For a squeaky clean little one

A shabby, unkempt person makes other wonder why they don’t befriend the mirror to save themselves from embarrassment. Well, this unkempt person could be your child if you don’t teach him grooming habits, as early as now. The amount of time spent teaching your child proper grooming will depend on several key things that includes the child’s age, skill level and interest. Read on for more detail.

Ten grooming tips

• Talk to your child about the importance of clean clothes and the dangers of wearing dirty clothes. Then help them pick out clean clothes to wear each day.
• Make a habit of cutting your child’s fingernails and toenails short until they are comfortable with keeping short nails. Explain to the child that long nails keep germs.
• Praise your children when they remember to do things like brushing teeth, combing hair and washing their hands.
• Be a good role model. Maintain general cleanliness and good grooming.
• Make it fun and enjoyable. For instance, allow him to pick the kind of haircut he wants or the sweater or shoes he wants to wear.
• Establish a good daily routine of attending to personal hygiene and grooming matters and stick to it.
• Give him easy, widely illustrated books on hygiene and good grooming.
• Use distractions like singing songs in order to get your child to perform a task for a longer time. You can ask him to sing as they soap up and repeat the song as they rinse their hands.
• Be creative. Play games and tricks to get them to do what’s right for their own good.
• Get gadgets such as timers to motivate your child to brush their teeth or perform other actions for the recommended time frame.

Bath tips for baby
Cleanliness and good hygiene are important to the health of every infant. Here are some tips on how to keep him clean.

• Before you bath your infant, place everything that you will need within easy reach.
• Only mild soap should be used on an infant’s skin because it is delicate and susceptible to dry skin and rashes.
• Be keen and ensure the water is at the right temperature because your baby’s skin is very sensitive.
• Test the temperature of the bath water with your elbow and not hand-which is tougher and more resilient to heat.
• Bath your infant in a basin or plastic infant tub.
• Only fill the tub or sink with an inch or two of water, and keep a firm grip on him. Ignore any diversions and never leave the infant alone in water, no matter how shallow it is.
• Shampoo an infant’s head with a mild shampoo. If the infant has a cradle cap, use a special shampoo prescribed by the paediatrician.
• Pat the infant dry and avoid rubbing the skin. Be certain all areas on the baby’s body are dry, especially folds in the skin.

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