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Hygiene rules for children and adolescents

An important condition for maintaining health and a proper standard of living is the observance of hygiene rules. It studies the influence of environmental factors on a person, aims not only to preserve, but to strengthen health. It includes a whole range of procedures.

The peculiarity of hygiene for children and adolescents is that their body is at the stage of growth. Everything that is formed now has consequences in later life. This age category is considered separately.

The need for self-care lies in the fact that we live in society. It is easier to make new contacts with people and build communication if a person looks pleasant and inviting to himself.

The personal hygiene of the child provides the foundations of education. He acquires good manners, begins to realize what behavior is acceptable and what is not. Forms ideas about the outside world, the structure of society. Such basic knowledge will carry over into adulthood.

Hygiene of children and adolescents is divided into:

  • children's;
  • preschool;
  • school;
  • teenage.

Children imitate adult behavior patterns. It is useless to try to teach something if you behave in the exact opposite way. With the right example, the child will do everything himself, and with positive reinforcement, habits will clearly be deposited on the subconscious and remain for life.

Hygiene for children under 3 years old

Until the moment when the child has begun to walk and talk, the responsibility for his cleanliness and health lies with the parents.

Bathing should be carried out daily, preferably in the evening. This is due to the fact that children's skin does not yet have a protective barrier, it is exposed to bacteria. It needs to be cleaned constantly. If this is not done, allergic reactions may begin, and in general there will be a weaker immunity. The temperature of the water and the duration of the bath are important. You can not raise it to 38 degrees - it is too hot, it will cause fever and painful conditions in the child, the heartbeat and breathing will become more frequent.

Wash your baby after every trip to the toilet. It is safer and more economical to do this under running water, and not with napkins. It is wrong to hold the child over the sink with one hand, as is customary. The fact is that the child is so located with the anus to the top, and the water from the tap first falls on him, and only then flows down to the genitals. In this position, there is a risk of infection on the genitals. We will consider the correct washing of boys and girls below.

Eye, sinus and ear care

The eyes are gently wiped with a cotton pad dipped in warm water. You don’t need to rub them hard, go over the same place several times: 1-2 movements will be enough to clean the eyelid. Also, do not wipe your eyes with any solutions. Any liquid other than water can cause mucosal suppuration and swelling.

The nose needs special care, since the sinuses are still small, they clog very easily and quickly. You should not climb there with a cotton swab: you can damage the passages. It would be more rational to do this with a special suction, which will painlessly and quickly remove unnecessary things from your child's nose. It is advisable to use it every other day or every day. With poor nasal cleansing, the child will not be able to breathe normally, and this is very dangerous.

But the ears can be cleaned with an ear stick, but carefully, you don’t need to go deep and press hard: just remove the accumulated sulfur and dust from the outside.

It is better to trim your nails once a week with special nail scissors. Frequent procedures will be painful, and with a more rare trimming, the nails have time to grow, which becomes dangerous for the child: he can injure himself.

The role of oxygen in children's hygiene

Separately, we can highlight the importance of fresh air. The room where the child is located should be ventilated several times a day. Oxygen circulation reduces the risk of the virus entering the apartment, improves immunity and nourishes the body with the necessary substances for proper development.

Once a day with a child you need to go outside. From strong wrapping, he can sweat and catch a cold. Walking in the fresh air acts as a light hardening, and has a positive effect on the baby's nervous system. Walks should be on foot, the child can at this moment both be in a stroller and walk side by side, depending on age. They should not be made very long: it can supercool the child. Walking on the street should be beneficial: at these moments, the baby learns the world around him, increases his knowledge about colors, shapes, animals and plants.

Hygiene of children from 3 to 5 years

When a child is already beginning to become aware of himself and the world around him, it makes sense to explain to him what the rules of self-care are. Children's hygiene begins with a conversation. The kid needs to be told about the importance of daily hygiene procedures.

The child must be able to brush their teeth. There are special children's toothbrushes. They are softer and adapted specifically to children's small hand and mouth. This will make sure that the baby does not get hurt. Do not allow the child to take adult toothpaste: it can irritate the mucous membrane too much. It is better to buy a special paste for children, there is a huge selection of them now. They are safe to swallow and have a high calcium content for healthy teeth. You need to show your baby the correct sequence of brushing your teeth. Teach him to do this carefully, but without fanaticism, so as not to injure the gums. You can show a cartoon on this topic so that he can better remember how this is done. For several days in a row, it is advisable to brush your teeth together, for clarity and help in case of questions.

It is important to allocate a separate brush, towel, comb for the child. Explain that these are his personal things, and no one should use them. Similarly, prohibit taking other people's belongings.

The child needs to wash his face in the mornings and evenings. No special tools are needed: just plain warm water is enough. After that, the face should be blotted with a clean towel intended only for the face. No need to rub it hard, just apply it and it will absorb all the excess liquid by itself.

