9 Hygiene Habits Every Child Must Learn Early
Hygiene habits are essential for every child’s proper health and wellness. That’s why children must develop traits of cleanliness and personal hygiene from an early age. This also helps them to keep away from various diseases. Children pick up new things by observing and imitating the habits of people around them in their lives at a very young age, and therefore, parents, teachers, and other relatives have to continuously repeat the habits within them.
Children practicing hygiene habits with smiles (Image Source: Google)
Hygiene is a key factor in attaining and sustaining a healthy way of life, it involves frequent hand washing and maintaining the environment inside and outside clean and organized. These are some typical hygiene practices all children should have:
9 Essential Hygiene Habits for Children to Stay Healthy
1. Hand Washing
One of the most basic and simple measures to prevent children from becoming ill is hand washing. They should wash their hands:
Child washing hands with soap under water tap (Image Source: Google)
- Before eating
- After using the restroom
- After playing outdoors
- After contact with a pet
2. Brushing Teeth Twice a Day
- Brushing teeth twice a day for at least two minutes should be a habit children should cultivate. Both before bed and in the morning are possible.
Kid brushing teeth for dental hygiene (Image Source: Google)
- Children with regular brushing in their daily routines are 40% less susceptible to tooth decay than those with none, per research.
3. Daily Bathing – A Vital Hygiene Habit for Children
Taking a bath or shower every day helps in clearing the body of perspiration, grime, and dangerous microorganisms.
Children should be taught to:
Child bathing to stay clean and healthy (Image Source: Google)
- Wash their hair at least twice a week.
- Use soap and scrub all body parts properly.
- Make sure they are completely dry to avoid fungal infections.
4. Why Clean, Short Nails Are Crucial for Children’s Hygiene
Nails if not cut at the right time, become dirty and harbour bacteria, which can lead to infections since children tend to bite or use their nails to touch their faces. Parents should trim their nails when they grow too long.
Clean, trimmed nails of a child (Image Source: Google)
5. Covering Mouth While Coughing or Sneezing
If a child uses a handkerchief or a tissue and washes their hands after that, while coughing or sneezing, the spread of germs can be prevented.
child using elbow while sneezing for hygiene (Imagre Source: Google)
6. Wearing Clean Clothes and Changing Undergarments Daily
Children should wear and change their clothes frequently since clean, washed, and ironed clothing absorbs perspiration and grime. They will be protected from bacterial diseases and foul odours if they wear clean pants every day.
Child wearing clean and fresh clothes (Image Source: Google)
7. Keeping Their Surroundings Clean
Children should be encouraged to:
- Organize their toys and books.
- Dispose of trash in the bin.
- Clean their desks and study spaces regularly.
- Infections are avoided, and discipline is encouraged in a clean setting.
8. Proper Toilet Hygiene
Children should learn to:
- Flush the toilet whenever they have to use it.
- Wash their hands after going to the loo.
- Use water and toilet paper judiciously.
Child practicing toilet hygiene and washing hands (Image Source: Google)
9. Drinking Clean Water
Children stay hydrated and avoid stomach infections by regularly drinking clean water. Children should only drink boiling or filtered water, according to their parents.
Child drinking clean filtered water (Image Source: Google)
Why Is Hygiene Important for Children?
Teaching proper hygiene habits to children is crucial for their physical health, emotional well-being, and social development. They need to be clean because it protects them against diseases such as flu, diarrhoea, and skin infections.
Child covering mouth with tissue to prevent germs (Image Source: Google)
It also improves their social life and their level of confidence to freely associate with people. It also keeps them active and alert to experience proper well-being and development.
How Can Schools Promote Hygiene Among Students?
Schools can ensure clean conditions in several ways, such as:
- Installing hand-washing stations on school premises
- Ensuring clean washrooms with proper water supply, soap, and tissue paper.
School washroom with hand washing facilities for students (Image Source: Google)
- Conducting multiple hygiene awareness sessions and teaching them the significance of hygiene.
- Encourage lunch hygiene, such as washing hands before eating and avoiding sharing food with unwashed hands.
- The students should not litter and keep the surrounding area of their desks clean.
How Can Parents Ensure Hygiene at Home?
Parents play an important role in ensuring hygiene at home by:
- Children at a young age follow their parents; therefore, they must be good role models themselves.
- Have a good schedule of brushing teeth, bathing daily, and hand washing, and make your kids maintain the same as well.
Parent teaching child daily hygiene routine at home (Image Source: Google)
- Maintain toothbrushes, tissues, hand sanitizers, and soap within easy reach at all times in bathrooms.
- Read them interactive books, watch films, and play computer games with them to acquire hygiene in a fun and exciting way.
- Reward and praise kids for being clean.
Instilling hygiene habits early in life not only protects children from diseases but also shapes their personality and discipline. For their health and well-being, they must develop good hygienic habits very early on. It would protect them from illness, increase their confidence in themselves, and set them on a good foundation for their lives. Teachers and parents need to assist them in developing good hygienic habits that will serve them for their entire lifetime.
Hygiene starts at home — and a strong educational foundation helps too. Explore how Early Childhood Education supports better habits and lifelong learning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How often should kids wash their hands?
Children should wash their hands a minimum of 6 to 8 times daily, especially before meals, after using the washroom or coming from outdoors.
Q2. At what age can kids brush their teeth independently?
Children should begin brushing their teeth on their own from the age of 6-7. Parents should guide them until they are doing it properly.
Q3. How do you teach children about hygiene?
Playing some music, sharing some stories, and displaying some colourful charts. All these methods make the entire process of hygiene for them a much more fun experience.
Q4. How does poor hygiene affect children?
A child’s performance can be adversely affected due to poor hygiene, as it can cause absenteeism, high infection rates, and low levels of concentration.
Q5. What issues can children with long nails experience?
Long, dirty nails can cause bacterial infection, transmission of germs, and even pinworm diseases.
