It’s difficult to take an unkempt person seriously. The logic behind this behavior could be, if a person can’t take care of themselves (when they are fully capable of it), how are they supposed to say or do anything of value? This is the reason why a civilized society places a lot of importance on the good old practice of grooming and hygiene.
In such a scenario, it’s worth wondering how children can be encouraged to adopt a cleaner lifestyle. Goes without saying that parents play a massive role in inculcating the right values from the very beginning. With timely lessons in place, they’ll grow up without relying on anyone for basic life skills. After all, DIY is all about empowering kids with the ability to learn useful skills!
Let’s get started, shall we?
Bath time
Kids either love it or hate it. If they love it, you are in for luck. Teach them various techniques of cleaning themselves properly and while you are at it, remind them that the bathroom has to be clean too after they are done. However, if they abhor bath time, inform them how bathing plays a huge role in fighting diseases and skin issues. The highlight should be that bathing is a very basic activity and kids shouldn’t look at it as a chore. Instead, they should consider it an important part of their routine they can’t miss for anything.
Mirror mirror
Post bath, let children learn how to comb their hair, wear talc, apply winter cream, or anything else that you deem fit in their grooming routine. Let them know why they are doing what they are doing. Most children don’t have a clue why the routine is beneficial in the first place. They do it for the sake of doing. The importance of each step is necessary for them to pick up on these habits early on. Otherwise, it’s a mundane robotic activity they’ll grow out of sooner than later (hint: teenage).
Washing up
Before and after playtime, mealtime, bedtime, bathroom time, make it a strict point to wash hands and legs properly. Considering what the world has been going through of late, it’s best to educate your child on the importance of hygiene. If these lessons are dispensed in a friendly manner, chances are that your child would continue with them through their lives and not just during sickness or a pandemic.
Clean wardrobe
Kids have a big say in what they want to wear these days. That’s fine. Just let them know about how often they must change clothes and why. Don’t let them stew in their dirty clothes because the laundry hamper will get full. Don’t forget that our convenience may instill unhealthy habits in our children. At the same time, it’s advisable to instill good habits in the young ones, like folding their own dry clothes and arranging them in the closet/cupboard themselves.
Brush up
Let’s not forget dental hygiene – because nothing hurts like a toothache! With real-life stories, help your child understand why brushing their teeth twice a day is non-negotiable. Do it yourself so they know you are not joking around. In fact, do it together. At least, till they are set in their daily routine.
Cover up
We see a kid running around with a nose full of snot or just sneezing all over the place and we think “it’s ok, kids are kids”. For sure, they are kids and they don’t know better but as parents, we need to teach them how it’s unhygienic and unhealthy to do so. You don’t want others to spread disease, so it’s unreasonable to allow your child to adopt bad behavior. Small things like carrying and using a hanky or a tissue may go a long way in adopting the correct practice.
Be aware
Children tend to touch everything around them without thinking twice. If there is one thing that COVID-19 taught our species, it’s the significance of maintaining distance for our own good. Have hearty conversations, without creating paranoia, with your child about avoiding stuff that they don’t know or even touching the walls and railings and such public-centric materials when they are out of the house.
These are basic pointers on grooming and hygiene we ought to teach children. By doing it mindfully, we may see much healthier kids with impeccable habits. Isn’t that we’d all like to see? Instead of them being 100% dependent on parents, let kids learn the most basic life skills with our guidance.
If this blog post proved useful to you, kindly share it with fellow parents so that they can benefit as well.