What does children’s hygiene mean?
Handwashing for kids is crucial for maintaining good hygiene and overall health. Teaching children about personal hygiene from an early age helps protect them from harmful germs and boosts their confidence as they grow older. Proper handwashing practices ensure they stay healthy and develop a positive self-image.
It can be necessary for you to teach and model proper personal hygiene practices for your child. As they become older and get closer to puberty, these will become even more crucial.
It’s critical to have an honest and open conversation about maintaining cleanliness. This will assist you in handling more challenging personal hygiene problems that are likely to arise during their adolescence.
How to teach kids about germs?
Some children could believe that germs are insects or other unsavory things. However, germs are microscopic living creatures that can spread illness. Because they are so little and cunning, germs can enter our bodies undetected. In actuality, germs are so small that they can only be seen under a microscope. When they infiltrate our bodies, we are unaware of what has happened until we experience symptoms that indicate an attack!
Teach them how germs spread
The majority of germs are transmitted by coughs, sneezes, and even breaths. Additionally, germs can spread through blood, saliva, and sweat. Some spread from person to person through contact with contaminated objects, such as shaking hands with a cold carrier and then touching your nose.
What can they do to protect themselves from germs?
- Hand washing: Hand contact spreads the majority of pathogens. Hand washing on a regular basis will keep your child and others healthy. Handwashing for kids is the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs.
- Encourage your kid to spend 20 seconds washing their hands with soap and water: when their hands appear unclean before they eat or prepare food; after handling raw meats, such as chicken and beef; after coming into contact with bodily fluids like blood, urine, or vomit; after handling animals, such as dogs and cats; after blowing their noses; or after sneezing or coughing after using the restroom
Teaching them easy and fun ways to wash their hands properly
Make handwashing for kids a fun and routine activity to maintain good health. To clean their hands, teach them these four simple steps:
Get soapy and wet. Get clean water on your hands. Make suds after washing your hands with soap.
Rub. Rub your soapy hands together for as long as it takes you to mentally sing “Happy Birthday” twice. Wash the backs of your hands, the spaces between your fingers, and your palms. Remember to keep the area beneath your nails clean. Dirt and pathogens can be trapped by nails.
Rinse. Place your hands under running, clean water. To thoroughly rinse them, rub them.
Dry after shaking. After giving your hands a couple of shakes, pat dry with a fresh towel or hand dryer. Completed!
Tips to help them make handwashing a habit
- Lead by example – whenever you come home, show them how the first thing you do is wash your hands, by seeing the parents do something kids are automatically motivated to follow in their footsteps
- Be patient when developing a habit – kids take time to understand and then develop it into a habit, but regularly motivating them to do so will motivate them to develop hand-washing habits
- Teach them that if they are outside and unable to wash their hands to use a sanitizer, which is not as effective as hand washing but still a good alternative to maintain hygiene in case.
- A reminder is necessary, remind them as much as possible that germs like dirt can not be seen but are very dangerous for health and hand washing makes the germs go away, teaching good hygiene habits will help them develop into a well-groomed individual in the future.
Explore Vega Schools’ insights on Cleanliness is Next to Godliness: Why Hygiene Matters. Read More.
Vega Schools offers holistic education to children in Delhi NCR and is rated among the top Schools in Gurgaon. Its modern infrastructure, facilities, and experienced teachers are a big asset to the learning & development of students, be it for Nursery, Primary or Senior children making Vega Schools the best schools in Gurgaon. For information about admission please visit the Vega Schools campuses in Sector 48 and Sector 76 Gurugram.