How to nurture good personal hygiene for kids

• To reduce the risk of illness – children encounter bacteria every day. Failing to wash hands regularly can increase the risk of illness and disease spreading through viruses and bacteria. This also prevents the spread of illness amongst those around them.
• To boost confidence – good hygiene can avoid children experiencing problems such as bad breath and body odour. These can lower their self-esteem as well as adversely impact their social interactions. By learning to take care of themselves children also build their sense of independence.
• Maintaining healthy teeth – keeping teeth cleaned regularly can help avoid problems such as tooth decay, gum disease and cavities. If left untreated these can also lead to pain and infection resulting in difficulties speaking and eating; while damaged teeth can also reduce confidence.

• Explain to your child that regular handwashing is essential. This includes before eating or preparing food, after touching animals, after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing, after using the toilet and after playing outside.
• Children should thoroughly wash their hands for 20 seconds. Make this a fun activity by getting them sing the ABC’s whilst doing this. At White Lodge, children are taught to sing 2 rounds of ‘Happy Birthday’ to ensure that this is thorough.

• Children should brush their teeth at least twice a day for 2 minutes.
• Incorporating this into their morning and night routine is a great way to reinforce this behaviour. Repetition enables children to increase their confidence when learning a new skill or activity.
• After brushing, get your child to rinse their toothbrush and store this to dry in a clean place (avoid leaving this on surfaces).
• Regularly replace your child’s toothbrush every 3 – 4 months.

• Explain to your child that germs easily spread through sneezing and coughing openly e.g. when playing with a group of friends at preschool.
• Teach your child to immediately cover their mouth when coughing or sneezing.
• Encourage your child to gently blow their nose when runny and to then immediately throw away the tissue.

• Good hygiene not just about cleaning your body, keeping the environment around you clean is just as important. Encourage your child to tidy their toys away after playing and place their rubbish in the bin after eating.
• Explain to your child that germs can live on surfaces, toys and books. Although it may not be safe for children below the age of 7 to start using disinfectant on surfaces, letting them watch you complete such tasks can demonstrate to them the importance of a clean environment.

• Lead by example: model good personal hygiene e.g. washing hands before cooking, covering your mouth when coughing. This will encourage your children to recognise its importance.
• It can be common for children to form habits such as nose picking, nail biting and chewing the end of pencils. Instead of simply telling them to stop this, explain to them why these things are wrong and the health dangers that it can lead to.
• Ensure that your child wipes thoroughly from front to back with toilet paper after using the washroom. For more information on hygiene tips when potty training, check out our blog.
• Children learn more effectively when having fun so keep hygiene activities enjoyable e.g. playing with rubber ducks whilst bathing.
• Reward good hygiene habits with praise e.g. ‘well done for covering your mouth’. This can help reinforce positive behaviour.
• Ensure cutlery is used during meals, this allows them learn table manners as well as reduce the risk of transferring germs from the hands to the mouth.