Positive Parenting - Tasks Every Toddler Should Learn
Washing Hands Before and After Meals Isn't Always EnoughEvery mother and father knows that their little people need to wash their hands before eating. That is a given because those little fingers go everywhere and touch everything they see. However, washing their hands only before and after meals isn’t enough. If you’ve watched your toddler, chances are you’ve seen him or her put their hands in their mouth at least a hundred times a day!
This is the time to begin teaching them that everything has the potential to be dirty so never put their hands in or near their mouth unless they’ve washed them. No, you don’t want to make them obsessive, but you do need to impress upon them that anything that touches the floor is dirty. While teaching your little ones not to put everything in their mouths, teach them the importance of washing their hands after playtime!
Oral Hygiene Begins Now!Many parents aren’t overly concerned about teaching toddlers how to brush their teeth because they are only baby teeth after all, right? Well, caring for your child's dental health is about teaching them good habits. Take them to the dentist early on so they won’t have a fear of sitting in that big, overwhelming chair with all the bright lights and shiny things going into their mouths but also teach them to brush their teeth regularly.
Children should brush their teeth five times a day which includes first thing upon waking, just before going to bed and after every meal. This is a habit they’ll carry with them throughout their lives if taught early enough.
Protecting Their Delicate Eyes and Yes, Delicate FeetParents should also impress upon their toddlers the importance of keeping their hands away from their eyes. It’s amazing just how many little ones get conjunctivitis (pinkeye) because they’ve put their dirty fingers on or near their eyes. Pink eye is treatable but if left untreated can lead to serious problems, among which is impaired vision. In addition to teaching your children about the importance of cleanliness, it is vital that you impress upon them that they should wear foot coverings at all times. A tiny cut on the foot can allow bacteria into the body and we all know where that leads! In addition, it is easier to get those little cuts and scrapes if children are left to wander around barefoot.
Positive parenting means teaching your children from very young ages to be mindful of good hygiene. These are tasks every child should be learning as soon as they have the language skills to understand what you are asking them to do. They may not understand why, but that isn’t as important at this stage in their lives as the ‘how.’ Bad habits are hard to break but good habits stay with them always. Start now to prevent problems tomorrow.