Personal hygiene is not always an obvious point for a baby. When parents do everything for him, the child does not see the need for self-service. Building solid foundations for self-care is essential in early childhood.
Personal example is the best teacher
Review your personal hygiene habits. They will become the main reference point for your child. In the first years of life, children are unlikely to be aware of the benefits and necessity of washing their hands or brushing their teeth. They will simply repeat everything after you, as these rituals bring them closer to the world of adults.
Make personal hygiene as natural for children as sleeping or eating. The period from 1 to 3 years is optimal in order to instill in the child even not the most necessary, but very useful habits in this area. For example, rinsing the nose during seasonal respiratory epidemics or contrast dousing. If you miss the right moment, then it will be very difficult to force the child to carry out such manipulations.
Explanation of the need
As the child begins to understand many things, gradually begin to explain to him the need for careful self-care. In recent years, many educational books and games have appeared on store shelves that will help the baby understand the theoretical foundations of personal hygiene.
Please be aware that some of the information may be too serious or even shocking. However, in this case, an elementary fear of getting sick can be an excellent motivation to wash your hands after the street or use dental floss. Even at an early age, children can understand a lot - from protection against bacteria and infections to the aesthetic foundations of personal hygiene.
Learning in the form of a game
Create your own personal joint rituals that will form the child's personal hygiene habits. For example, before going to bed, perform all the actions in a strict order, and then the child himself will remind you of a certain stage if you deliberately skip it. Accompany all this with appropriate rhymes and nursery rhymes.
During the game, simulate situations when your heroes (dolls, animals) take care of themselves. Build the plots so that the child can "teach" the toys himself, once again reinforcing the available information.
Nice details
Make everything about personal hygiene beautiful and fun. A toothbrush in the form of a cartoon character, a paste with a taste of chewing gum, curly soap, a funny towel: these little things will make your baby want to take care of himself.
Take your children to the store or pharmacy and let them choose their own hygiene products. This moment will become for them another manifestation of independence and will introduce adults to the world.
