It’s been a challenging year for many parents of young children. The pandemic has brought with it new routines, out-of-the-ordinary scenarios and tricky conversations, as our little ones try to understand the implications of the outbreak.
The hot topic of hygiene is top of the list. BABY born has partnered with iChild to provide a useful resource to help parents get across the right messaging with fun, educational and developmental activities.
Here, we take a look at the best ways to explain all about the importance of hygiene to younger children – we think it should be fun – and explain a little more about our exciting collaboration with iChild.
Simple language to help their understanding
Now more than ever, it’s important little ones understand why handwashing must be a frequent occurrence throughout our day. The key is to use simple terms and talk to them about it while they’re washing their hands. Explain that ‘we wash our hands with soap and water to get rid of dirt, stains and germs that could make us poorly.’ And in relation to COVID-19, let them know that we all have to do our bit to stop the spread of germs and help keep us all safe.
As we all know by now, we should wash our hands for at least 40 seconds – so make this fun for learning little ones! Try singing and dancing while you wash and get them giggling to your silly, exaggerated gestures! Take the time to really show them in detail how we wash thoroughly the palms of our hands and the backs, in between our fingers and up our wrists. Teach them how this isn’t something we rush through. The more they do this with your guidance, the quicker it’ll become habit and they’ll perform these actions independently.
Help them to understand that we can’t see germs and only soap and water can keep all those nasties at bay. Explain that we wash our hands regularly throughout the day – after going outside, before eating and after going to the toilet or using the potty.
Use play to help teach routine
Toddler and preschoolers – and even older children – do all their learning through play, and it’s wonderful to watch! Roleplay, and particularly doll play, can be a fantastic tool to help parents teach children all about hygiene routines. If they’ve been out walking with BABY born, for example, encourage them to make sure they head straight to their Bath Toothcare Spa to wash BABY born’s dirty hands (after they’ve washed their own hands, of course!).
What does the bathtime routine look like in your house? This is another key time to reinforce those good habits when it comes to hygiene. Their BABY born can join in bathtime too, though, with our interactive Bathtub. Stand back and watch your child bathe their doll and hopefully repeat all the explanations you’ve given them about the importance of washing and how it’s done!
BABY born and iChild educating on hygiene
At a time when we’re spending more time at home with loved ones and trying to keep each other safe, we’re proud to team up with iChild, an online resource hub for parents, carers and educators, to help teach children all about hygiene. The campaign, which began following October half term, partners iChild with the BABY born Bath range and features a number of fun and educational activities for little ones based on the importance of hygiene and handwashing.
With iChild, we created the new BABY born Washing and Toilet Training Activity Pack, which focuses on developing children’s skills and understanding of bath time routines, tooth brushing and the importance of hygiene and keeping themselves clean. The resource packs include a variety of tasks, discussion points and creative activities to help little ones better navigate the rapidly changing world around them.
For more inspiration and activities to teach about hygiene, and to find out how you could win a BABY born Bath bundle, head over to iChild now.
