Your child is a bundle of energy and enthusiasm, always up for a laugh and a game. But lately, you have become worried because your child has started developing frequent colds and skin rashes. The problem is certainly an external one, but you can break the cycle of illness by ridding your child’s skin of disease-causing germs.
Here are 5 essential personal hygiene tips for your child:
1 Maintain good hygiene – and your child will follow. Children often learn by imitation – if they see you wash your hands often, sneeze into a tissue, discard the trash safely and maintain a clean home, they will also learn to imbibe these habits. Lecturing a child is hardly effective – leading by example is. Ask them to keep their belongings clean, just like yours, and they will.
2 Hand washing is most important. A major step in personal hygiene for kids is learning to wash their hands with a good soap. Teach your child the correct hand washing technique, using an antibacterial soap such as Dettol. Children must wash their hands after returning home from school or play, or after using the toilet, or after their meals. Give your child their own bottle of hand sanitiser that they can use at school.
3 Insist on daily showers. Another major component in personal hygiene for kids is to take daily showers. A good bath dislodges dirt and grime from the skin, washes away dried sweat and oils, and keeps the skin and hair free of germs. Let your child use a safe antibacterial body soap like Dettol, that kills over 99% germs on the skin, thus preventing infections, itches and rashes.
4 Washing up after meals is important. Most children wash their hands and rinse their mouths after having a meal, but how many children safely stow away their dirty plates and cutlery? Again, lead by example. Throw away food crumbs in the garbage bin, and lightly rinse the plates and spoons under tap water before stacking them in the sink. This ensures that food does not dry up in the plates and create an opportunity for bacterial growth. Teach your children how to put their dirty plates away in the sink or in the dishwasher.
5 Wash their clothes separately. Children’s clothes might be more prone to grass and mud stains, since they play after school and have a load of fun with their friends. Their clothes can also pick up a lot of germs and dirt, so washing them properly is important. Whenever possible, you should wash your child’s clothing separately and add a measure of Dettol antiseptic liquid to the laundry load to ensure total germ removal. The liquid is mild on the clothes while being tough on germs and bacteria.
