Personal Hygiene
Washing
Hand-washing stops the spread of germs. Teach your child to wash hands after sneezing, coughing or blowing noses, before touching food, after toileting, after being in public places, and after being near sick people.
Bathing
Regular baths or showers keep your child clean and healthy. Bathing at the end of the day can also be part of a bedtime routine. Make the bath fun with games and toys. Never leave your child alone at bath time.
Drying
After bathing, gently rub your child dry with a towel or flannel. Dry all over your child’s body. Drying before getting dressed can help avoid rashes. In warmer weather, your child can air-dry before dressing.
Toileting
Teach your child to wipe their bottom with toilet paper. You might have to help with wiping to start. Show how much paper to use by counting squares. Girls should always wipe from front to back.
Teeth
Brush teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. Speak with your dentist about whether your child needs to floss teeth.
Nose
Your child should blow their nose gently when it’s blocked – this makes breathing easier. Put used tissues in the bin. Wash hands after blowing.
Teach your child to cover their mouth with a tissue, sleeve or elbow when sneezing or coughing. Put used tissues in the bin. Wash hands after sneezing or coughing.
Reference:
Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) (2008). How to brush your child’s teeth. Melbourne: DHSV. Retrieved 5 May 2020 from https://www.dhsv.org.au/dental-advice/general-dental-advice/children3/how-to-brush-your-childs-teeth.
Luby, S.P., Agboatwalla, M., Feikin, D.R., Painter, J., Billhimer, W., Altaf, A., & Hoekstra, R.M. (2005). Effect of handwashing on child health: A randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 366(9481), 225-233. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66912-7.
Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) (2017). Clinical practice guidelines: The penis and foreskin. Melbourne: RCH. Retrieved 5 May 2020 from http://www.rch.org.au/clinicalguide/guideline_index/The_penis_and_foreskin/.
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