The first few years of life is when the little ones learn how the world works. Their mind works like a sponge, soaking up huge amounts of information from her environment. They absorb everything around them, effortlessly, continuously, and indiscriminately. Personal hygiene is part of these discoveries and should be encouraged by parents and everyone around them. Here are some tips and tricks to successfully introduce and encourage hygiene habits at a young age. 

Set an example

Children are mirrors and imitators. They reflect back to you how you behave and what you feel by imitating it. Therefore, as with many other aspects of life, personal hygiene is built on practice rather than theory. There’s no purpose explaining how body care works to your child if you don’t set an example. Allow them to watch you as you wash your hands before meals, before reading a book, after coming back from a walk.

Narrating step by step 

Narrating what you do can be super helpful! While your child watches you wash your hands, clean under your fingernails, and comb your hair, you can narrate the step-by-step process. Explain what you are doing and why. This will facilitate familiarization with the context in which such actions are necessary. It is possible that your little one even feels the urge to repeat the step by step aloud, imitating your attitude.

Involving Your Child in the Decision-Making Process

Ask your child’s opinion and give him the power to choose some aspect of the activity. For example, he cannot choose whether to shower or not, but he can decide which shampoo or soap he wants to use. Give him two or three options at the most, so that he learns to have some control over his actions and, over time, performs them alone.

Associate hygiene moments with songs or stories

Another way to help solidify hygiene habits into routine is to associate some of those moments and tasks with music or a storytelling time. There are nursery rhymes that talk about brushing your teeth, combing your hair, keeping your fingernails clean, and cleaning your ears. Sing them with your child before or during these activities. It will make the process a lot more fun and enjoyable. Over time, allow and encourage your child to perform each task without your help.  

Don’t Force it 

It’s common for little ones to refuse to do activities, so parents tend to get creative when persuading their child to do something. However, if you notice they are always unhappy and reluctant when performing a specific activity such as combing their hair, talk to them about it. If they can’t talk just yet, don’t force it. Find out what is preventing you (or them) from doing the task. It will be easier to find the root cause of the problem. For example, some children have really sensitive scalps, so they tend to complain about combing their hair. If this is the case for your little one, look for hairbrushes with softer bristles.

Encouraging hygiene habits at a young age also helps make them aware of their own bodies and various other aspects of their daily lives. Healthy personal hygiene habits that are learned in childhood will last a lifetime.

What did you think of our tips and tricks? What else would you add? Try them out at home and come back to tell us about the progress you have made with your little one.