With youngsters, you must continue, like a broken record, teaching these good habits. They aren’t likely to understand or care about why personal hygiene matters. You know that kids spread germs amongst themselves like a dish of candy. One kid sneezes on a toy, and another child takes advantage of the momentary interruption to snatch the toy up and then wipe their hand across their face. It’s hardly surprising that the average kid gets 6-12 colds per year.
However, when children enter puberty, personal hygiene usually becomes an issue for them. Personal appearance is suddenly important. The child may start bathing or showering a couple of times a day, primping with hair endlessly and washing their face constantly to avert the notorious pimple. However, they may still not wash their hands unless they’re told to do so! Hand washing is the critical item in the personal hygiene program.
Now, here’s a trick every mother can love: your seven-year old child is old enough to be fascinated by a microscope. Get one. You can take any number of objects to be subjected to the curious child’s scrutiny. Leaves, grass cuttings and flower petals will capture your child’s attention. You see where we’re going with this, right?