top of that, make it a family habit, so they can see the way you do it and learn from that as well, even after you’ve explained it to them.
Baths
Incorporate a bath or shower time into the kids’ regular routine, so it becomes a habit. As the kids get older, you’ll need to teach them how to shower on their own, so try to help them do so quickly in order to conserve water and lower the gas bills.
Coughing and Sneezing
Explain to your kids how coughing and sneezing without covering the mouth can spread germs and sickness. Implement the habit of covering their mouth when they cough and sneeze to keep them from spreading germs around.
Positive Reinforcement
Last but not least, make sure to praise your child when they do things you taught them to do. This will make the process more fun for them. You can also opt for giving them little prizes when they hit any kind of milestone. For instance, when they’ve brushed their teeth twice a day for a week, they get a new toy. Most importantly, acknowledge when they do things well.