Scientists have proven that hardening develops immunity resistance to the hostile effects of all kinds of bacteria and viruses, and also significantly reduces the sensitivity of the child's body to temperature changes during the off-season. At the same time, it is necessary to start hardening the baby competently and gradually.
The baby receives the first lessons on hardening when mom gets him out of a warm bed to change clothes or change a diaper. Parents unknowingly give their child air baths when they let him into a well-ventilated room. You can enrich this experience by teaching a two-year-old to do morning exercises with an open window, gradually increasing the time from three to ten minutes. At the same time, the room temperature should not be lower than 18 degrees.
Hardening with the help of water procedures should be carried out according to the following scheme: water baths for the feet, then rubbing, lastly dousing. The child's body must be accustomed to cold water gradually and carefully. It is very effective to start hardening procedures with foot baths. Mom and Dad should be patient and measure the temperature of the water every day. The basic rule is this: every day the temperature decreases by one or two degrees with a strictly set time of its exposure. For example, the initial water temperature for the bath is 30-33 degrees. Every day it must be lowered by 1 degree, bringing it to the mark of 18-20 degrees. The duration of exposure should not exceed 7-10 minutes.
After the foot baths, you can start rubbing with cool water. This will require a terry bathing mitten or a small towel. Start wiping down with a temperature of 25-28 degrees and reduce it every 3-4 days by one degree, eventually bringing it to an indicator of 18-20 degrees. If the baby often suffers from colds, this decline should be much slower. First of all, wipe your baby's hands and feet with a damp mitten in quick circular motions from fingers to body. After that, move to the chest, abdomen and back. At the end of the procedure, wipe the baby with a dry towel, put on pajamas or wrap up with a blanket.
Dousing is carried out according to the same system as rubdown. To get started, use a small watering can or a ladle, make sure that the child does not wet the hair (you can hide it under a special hat). Avoid drafts after the procedure.
Remember that it is better to start hardening activities after consulting a pediatrician. After the start of hardening, do not take long breaks, otherwise everything will have to start from scratch. You should not temper a weakened child or who has recently suffered a serious illness. In such cases, the procedures should be postponed.
