Information on Children's Personal Hygiene

Children don't waste any time thinking about germs and dirt, so parents have to explain why it's important to wash our bodies every day. Adults also should act as role models by washing their hands, bathing frequently and brushing their teeth at least twice a day.

Dental Hygiene

• Since a child eventually loses his baby teeth, you might not think problems with these teeth will affect him long term. However, tooth decay in baby teeth negatively affects the growth of healthy teeth later on. Tooth decay is a common problem in children. According to Healthy Children, up to 50 percent of children will have a cavity by age 5. A child should be encouraged to brush his or her teeth twice daily with a child-sized toothbrush and children's toothpaste from the time he or she starts to grow teeth. Parents need to brush the child's teeth or supervise when he brushes his own teeth until he's able to do it himself, which he should be able to do between the ages of 6 and 8.

Bathing

• When children spend all day at a daycare or school, germs spread like wildfire, especially during cold and flu season. Show a child how to sneeze into his elbow or into a tissue and remind him to always throw the tissue away immediately. Teach him to wash his hands after every sneeze, after every time he uses the toilet and before and after eating to help kill any germs he has touched and to keep him from spreading germs to others.

Puberty

• As children enter puberty, they might start to sweat more and develop body odor. A child generally starts puberty anywhere from the ages of 9 to 14. Parents should encourage children at this time to start using deodorant. By this age, he also should be showering at least once a day or more if he plays sports or sweats heavily.