Important habits to teach personal hygiene for kids

To keep children healthy and clean, it is vital to educate them on the principles of proper personal hygiene from a young age. Because they spend so much time in close contact with other children in the classroom, as well as in the playpark and elsewhere, young children need to practice proper hygiene – handwashing in particular. Like most aspects of cleanliness, personal hygiene for kids should be approached as good habits that children ought to be taught as soon as possible so that they become second nature.

Hand Washing

Instructing your child on how to wash their hands is one of the most critical hygiene habits you can instill in them. Hand washing is one of the most effective strategies to prevent disease and the spread of germs. It is best to demonstrate to your child the ideal handwashing technique, using running water and soap. Remember to work up a lather and show them to wash between the fingers and under the nails. Only then are they allowed to rinse the soap off. A catchy habit is to suggest that they sing “Happy Birthday” while washing their hands, twice through.

Children need to be reminded to wash their hands every time they use the bathroom, play outside, touch an animal, cough or sneeze, and before and after eating.

Many families have pets, and kids learn important lessons when taking responsibility for looking after their pets, but they also need to understand how important handwashing is after they have been playing with them or perhaps cleaning cages!

At times when a tap and soap are not nearby, wipes are a perfect substitute until they can reach a hand washing station. It is a good idea for children to carry a small bottle of sanitiser, an extra mask, and wipes with them at all times.

However, we must stress that wipes should be used only when a tap and soap for handwashing are not readily available as the disposal of wet wipes can cause environmental problems. Wet wipes make up 90% of the material causing sewer blockages. Even if wet wipe packaging claims its contents are flushable, biodegradable, or compostable, they don’t degrade quickly enough to avoid causing blockages: wet wipes should never be flushed down the loo! Additionally, many wipes find their way into rivers and oceans and yes, wet wipes contain plastic! If you do use wet wipes, please ensure responsible disposal

Uniwipe is one of the most well-known and trusted manufacturers of medical cleaning wipes in the United Kingdom. Their antibacterial wipes have been thoroughly tested to meet the most stringent EN standards. The company has a big focus on environmental sustainability, but its website explains:

“Our priority is to provide an effective antibacterial wipe that effectively kills harmful viruses and bacteria including Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Current available technologies prevent this effective functionality using biodegradable materials. Our team of experts are continually working to develop more sustainable materials that still meet the stringent requirements for maximum effectiveness. We proactively advocate correct and safe disposal of wipes and clearly label this on every pack.”

Food Hygiene

Children learn from what they experience, so make sure to practice good hygiene around food. This involves always wearing an apron when preparing food and having your hair tied back or covered. Teach your children to wash fruit and vegetables before eating them. Encourage them not to cough or sneeze near food. This leads to another point: teach them about keeping food covered to avoid germs and bacteria, as well as which foods need to be kept refrigerated.

Bathroom Habits

As explained, children may need constant reminding to wash their hands thoroughly after every bathroom visit. this is one of the most important aspects of personal hygiene for kids.

Other bathroom habits to teach include hair care, oral care, and proper bathing and body care.

Children’s hair needs to be washed twice a week to avoid dandruff, lice, and scalp infections. Teach them how to shampoo and rinse their hair once they are old enough to manage it themselves. Hair needs to be brushed daily and long hair should be tied up as much as possible. They should be taught to avoid sharing combs, hats, and pillows with other children.

School-going children are able to brush their teeth reasonably well on their own, but you may still need to check upon them. Make flossing and brushing thoroughly a habit for your youngster. Use a timer, such as an hourglass loaded with coloured sand, to encourage your child to brush for the required period of time.

Children should be reminded or assisted to bathe properly, remembering the armpit, groin, nails, and feet areas.

Make it a habit for your child to use a tissue or handkerchief to cover their mouth and nose, or to put their face in the crook of their arm when coughing or sneezing. Teach your child the correct way to wear their face mask but always remember that it will take time to teach kids about personal hygiene.

Accidents may inevitably occur, but avoid scolding your little one because they are still learning. As parents, it is our responsibility to continually reinforce personal hygiene for kids, so if an accident does occur, we need to take responsibility and remind ourselves to remain vigilant.