Teaching hygiene to children is imperative to their health and safety. With nurseries and schools a hotbed for germs, our children need to be educated about personal hygiene at the right age and in the right way.
So, today’s article focuses on teaching personal hygiene, and what your children need to know, as well as some tips for teaching personal hygiene.
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At What Age Should I Teach My Kids About Hygiene?
There is no set age at which kids should be taught about personal hygiene. In fact, it is entirely up to you as a parent. Of course, education should begin at a young age and continue as the child grows.
The importance of teaching personal hygiene extends beyond just health and safety but is also important to teach the act of self-care. Encouraging good hygiene promotes the idea of looking after oneself, which is proven to help children feel more comfortable with themselves as they get older.
Teaching Hygiene – 5 Habits to Show Your Children
Here is a simple list of the ten hygiene habits you should teach your children from a young age.
1. Hand-washing
Hand-washing is crucial for people of all ages, but especially children. On average, children come in contact with about 152,300 germs when at school. Nurseries too are a breeding ground for germs. So when your child touches their face and mouth with dirty hands, they become contaminated by bacteria and get sick very quickly.
Therefore, teaching correct hand-washing to children is vitally important. You can do so by following and teaching them these 5 these simple steps.
But also, make your children aware of WHEN they should be washing their hands. Make hand-washing a firm part of their routine, and soon it will be second nature to them.
Encourage them to wash their hands:
- After using the toilet
- After touching an animal e.g a pet
- After sneezing and coughing
- After playing outdoors
- Before and after eating
- Coming home from a busy environment
2. Oral Hygiene
Within a year, babies begin to grow their first teeth. Therefore, you should take care of your teeth from the outset. Typically, children should maintain their oral hygiene independently by age 3-4.
Without proper oral hygiene, children can develop issues with their teeth and gums such as cavities. Here are our top tips for teaching teeth brushing to your child:
- Encourage brushing twice a day
- Use a toothbrush that is made for kids
- Introduce the use of toothpaste at around 2 years of age
3. Toilet Hygiene
Your toilet is of course one of the places in the home that contains the highest amount of germs. On the toilet surface, bacteria, viruses and germs are free to grow at a rapid rate, causing children to fall ill when exposed to them.
By teaching your children the importance of toilet hygiene, you can minimise the risk of them getting ill from such germs.
Your child needs to know how:
- To wipe and wash after using the toilet
- To flush the toilet independently
- To wash their hands after they use the toilet
- To not make the toilet seat dirty after use
4. Sneezing Hygiene
Falling sick is a normal part of winter for all of us, but none more so than for children. Sneezing, coughing and vomiting are all part of the fun in winter for children. But, there are a few ways you can encourage your child to practice good hygiene when unwell.
Here are a few ways to help your children heal faster and prevent the spreading of germs to other children.
- Teach them to sneeze or cough while covering their mouth and nose, preferably with a facial tissue
- Encourage the use of face masks to safeguard your children from infection, germs and dirt particles
5. Home Hygiene
Last but certainly not least, teaching your kids the importance of keeping a hygienic home is critical to their understanding of personal hygiene. This will encourage them to take responsibility for their home and encourage better self-care for themselves and the environment they live in.
Instilling this in your little ones is simple. Try teaching them the following:
- Clearing and washing plates after dinner, as well as their hands
- Teach them to keep their spaces clean and tidy, with safe surface cleaning
- If there is a spillage, encourage and teach them to clean it up
Stock Up and Teach Your Children With Galleon Supplies
At Galleon Supplies, we have helped many people teach additional needs children about personal hygiene with our SEN tools. We feel strongly that hygiene should be accessible to all, and as such, we devised our lesson plans.
Explore today how you can implement better hygiene teaching for additional needs children.
Or, stock up on hygiene supplies with the UK’s No.1 experts in hygiene solutions.
