Top parenting stories this week
Just the facts baby > baby
How Clean Is Your Kid?
February 11th, 2014
From tooth brushing to nail clipping, here's how to make hygiene less of a hassle
by: Sydney Loney
In This Article
M
ost little kids have better things to do than worry about whether their hands are clean or their teeth are brushed – and many wouldn’t pass the white glove test. It can be hard to convince kids that good hygiene is important, says Jennifer Kolari, a parent and child therapist in Toronto. “Kids think in the now, so a cavity six months from now doesn’t mean anything — and this is true right up to adolescence.” Here’s how to help small children take responsibility for “routine cleaning,” whether it’s their teeth, nails, hair or hands.How to explain good hygiene to your toddler
To start, try explaining the importance of good grooming in ways little kids can understand. Instead of warning them about cavities and plaque, tell them they need to get the “sugar bugs” off their teeth, says Kolari.
Make sure to discuss any issues they’re having when they’re not mid-tantrum. So, if it’s the bathtub that has become a battleground, try talking about how you want bath time to work at some other point in the day, she says. “Then, when it’s time for a bath, you can say ‘Remember when we talked about this today in the car? Well, let’s see if you can do it.’”
