Hygiene for Kids

4 Helpful Tips for Good Hygiene for Kids and Healthy Habits

When it comes to  hygiene for kids, the little ones can often be careless. Good hygiene is imperative, particulary during the flu season when germs are passed around due to uncovered coughs and unwashed hands. Below are 4 helpful tips that you can pass along to your kids to create healthy hygiene habits.

Hand Washing

One hygiene practice that is very important to teach your children is hand washing. This should include having them wash their hands several times a day, after every bathroom use and before eating. Have them use soap and warm water, lathering up their hands and rinsing well. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are good, but should not replace hand washing.

Oral Hygiene

Oral hygiene is essential and should include brushing teeth twice a day and flossing. Having your kids brush after each meal is ideal too, but bare minimum; once in the morning and once before bed. Dental hygiene for kids means teaching them how to brush correctly as well.

Nails

Discourage your children from biting their nails, especially if you notice them swallowing them. Germs can make their home and breed under fingernails. These germs can be easily transferred to the mouth with nail biting. This can cause digestive tract issues which can result in further problems. Even if your child washes their hands properly, germs can still get under the nail bed, which in itself doesn't cause any real harm, but when being transferred to the mouth, can be a problem. Clipping their nails down short can help minimize the amount of germs that get under the nails.

Hair Care

Keeping your kids hair to a suitable length can help minimize the risk of nits. Since these bugs are spread by contact, keeping hair short will help decrease the risks of transmission. As far as keeping the hair clean, there is no need to wash it daily. This can dry out the scalp and remove natural oils. Wash your child's hair every other day with shampoo.

Good hygiene for kids starts by sitting them down and explaining why it is important to create healthy hygiene habits. Remind them about how easy it is to spread around germs and that proper hygiene will slow this down. Set good examples by brushing your teeth and washing your hands regularly. If you have a cold, show your child how you sneeze or blow your nose into a tissue, throw it away and wash your hands afterwards. Things like this can go a long way in teaching your child proper hygiene.

Here at Camp Ohana Foundation, we are always teaching our Kenya children good hygiene.  Contact us to find out how you can help us help them with a small donation. This will ensure they are provided everything they need from proper hygiene to education.

By

Amos Balongo
Chairman and CEO
Camp Ohana Foundation
October 15th 2014