What Your Child Should Know About Personal Hygiene

In today's society there are so many different ways that children are looking, that sometimes parents cannot keep up with it. One of the specific things that I have seen are children going out in public looking like they have not showered in days. Grunge look maybe, or just irresponsibility on the parent for not teaching their child the importance of personal hygiene?

Personal hygiene is something that should be taught to all children at a very young age. The younger you teach your child to care about how he or she looks when inside or outside of the house. The more responsible and respectful they will be to their bodies.

One of the first things that children need to be taught is bathing or showering each day is essential. Whether or not they think they are not dirty, they need to always know that this is a daily chore in a sense. Does not have to be a thirty minute one either. As long as you teach them to wash their entire body and rinse, then a few minutes of their time is only needed.

Brushing their teeth is another essential part of having good hygiene. Many children tend to get bored with brushing their teeth and usually forget. Many use the excuse that they have forgotten, when in fact, all they have done is purposely skipped brushing their teeth. Explain in detail what brushing their teeth can do for them. Get into details about the problems they can have if they do not brush their teeth. Many times parents try not to scare their children into doing something, when it comes to something like this, telling them that their teeth can fall out if they do not, is good advice, not bad.

Brushing their hair is another one of those "do I have to" chores. Your answer should always be, "Yes, you do"! Even if they want it messy, still make them brush it in a messy manner.

Deodorant is something that many kids do not need until their over the age of 10. Teaching them to use it before hand prepares them for using it on a daily basis later on in their life. For instance, my three year old insists on putting deodorant on daily. Knowing that she does not need it, I allow her to think she is putting it on, therefore teaching her good hygiene habits at a very young age.

Washing their hands after every bathroom use, and using hand sanitizer is essential in today's day and age. Be sure they know the importance of always washing their hands after using the bathroom. Buy them their own bottle of hand sanitizer to use whenever they are out and about.

Teach them to pick up after themselves. Many parents will pick up after their child, just so it gets done. Stop right here, teach them to pick up after themselves. If their room is dirty, have them clean it. If they have just eaten, teach them to put their dishes in the sink or dishwasher. Have them put their clothes away. Give them specific chores to do that teach them that being clean is showing that they respect their body.

If you teach your child the specifics and the simplicity of personal hygiene, it no longer becomes something they do not like doing. Personal hygiene becomes part of their everyday life and allows them to focus on themselves, whether it be for a few minutes or a few hours. Taking care of ones body and their surroundings show that they respect themselves and their surroundings. Educate them, teach them, it only take a short time to learn.