Proper hand washing

Demonstrate how to properly wash your hands. It will be good if you print out and hang an instruction picture near the sink, which describes the correct soaping technique step by step. Even adults now rarely pay due attention to this process. It is necessary to wash hands for 20-30 seconds, paying special attention to the area near the nails. You can massage your hands well - this will positively affect the functioning of the body as a whole, and especially the gastrointestinal tract. The kid must understand why it is necessary to wash hands before eating, after the street, going to the toilet and contact with pets.

If there are several children in the family, the situation with instilling good habits becomes much easier, because the youngest child personally sees how hygiene is observed by older brothers and sisters, who, together with their parents, remind them of the importance of these procedures.

Intimate hygiene rules for girls

At an early age, parents show how to properly care for the genitals. By the age of 5 years, the child may well carry out these procedures himself, sometimes under supervision. In this regard, the actions of girls and boys are different.

The main thing when washing girls is to follow the direction of movement. The correct movement will be from front to back. This minimizes the risk of bacteria getting from the anus to the mucous membrane and the formation of inflammation.

Do not use soap or special intimate gels: they disrupt the acid-base balance, which is fraught with various rashes, itching, and vaginitis. Normal running water is best, which will cope with delicate cleansing. Explain to the girl that it is imperative to wash yourself at least once a day, as well as change your underwear. Periodically, you can lubricate the skin with mucous oil, but this must be done carefully, and in no case should you touch the inner lining of the vagina.

It is necessary to buy children's panties from natural fabrics, for example, cotton. Underwear should not interfere with movement, and air must be provided to the skin. Allocate a separate towel for intimate purposes, it is not allowed to use it by someone else.

After each visit to the toilet, you need to blot the genitals with paper. Before puberty, the mucosa in this place is especially sensitive, and the secretions remaining on it can cause inflammation.

Intimate hygiene rules for boys

When washing the boy, it is not necessary to observe the direction of movements. Pulling the foreskin is not worth it: this leads to microtrauma. The head will open on its own by the age of five. After opening it, you need to regularly and thoroughly rinse the places under it in order to remove excess smegma. If this is not done, it accumulates in excess and begins to become inflamed, swollen and even fester.

You do not need to use special products, plain water will do. If the child understands the importance of such procedures, he will not forget about them, and you will not have to supervise him. After urinating, boys should soak excess moisture with paper to avoid inflammation.

Hygiene of children from 5 to 7 years

At preschool age, the daily routine of the child is regulated. It is important to instill in the future student the correct hours of sleep and wakefulness, so that in the future it will be easier for him to wake up early. It is worth making it a rule to go to bed early and get up the same.

At this age, you can offer the child hardening. This benefits the immune system, the central nervous system, regulates the proper functioning of hormones and disciplines. Do not immediately pour ice water on the child, it is better to finish the procedure with cooler water after taking a bath or shower, gradually lowering the degree. Or offer your child a rubdown with a cold towel - this is a softer and gentler option for hardening.

It is important to ensure that the child has enough physical activity during the day. Thanks to this, he will not experience overexcitation in the evening. His musculoskeletal system will be able to develop properly, in general, the level of strength and endurance will increase.

You can try to enroll your child in a special section, of which there are many now. Girls are more likely to be interested in dancing or gymnastics, while boys are more interested in football, hockey or karate.

Hygiene of the school period

With the beginning of your studies, begin to take special care of your teenager's vision. It is better to show in practice how gymnastics for the eyes is done - this will prevent eye fatigue during classes at school and at home, reduce the risk of dry eyes, myopia and hyperopia. Explain how long you need to take breaks from work.

Do not forget about the correct posture at the workplace - the spine is straight, in order to avoid scoliosis. The wrong position of the back entails serious problems: in the future there will be an asymmetric figure, beautiful breasts will not be able to develop in girls correctly, and muscle mass will not grow properly in boys. With age, pain in the lower back and neck will begin, you will have to wear a leveling corset, which is quite inconvenient. Therefore, it is better to prevent the disease than to get rid of it later.

The correct posture at the table is legs at an angle of 90 degrees, and a fist can easily be placed between the stomach and the edge of the table. Avoid tilting your head too much towards notebooks or textbooks. Swinging on a chair, sitting cross-legged or pulling your legs under you are also unacceptable: this compresses blood vessels, blood does not circulate properly, limbs may become numb, various kinds of leakage and swelling may begin. When writing, the tip of the pen should look at the shoulder, which allows the hand to get tired less and at the same time puts a beautiful handwriting.

By the time you send your child to first grade, he should clearly know that he needs to take care of himself and his appearance on his own, to have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bwhat neat clothes should look like. A child at this age is already aware that one should not walk around with a dirty head or not take a shower for a long time.

It is important to teach him to keep his nails clean and tidy. In this matter, he will most likely need your help, but he himself can assess the condition of his hands. It is under the nails that microbes, eggs of worms gather, which you cannot get rid of with ordinary washing, since they are hidden behind the nail plate.

Features of teenage hygiene

In adolescence, hygiene becomes more difficult due to physiological changes. There is a restructuring of hormones, so daily procedures are indispensable.

