Five Hygiene Habits for Kids !!

• Hand Wash

Believe it or not, about 80% infections are spread only by hands !  So does that mean, if we all wash our hands regularly, we can avoid those 80% of infections? Well, logically yes. But we all know it’s impossible. Reason being the several other modes of transmission of any infection. Since infection by and large is by virus or bacterias and to some extent fungi, they can be washed off by a good soap and water. Kids, if left alone, like mine, they take a drop of liquid soap and even without completely scrubbing the palms, run their hands under the water and scoot off with incomplete washing. I know, it’s not always possible, whenever they are back from outside the house, I make sure I wash their hands myself. Then dry their hands thoroughly with a clean towel.

A hand that is not dried completely, will catch more germs as compared to a dry hand !

• Regular Warm Bath

Bathing is an obvious process to keep the kids clean. But, when to give bath is something we moms do not think about much. Fortunately for me, I just cannot get up early enough.  So I give bath to my kids once they are back from their schools.  That way it’s assured that they do not spread dirt and germs collected in the school and in the bus. Then in the evening again they need a bath must after they play in the mud in their football class.

One important thing that we moms need to ensure is a thorough cleaning of the private organs of the kids as they will not clean themselves. For my boys, my hubby takes care of it as often as possible though still not on a daily basis. But for girls, the moms should make it a habit to clean with mild soap regulary. Girls need special care as compared to the boys, mainly because the route to infection is shorter in girls. Also if avoiding public bathrooms is not possible at times, moms need to ensure that they wash up their daughters as soon as possible once back home.
I am not a fan of bath tub at all! Especially after I read a report on the fungal infection that can be caused by the fungi growing in the inside of the pipes of the bath tub. Also the huge amount of water that is wasted is not something I can teach my kids when I am trying hard to make them learn the concept of conservation of water and energy.

• Brush Teeth Twice

Teeth are most vulnerable in kids under 12yrs. A regular two times brushing of teeth ensures lower dental problems. But I personally think the kids have to be taught the right way to brush and not just use the brush any ways. My kids if left alone will just brush the front teeth. So I still have to brush their teeth, in up and down motion to bring out the food lying in between the teeth. Cleaning tongue is also something that ensures fresh breath which kids will forget if left on their own.

Sweet tasting toothpastes and GELs are harmful for kids as they stick on the teeth and can cause cavity! I prefer only colgate but my kids like gels. So it’s a daily arguments we have that they will hopefully understand in a few years.

I wish some company would come up with a toothbrush which has a disposable neem chewable head.  Now the neem is bitter so that needs an innovative product handling.

• Use of Tissue Paper / Handkerchief

I am a very very big fan of tissue papers. And I guess my kids have taken after me in this respect. They have to be told not to use so many tissues all the time. I still remember when my elder son was 2.5 year old, he was getting his toilet training. He was not in his diaper. I found him trying to keep back all the tissues that he had taken out of the tissue box. That’s when I saw the tissues were wet and the pile of tissue was used to wipe off the wet floor. Then on being questioned, he explained to me that he was trying to wipe away the susu with the tissues. And went a step ahead by keeping them back into the box.

I think, until kids are teenagers, they should use tissues for wiping their nose, mouth and hands. This prevents spread of infection as compared to the cloth handkerchiefs. Maids and aayaas should be encouraged to use tissue paper when cleaning the kids in schools and at home.

When my kids were in KiderBrook, I had suggested the parents to send a tissue toilet rolls each month, which the maids can use instead of the dirty piece of cloth that they get hold of. Tissue ensures, it is thrown off immediately as compared to the cloth napkins.

This is off the context with respect to the kids, but I think I must mention it.

A few weeks back when swine flu was at its highest TRP, I had gone to Spencers to buy a bag of dosa paste. The old man who grinds and makes packets of the paste was blowing his nose right next to the grinder! I waited to see what will he do next. He then took a very soiled handkerchief and wiped away the traces of mucous off his face and kept the cloth right next to the grinder. All set to serve me. ! I asked him, if he was going to wash his hands or not. He rudely pointed to the cloth and mentioned that he cleaned using his handkerchief! I had to get the manager to make him wash his hands. Now if this is the situation in the times of high profile swine flu, I wonder the  cleanliness of the stores , restaurants behind the closed doors.

