8 personal hygiene habits for children

It is essential that children know the importance of proper hygiene. Parents, caregivers, and teachers are responsible for teaching and continuing these habits to apply at school and at home.

The objective of maintaining adequate hygiene is, mainly, to avoid infections and as a consequence, keep away the possibility of contracting diseases. But it also has to do with physical presence and personal care. Therefore, children should follow these personal hygiene habits.

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Basic personal hygiene habits for children

Each of these teachings requires patience and instruction towards children.. These habits should be encouraged from an early age, explaining the reasons and the importance, but also maintaining a constant routine for the child to make them his own and incorporate them into his day to day.

To achieve this you can rely on songs or stories. Remember to anticipate the action by giving notice a few minutes before it will take place. For children to carry out personal hygiene habits it is important to get in them the will to do it and not that they do it out of fear or rewards and rewards.

1. The shower

One of the basic hygiene habits for children is the shower. They should be taught that showering is done daily. It is logical that during the first months of life, all the responsibility for the child to shower falls entirely on her caregivers. But getting into the habit of doing it daily for years to come helps make it a habit.

Most children go through some stage in which they refuse to go to the bathroom. Some, even as young as a few months old, seem uncomfortable with bathing. Although this can become quite a challenge for parents, you have to be patient and maintain the habit of taking a daily bath.

Accompanying the moment with a song and looking for a pleasant and positive environment will help a lot for the child to end up engaging in this habit.

2. Hand washing

Children's hands must be clean to avoid illness. During the first years of life it is common for children to take their own hands and other objects to their mouth, while touching surfaces and playing with dirt or things that may be dirty. This becomes a major source of possible infections and illnesses.

For this reason, the hands must remain clean. When they are just babies, you have to constantly clean them and explain what is being done. Explain that soap is being applied to them, that the water tap is turned on to rinse and finally dry them. And do pedagogy that the act of washing our hands helps us to be healthy.

As the child grows, this habit has to continue in a timely manner until he carries it out on his own initiative.

3. Short and clean nails

One of the things that makes parents sweat the most is trimming a newborn's nails. Their fingers seem so fragile and the nails are so small that there is always the fear of cutting the baby. However, it is important not to stop doing it, the reason is that a lot of dirt and bacteria accumulate on the nails.

Baby nail clippers are small and with enough care and patience nothing will happen. As with the rest of the hygiene habits, you have to explain and talk to the child about what is being done and, as time passes, motivate him to carry out the action himself and become aware of the importance of carrying it out cape.

4. Tooth brushing

Tooth care should be carried out from the first months of life. Some people believe that oral hygiene begins only after the baby's first teeth appear. This is not correct. Cleaning of the mouth should be done from newborn and the child must be taught the importance of brushing their teeth and the consequences of not having adequate oral hygiene.

During the first months of life, while teeth do not appear, wet a gauze with water and clean the gums and tongue of the baby. Once the teeth appear, brush with a toothpaste appropriate for the age of the child, this should be indicated by your dentist. This habit must be taught and continued throughout your life.

5. Clean nose

The child's nose must be kept free for proper breathing. When an episode of the flu occurs, it is normal for there to be excessive nasal fluid. During these times parents and caregivers should be careful to continually clean and do what is necessary to clear the airways so that you can breathe well.

But even if there is no flu, children often collect mucus in their noses, just like anyone else. You have to teach them the correct technique so that it can be kept clean. As the child grows, he should understand the importance of a mucus-free nose and how he should take the initiative to clean it on his own when he is able to do so.

6. Clean ears

The ears produce wax and when it is excessive it can cause problems. The issue of ear cleaning should be given special attention. The wax that is produced is normal, but you must be careful not to accumulate too much as this could cause some discomfort. However, cleaning ear wax can sometimes not be that straightforward.

You have to be careful when cleaning your ear. To start with, the easiest thing to do is to clean only the visible part of the ear with a wet wipe. That is, you do not have to introduce any type of object to the inner ear, as we could hurt it. Currently there are specialized products for cleaning ears, especially in the form of spray. This makes this task quite easy.

7. Change of clothes

Children must be taught from a young age to change their clothes, especially the interior. It is often difficult for children to tell that clothes are dirty, unless they have very obvious stains. It also happens with underwear, you have to teach them to distinguish that some garment is already dirty and must be changed.

In the case of underwear, especially underpants or briefs, they should be changed daily. Although during the first two years of life, adults and caregivers are the absolute ones in charge of this part, according to the child gradually acquires autonomy, it is necessary to teach him to change on his own and to substitute dirty clothes for clothes clean.

8. Clean and brushed hair

Hair must also be cared for with special care. Children must be taught the habit of washing and brushing their hair. Sometimes, even though it is part of the shower, there are children who do not tolerate shampooing and rinsing them afterwards. You have to explain the risks of not doing it, as it is important that this habit is encouraged.

In addition to washing, it must be taught that you should brush daily. All this with the aim of maintaining healthy and clean hair. This hygiene habit also includes avoiding sharing hats, brushes, or hair ornaments with other children, since the spread of lice it normally occurs due to this type of action.

Bibliographic references

• Beumer R, Bloomfield SF, Exner M, Fara GM, Nath KJ, Scott EA (2008). "Hygiene procedures in the home and their effectiveness: a review of the scientific evidence base". International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene.

• Bloomfield SF, Exner M, Fara GM, Nath KJ, Scott EA, Van der Voorden C (2009). "The global burden of hygiene-related diseases in relation to the home and community". International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene.

• Larson EL, Lin SX, Gomez-Pichardo C (2004). "Predictors of infectious disease symptoms in inner city households". Nurs Res.