Together with your child, choose the right, safe deodorant, as teenagers tend to sweat more. It must be remembered that all deodorants clog the glands, which prevents the full release of waste fluids, this can cause lymphatic inflammation and even cancer. It is better if you pick up a gentle environmental deodorant that will simply eliminate the smell of sweat.

The beginning of hair growth on the pubis and in the armpits does not improve the situation: the bacteria multiply on them even more, and the smell is almost always present. If necessary, notify the child about the methods of removing unwanted hair, you can give a small guide to depilation. It is better if the teenager does this himself, and in case of problems, he will turn to you for advice. Inform about skin care before and after depilation, and the features of this procedure.

A teenager needs to eat right, observe the hygiene of food and drink. Wash vegetables and fruits, drink only purified water. With a balanced diet, energy, activity and mood increase. It is important to provide the body with a sufficient amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Fast food must be completely abandoned, it does not contain any macronutrients and micronutrients. Also, excess sugar and salt is not good for health. Store-bought sodas and packaged juices are best replaced with freshly squeezed ones. Periodically it is important to drink a course of vitamins: this will help to avoid beriberi and spring-autumn blues.

Alcohol and tobacco

The presence in the life of a growing organism of such toxic drugs as alcohol and tobacco is unacceptable. They cause oxygen starvation, the death of brain cells, disrupt the functioning of hormones and the nervous system. Alcohol in the female body causes total harm: it dissolves the shell of the eggs given at birth. In the future, they are not restored and new ones are not synthesized. The more alcohol there was in life, the greater the likelihood of fertilization in the future of precisely the disturbed egg, which leads to the development of mutations, ugliness and simply physically weak offspring.

Sleep and rest

It is important to monitor sleep and rest. You need to sleep at least 8-9 hours a day: this will allow the body to recuperate and ensure the internal organs work properly. Sleep in a well-ventilated area. It is better to cover yourself with a warm blanket, but open the window in cold weather, than to stay overnight in a stuffy room.

To prevent hypodynamia, you need to walk every day, at least 10 kilometers: this nourishes the cells with oxygen and gives the muscles the opportunity to develop properly.

It is important to leave time for rest and hobbies in your daily routine: you can’t fully load yourself with studies and additional circles, which leads to congestion, increased stress levels and, in the future, to chronic fatigue syndrome. Even between lessons you need to take breaks. It is better if you walk a little, chat with family and friends. A bad option would be playing computer games and watching TV.

Acne is a common occurrence in childhood. Proper facial skin care and attention to changes in the body can reduce the risk of acne.

If a teenager observes the rules of personal hygiene, but he develops rashes, then the activity of sex hormones has begun. Proper nutrition and skin care will help improve the situation. You can purchase a cleanser to combat excessive sebum production at a pharmacy or specialty store. An antibacterial lotion will help. It is applied twice a day: morning and evening. It dries up rashes, evens out skin color, and helps regulate skin processes.

When rashes appear quickly and in large quantities, you need to visit a dermatologist. He will take scrapings, check them for allergies, skin mites: this is a common cause of unexpected rashes. May refer you for a hormonal test to check if your thyroid is working properly. In severe cases, hormonal tablets, antibiotics or ointments based on them are prescribed.

Going to the gynecologist

The girl needs to go to the gynecologist. The doctor will be able to check whether the development is proceeding correctly. Take a smear for analysis of microflora. A pediatric gynecologist will check the maturation and growth of the breast, talk about menstruation, and help you understand the choice of hygiene products. During critical days, remember that it is better to refrain from swimming in the pool because of the risk of infection, from taking a bath, visiting a bathhouse, as an increase in temperature will cause increased bleeding.

Tampons and pads are changed regularly: they accumulate pathogenic bacteria that cause inflammation and irritation. In ordinary life, it is not advised to use even panty liners: they are also hotbeds of infection. It's all about a humid environment, which has a very beneficial effect on the development of this type of bacteria, and in its absence, they die without starting to multiply.

If your period is too painful, your doctor may prescribe pain medication, but simple activity restriction, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep usually help. For pain in the abdomen, lie down and apply a warm heating pad.

The intimate hygiene of teenage girls does not differ from that of women, only with the onset of menstruation, the girl should increase the number of daily washings and make sure that her discharge is not plentiful or long: in such cases it is better to see a specialist.

Such a thing as a thong is undesirable: they squeeze the genitals and spread the infection from the anus to the genitals, cause irritation, itching and redness, and also pinch the lymphatic channels, which can provoke an attack.

The intimate hygiene of teenage boys is similar to that of girls, only their hair begins to grow on their faces as well. It is important that dad shows how to shave properly using a special cream and apply lotion. A teenager should be warned about such things as nocturnal emissions, telling them that this is normal. It is better if he turns out to be informationally prepared for the first erection, so that what he sees does not frighten him. In general, the rules remain the same: daily shower, change of linen, mandatory morning and evening rituals.

sex education

It will be right if this topic is covered by parents at home. The most important thing to inform a boy or girl is protection. Before having sex, teens should learn about sexually transmitted diseases and ways to prevent getting infections. The boy needs to be told about the use of condoms, and the girl may want to consult a gynecologist about starting hormonal contraceptives.