The tongue of a few  kids are very very map like. This only means the kid has a very sensitive tongue. In times of any mild change in the health of the kid, the pattern of the map will change on the tongue . Also such kids will have extra sensitive taste buds. So mild chilli and salt will make the child howl away very loudly.

• Regular Cleaning of Throat, Ears,Nose, Hair and Nails.

Cleaning of throat is not advisable for young kids at all ! It might damage their vocal cords. But one interesting fact I must share with all you readers is the connection between the epiglottis and hunger of your child.  Epiglottis is a tiny bell drop shaped organ hanging from the top of the throat. In case your child is not eating or has very small appetite, this epiglottis will be sticking to either side of the throat tonsil area. If its in the normal middle position, then your kid will be eating fine !  I was quite fascinated when I was told about this by a friend’s doctor mom.  Now how to rectify the sticking epiglottis and revive your kid’s appetite is also equally unbelievable. But even though I have not found the scientific corroboration to it, the treatment works always!  So what is the way to get the epiglottis back to the central position?  A sudden loud shout in the ears of the kid. Now make sure you don’t tear away the drum. I think the idea is to surprise the child!  I wish I had a scientific article to support this very useful trick for us moms!:)

Also in view of the flu and air borne infections the best way to remain germ free is a regular warm water gargle every night. I make it a habit to check for any redness  in the throat while brushing my kids teeth, so that I am sure they do not go to the school in that state.

Ears need to be cleaned every fortnight. Use the ear buds only and that too Johnson & Johnson brand and never go deeper than the cotton tip. See, the length of the tip is researched by the J&J brand managers to ensure we do not harm the ear drum! The local brands just copy but are you sure they know that that length of the cotton tip is just enough for the depth of the ear hole!

Kid’s nose should also be cleaned by us parents every day, so that they are not picked at in public. It’s a very addictive habit so better to avoid giving your kid any reason to pick it. Also nose being the second most important route for the germs and dirt to enter the kid’s body, it’s better to keep the nostrils clean in order to avoid constant touching.
In case of running nose, for very small kids there are suction pumps available which is a must in all family. I do not mind using is even now on my 6 yr old son as it’s the easiest way to remove mucous from the already stuffy and miserable kid’s nose. Just make sure, it’s cleaned after each use with warm water or running water.
Blowing of nose is good idea if the kid can do it, but they should learn not to put too much pressure on the ear drums.

Hair and head come in a single global surface area so, taking care of our kid’s globe with the hair is also amongst hygiene habits that can not be avoided.
Young kid’s do not suffer from dandruff, if that’s any relief, but we moms have to deal with a much more deadly situation. Having lice in your kid’s head is like losing your own head. I lost mine a few months back. I found the culprit too who had passed on the damn pest onto my kid’s head. That was my maid, who would be secretly using my comb!!!!
I must confess, I was scared. When I was in Kolkata, I remember my mom shouting and hitting my head simultaneously when we (my sis too) cried, after she applied kerosene oil on our head to kill the bugs!!! I am now thinking how lucky I am to survive with gorgeous hair still flowing down and not meeting their end even with an inflammable stuff on my head. May be that is the reason of my sudden flammable side . Better not tell my in-laws about it, though I know my mil too did the same with my sils.

Thanks to the Mediker shampoo, all the bugs can be washed of in 10 min only. Then comes the test of the eye sight to get rid of the nits. Another way could be to apply the shampoo every week and the hair is clean 100%.
Shampooing the hair with Johnson and Johnson will ensure clean and healthy smelling hair. Though I must tell you, I have to break my promise every time I use shampoo on my kids head. Then they want to know why I did not tell them the truth that I will shampoo their hair. Hope, when they grow up they will cherish these talks.

Nails are also cleaned and cut every week just after the ears are cleaned. I make it a point to file their nails in only one direction to smoothen the rough edges without damaging the nail surface. That ensures a clean and tidy kid for healthy living.

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