All parents are keen to ensure that as their children develop, they should get to learn the importance of hygiene to themselves and the ways of ensuring they get their hygiene right. That said, few parents actually know how to get this message through to their children in a way that they not only understand it but also own it. So, to help such parents I have decided to list a few basic guidelines to help you get the message across to your child in a fun and child-friendly way:

1.List the hygiene topics you want your child to sensitize your child about

What areas of hygiene do you want your child to be aware of? Is it dental hygiene aimed at preventing cavities and tooth decay, is it simply learning to wash hands before eating. Whichever the topics, just try to make it clear to yourself first before attempting to reach out to your child. It is imperative that you do not over load your child with too many topics otherwise they may get all confused and exasperated by the whole hygiene affair!

2. Try explaining the listed topics to yourself out loud

It has been observed by public speakers and coaches that when they practise speaking on the mirror, they can detect flaws and other speaking defects that may make them come across as unconvincing to their audience.

3. Start by explain key concepts

When teaching anything to a child, it is important to begin at the definition stage. Here, you can try make sense to your child about things like germs and other disease causing pathogens.

4. Build the story by making connections

Once your child gets the dangers caused by pathogens, bring the subject closer home by identifying areas where germ causing bacteria can be found. Make sure this is relevant to the hygiene topic you’re introducing.

5. Explain how to protect against such bacteria

By now it will be clear to your child that bacteria are to be found in areas where the child likes to play. Now is the time to assuage your child that all will be well if the child follows a few simple steps. List the steps the child should take to rid themselves of the bacteria causing diseases.

6. Make it practical

Once the steps have been listed, now join your child in going through the steps. In this way the child can see and hear the procedure as well as do it together with you.

7. Make it fun to keep proper hygiene

Try at this stage to come across as though you enjoy fighting bacteria and keeping a proper hygienic environment. You can sing a song (hygiene related of course) as you go about it, or just move in a dramatic fashion. Kids love this!

8. Allow your child to do it themselves

Once you have done it together, take a step back and let your child demonstrate how to ensure good hygiene.

9. Correct gently every misstep the child may encounter

You can also reduce the number of steps if they’re too many.

10. Restate what you said

Finally, always conclude by saying what you told them. It will be advisable to be creative at this stage by restating by way of a song.