Your child’s first steps towards school life are fast approaching –  they will soon be in a whole new world away from the sheltered  ambience of home, among bright young minds like their own. While this  brings exciting possibilities, it is also important to make sure your  child is well prepared for this move.

In a crowded school atmosphere, health and hygiene are more important  than ever. You can help your child appreciate the value of good  hygiene by encouraging them to follow some simple personal grooming  habits.

Every parent wants the best for their children. They want children to  grow and become the best version of them. But, all this starts with  the habits you teach them. The habits you teach them before they start  school will stay with them forever.

Leading daycare & preschool Amelio believes that it’s very important  that as a parent you imbibe healthy habits in your kids.  Here they  list down the important habits that must be taught to your child to  help them make the most of their schooling years. After all you don’t  want them to troubled with illness all the time when at school because  of their bad habits.

Sathish Kumar Thiyagarajan, Head – Curriculum at Amelio Early Education mentions these must be taught habits to your children –

1. Brushing:
Stress on the need for your child to brush their teeth all by  themselves twice a day. Make this a part of their daily routine and  get them to take pride in their independence in completing this task.

2. Washing hands:
The best way to inculcate this is to lead by example. Ensure that you  and your family members don’t eat anything without washing your hands,  or wash your hands and feet immediately after returning home from  outside.

3. Covering mouth and nose:
Give your child their own set of handkerchiefs to take care of  responsibly. Tell them about the threat of germs when a handkerchief  is not used to cover their mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing.

4. Toilet training:
By this age, your child must already be acquainted with the concept of  toilet training, and has probably even mastered it. However, using  unfamiliar toilets might still be a problem for them. Talk to them  about identifying their toileting needs and using a clean toilet, and  encourage them to ask caregivers for help if needed. Also ensure that  they know how to clean up after themselves – this includes washing  themselves, flushing correctly, and washing and drying their hands.

5. Taking care of their nails:
Make nail cutting a part of their weekly or fortnightly routine – you  can even use a calendar to mark the days and encourage them to take it  up as a responsibility.

6. Washing face:
Encourage your child to wash their face on their own before going out  of the house and after returning from outside. Tell them that dirt and  grime on the face are a strict no-no.

7. A neat hair-do:
Schools are usually strict about the hairstyles that children can have  in the interest of maintaining a neat appearance. Get your child to  take interest in brushing their own hair and enforce a ‘no hair on the  face’ policy. For boys, this means a neat haircut and combing their  hair back to keep it in place. For girls, this means using hair bands,  clips and other accessories for a variety of neat hairstyles.

8. Zero tolerance for unwelcome habits:
Discourage unwelcome and messy habits like digging their nose, picking  their teeth, spitting, biting their nails etc. Teach them the  difference between good hygiene habits and bad hygiene habits, and how  to tell them apart.

9. Taking care of own grooming equipment:
A great way to get your child involved in their personal hygiene while  simultaneously encouraging responsibility is to include them in the  purchase of their own hygiene products. Toothbrushes, soaps, towels,  personal combs and hair accessories, even their own nail cutter –  involve your child in the decision of these purchases, and encourage  them to take care of these by themselves.

10. Avoiding hair lice:
Schools can be a breeding ground for hair lice, and this problem  spreads very quickly. Tell your child about the ill-effects of lice  and give them some tips to avoid catching lice. A good rule of thumb  is to avoid any direct or indirect head contact – this includes not  sharing helmets, hair bands, clips etc.

Ensure your child has a neat and clean journey through their first  ever school experience! If you would like to know more about the  different all-rounded ways in which you can help your child get ready  for school, register here!!