You can find some videos on You tube. You can also visit the themayoclinic. com or cleaninginstitute. org to discover what hygiene recommendations are currently being made. They may have changed since you were a child, since the discovery of other bacteria. To actively demonstrate how we transfer germs, try the chalk experiment with your children. Have a box of chalk powder ready. Dip your hand in it. Shake hands with one child and ask the child to shake hands with other children. All of them have chalk powder on their hands, having come just from the initial dip! Explain saying that germs also spread in similar manner. This visual explanation may do more than any words to help you show the problem to your children.
Teach children a 20 to 30 second song to sing to themselves while they wash their hands. A song such as “Happy Birthday” or “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” can help them to scrub their hands clean for the allotted time. Sing with them the first few times.
You can either tell the students where and how to wash, or you can adopt the Socratic method. You can ask students where they think germs may grow and how best to get rid of them. Encouraging casual conversation about hygiene will usually create a more comfortable environment.
You can also do this at home with a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and dye tablets. These are available at most dentists’ offices to encourage good brushing. Sometimes having them choose their own toothbrush will encourage them to brush their teeth. Kids often respond better when it’s something they have a choice in. Ask the dentist to explain the germs found in the mouth and how they can harm you. The dentist should tell the students where they hide and tell them how to get rid of them with a twice per day flossing and brushing routine. Ask the children to take out their toothbrush and play a 3 minute song. This is the typical time that most dentists encourage people to brush. Ask the students to brush while the song plays and then spit in the sink. Ask them to chew on the dental tablets and rinse. Then, ask them to look in the mirror. The areas where plaque is still active in the mouth will be dyed blue or red, demonstrating how careful we must be when brushing. Repeat this activity at home if you do not think your child is brushing enough. Make brushing fun by brushing with them and playing a 3 minute song that they like. [5] X Research source
Broaching the subject first will help your child to understand what they are going through. Puberty can include changes in mood, such as depression, and other children can be cruel if your child has a strong odor. You may need to explain that daily bathing is more important as people grow older because puberty causes body odor. Also, bacteria caused by locker rooms or sports performances requires more attention to showering.
