Hygiene practices to teach your kids

As a child, my parents constantly sang the song of hygiene practices which still rings in my ears to date. Funny enough, as siblings we even made a song out of it. As we danced along our cleaning song in sweet soprano voices, what we didn't know was that those lessons were being drilled into our systems for life. Now into my older years, I attest that all of those lessons made my adulting easier and marriage even manageable. Because sincerely speaking, who wants to live with someone who is not hygiene conscious? Bless my parents for these lessons which are easy for anyone to begin culturing.

Washing hands

There is so much power in this simple act. It is a great way to keep the germs away. Think of how much dirt kids get in their hands on a daily basis, and sink in the importance of this suggestion. From playing with soil, to crawling around or exchanging toys. Kids come into contact with a lot of germs. Ensure you train them to wash their hands after visiting the washroom. You don't have to wait for your child to be five years. When you begin potty training which starts at around two years, make it a culture to wash their hands after their business. As a rule of the thumb, be sure to use soap or teach them to use alcohol based sanitizers.

Bathing regularly

Let's face it. Not all kids enjoy taking baths. If you are always having a power struggle with your children about their bath, it's time you decided upon creative ways of making them enjoy it. You can sing songs or use warm water to make it more appealing and child-friendly. Let your children appreciate bathing daily and teach them how to clean different body parts. For girls, for instance, how they should clean their privates is different from how they wash hair with a lot of soap products.

Brushing teeth

Having had two root canal extractions and three cavities in my teens, I regrettably agree that my mother was right. I struggled with dental hygiene as a preteen and lived to face the hard and painful consequences of toothaches. Encouraging your kids to brush their teeth twice a day, in the morning and evening is important. Not only does it really keep the dental ailments at bay but also saves you a lot of money through dental visits as needless to say, dentists charge a lot for consultation and treatment.

Covering mouth when coughing or sneezing

You can easily tell who among your friends has been brought up finely. Covering someone's mouth when coughing and sneezing is a show of good etiquette too. Give them some tissue or handkerchief which they can use when the flu is beckoning. Your children will soon understand that they are taking such precautions so as to maintain hygiene standards.

Creating a hygiene culture starts with you as your children learn so much from their parents. If you are modelling the right practices, you can relax knowing that they shall copy and paste it in their lives.