It’s for this reason that every parent should prioritize inculcating good hygiene habits in their children. Teaching children good hygiene habits means they will adopt the habits and grow with them to their adulthood.
As a parent, the following are the main hygiene rules that you should pay attention to if you want to maintain a hygienic home environment:
1. Encourage your children to wash their hands
Children play a lot, and will, in the process, come into contact with all sorts of microorganisms that are known to cause diseases. For this reason, you should instil the habit of washing hands regularly. Always remind them about when they should clean their hands: after playing, after touching an animal, after using the toilet, before eating, etc.
2. Lead by example
Children follow what they see their parents doing. It’s for this reason that you ought to display good hygiene habits that your children can copy. Talk about what you are doing and why it’s important. Sing a song to make the experience enjoyable and to ensure retention.
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3. Encourage your children to brush their teeth twice a day
It is important to brush your teeth twice a day. As such, you should encourage your children to brush their teeth twice every day. There are some great songs available to assist with retention and to ensure they are brushing for the appropriate amount of time. You can also get your young ones to floss their teeth, but after seeking the guidance of your child’s dentist.
4. Teach your children the right way to sneeze or cough
Children are not born knowing that pathogens can be spread through tiny cough droplets. As such, you should let them know that it’s important to cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing. That’s in consideration that such an act is not only courteous but also a good way to care for others by not exposing them to disease-causing microorganisms. Coughing into the inside of their elbow is best practice to minimise cross infection.
5. Teach your Children the right way to blow their nose
It’s important for you to teach your children how they should blow their nose when it’s blocked. You should also tell them that it’s important to dispose of the tissue in a bin after they are done and then wash their hands thoroughly.
6. Let your child stay at home if they are sick
If your child is sick and has a potentially contagious ailment, you should keep them at home, so they won’t spread the infection. Also, you can monitor their health and if required, seek further medical attention. Staying at home allows the body time to rest and heal properly.
What’s the best way to wash one’s hands?
When teaching your child how to wash their hands, follow this method as it’s recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council:
i) Use running water to wash hands
ii) Pour liquid soap onto one hand and spread it evenly over your hands
iii) Rub your hands diligently, while remembering to scrub the back of your hands, under fingernails, between your fingers, and around the wrists
iv) Rinse your hands with a generous amount of running water, until all the soap is gone
v) Turn off the faucet using a paper towel (Encourage your children to avoid touching the tap with their bare hands, as it more than likely has germs on it)
vi) Get an unused paper towel, and pat your hand dry with it.
