Habit of Cleanliness and Hygiene

When a person is born into the world, they represent a wild being driven by innate instincts, but reason and development potential are already placed within them. They don't yet know how to do anything and don't understand anything, but this doesn't embarrass their parents, and they are ready to make this little person a worthy member of society who knows behavioral rules and understands the cultural features of their people.

Cleanliness and hygiene of a child include observing a number of rules and procedures aimed at maintaining health and preventing infections and diseases. This implies both personal hygiene of the child and maintaining cleanliness of the environment in which the baby is located.

Small children are not naturally inclined toward concepts of cleanliness and hygiene. And when parents begin to practice this in their lives, the little ones raise a fuss and loudly protest such intrusion into their personal space. They tend to relieve themselves right under themselves when the need arises, and quickly understand that spending time in dry underwear is much more pleasant than lying in wet diapers, about which many infants loudly inform their parents. And as a rule, mom already has spare clothes prepared, and she changes her child, observing that after changing the body is clean. Thus the first habits of cleanliness and hygiene are instilled.

Someone among wise people invented diapers that successfully replaced swaddling clothes and save enormous time and effort for many parents. We immediately appreciated such an invention and began allocating part of our family budget to buying these diapers. But the baby grows, and we begin to think about how to teach them to independently use the potty so they can relieve themselves. Usually parents begin to engage in this from the moment when the child takes their first steps. It should be noted that a diaper overflowing with urine can lead to excessive overheating of sexual organs in boys, which can disrupt reproductive processes and lead to infertility in young years.

Bathing the baby also becomes an integral ritual of every family. Not all children initially like being immersed in water, and they desperately protest against this event, especially if the water is cold or hot. Therefore, it's good for parents to first lower their elbow into the water to determine acceptable water temperature for the body.

The approach to using cleansing products during bathing should be very competent and careful. Often this is done under the influence of advertising or beautiful packaging with pleasant smell. Read the composition of what you will wash your child with. An infant's skin absorbs everything it comes into contact with, and if chemicals get on it, this can become the cause of allergic reaction or inflammation of internal organs. The best and proven means for maintaining cleanliness is clean water. It dissolves well what it comes into contact with and washes away unnecessary dirt and sweat from the child's body, while preserving the natural fatty coating that protects the body from penetration of unnecessary bacteria.

As the child grows, they understand that bathing can bring much joy, and water is the best toy that brings so much happiness, and therefore everything around should be wet.

Washing hands and face is also part of hygiene rules, and the child is explained that dirty hands should be clean, and one should sit at the table only with washed hands.

In this case, parents themselves give an example of how to wash hands, and daily multiple repetition of this action becomes a habit for the child, and they begin to do this themselves. But one must understand that children do not yet realize the need for washing hands and may forget about this or consider their hands clean enough not to wet them once more.

I remember very well one lesson on hand washing that a counselor taught us at pioneer camp. She explained that hands need to be washed with soap twice, since the first time washes away all dirt, and the second time achieves the needed cleanliness. And when after this you wipe your hands on a white towel, then no traces of dirt should remain on it. If the towel gets dirty, then hands need to be washed again. This lesson stuck so much in my memory that I still remember it and watch that my towel is clean.

Teeth brushing has also become a good tradition in our society. But here one also needs to be extremely careful, since small children swallow tasty toothpaste, and it's difficult for them to understand why it needs to be spit out when it's so sweet. Also, one shouldn't trust manufacturers, considering that they think about your children's health, offering only good and useful things. The safest soap, shampoo and toothpaste is what you make yourself, understanding the purity and safety for the body of necessary ingredients.

A child needs not only to be instilled with hygiene habits, but also to be explained why this needs to be done. Children are very clever and quickly begin to love cleanliness, distinguishing clean from unclean.

If a child is not taught hygiene principles in childhood, then later this will be very difficult, and sometimes impossible to instill. Carnal nature is stupid and lazy, and it avoids unnecessary movements for the sake of generally accepted norms. Therefore, instilling hygiene rules becomes a certain struggle in which parents must always win.

Washing dirty dishes should not be entrusted to a dishwasher. Children need to be instilled with this procedure skill as well.

Care for a child's nails and hair is the responsibility of parents until an older age, since babies cannot do this correctly, but they should be explained that nails on hands and feet should not be long, and hair, especially for girls, should be clean, combed and styled. Daughters quickly get used to caring for their hair and willingly let them make braids or ponytails. Also, many children like when during combing they are stroked on the head and gently talked to.

Children are inclined to dirty their clothes while walking and playing. They shouldn't be forbidden to get dirty. A small child and dirt are two inseparable friends. One shouldn't fear this or get angry if the baby gets dirty, but should explain that dirty clothes need to be changed and washed. Children quickly grasp this rule and willingly change into clean clothes when they come home from a walk. It would be good for parents to have such clothes for walks and outdoor games that will be easy to wash.

Cleanliness in the children's room, access to fresh air and sunlight must always be maintained, explaining to children the importance of hygiene in this area. Order must be restored after each game and before going to sleep. Initially, parents teach children this order by their personal example and participation, and then, when children begin to understand this and bear responsibility for performance, they begin to demand and expect obedience from them in this sphere.

Children should also be taught that our God is a God of order and cleanliness. After all, everything is clean in Heaven, and similar behavior and arrangement of our dwellings is expected from us on earth.

1. Please read Ps. 51:7; Deut. 23:12-14; John 13:4-10; Ex. 40:30-32; Lev. 11:25-26; 14:8-9; 15:7,16-18; 17:15-16; Ex. 29:4; Isa. 1:16; Ezek. 16:4 in light of this chapter.

2. What other verses from the Bible came to your mind?

3. What did you understand from this chapter?

4. What is cleanliness and hygiene? What is this needed for?

5. Are children born with understanding of what cleanliness is and how it must be observed?

6. From what age is it necessary to begin instilling principles of cleanliness and hygiene in children?

7. Will parents be able to teach a child what they themselves do not observe?

8. Why did the Lord give His people special commands about cleanliness and hygiene? What blessings did Israel have from this?

9. Is not washing hands before eating a sin?

10. How do you feel after washing your hands or bathing?

11. Does the principle of cleanliness and hygiene include keeping all your things and your house clean and orderly?

12. Why do children sometimes need to be forced to wash their hands and body?

13. How dangerous are chemical products when washing children's and your body? Why is it necessary to observe caution in their use or have complete abstinence?

14. How do you feel in the company of a person who hasn't washed for a long time or doesn't wash at all?