The truth is that children are not the cleanest creatures on earth. How many times has your child lied about cleaning his or her teeth? How about all the times you had to wrestle them into the bath because they just didn’t want to get clean? It’s not that they don’t care about personal hygiene, though, it’s more so because they just don’t see the fun in it. Children are very much about the present and not the benefits later on, which is why it is important to incorporate fun when it comes to several necessary activities. Below are some ideas that can help you do just that.
Shower Time
Personalize your child’s shower time to make the experience less of a chore. Take your kid to the store with you, and let your child pick out shower items like soaps, scrubs, or a bath robe, which could make the experience better.
Young kids might get a kick out of making shower time a mission, complete with water-proof walkie-talkies. Your child can report progress to you, and each step could help your child complete his or her mission for the day.
Clean Fashionista
Boys and girls have their own sense of style, and it may be time to bring that out, especially if your kids do not like to change their dirty clothes. Dirty clothes can carry bacteria and smells that are not pleasant, which makes this an important hygiene issue.
Take your kids to a thrift store and put on a show of different outfits that your kids are going to wear throughout the week. Give them challenges or themes to encourage them to change their clothes every day.
Groovy Teeth
A survey shows that many US kids have poor oral hygiene habits. Dentists, like those at Dentistry for Children & Adolescents, know that this could lead to cavities or even gingivitis.
Another way to make oral hygiene fun for your kid is to bring your radio into the bathroom, and try to have a dance off with your kids. Make sure that the songs are two to three minutes long. Including your child in the fun you are having could make dental hygiene important.
Sparkling Hands
Kids do not always wash their hands. There seems to be something about that activity that just does not interest them. It might be time for you to teach your kids about germs. You could gross them out, and show them videos of what bacteria looks like, which is kind of shocking.
You can also sprinkle some glitter on your children’s hands. Challenge them to clean the glitter off. Glitter is sticky, and it will take some soap work. Give your child a few choices like water or soap and let your kid choose the best approach. Glitter represents bacteria, and only soap can remove all traces of glitter.
These tips should make hygiene a little more fun, which should improve your child’s personal hygiene habits.