We all want our kids to have good hygiene. But when it comes to actually encouraging kids to wash their hands, brush their teeth and so on, you might have a few questions. When do I start? What forms of hygiene should I focus on? And when and how do I get my child to do these things themselves?

Pediatrician Jessica Najarian-Bell answered these questions and more on the For Health’s Sake podcast. We covered a range of hygiene-related topics, including:

• When to start hand-washing education for children
• At what age children can brush their own teeth
• How to help kids start managing their own hygiene
• Steps to follow for creating good sleep hygiene for kids
• Examples of children’s books that can help teach good hygiene habits

Teach a bigger picture

Dr. Jessica makes the point that teaching our kids good hygiene habits isn’t just for us. As she puts it, “It teaches them the importance of keeping others healthy, as well as themselves.” By explaining why we do the things we do, our kids get to learn about their relationships to others. This makes these personal hygiene lessons even more important than they might appear at first.

If you have questions about helping your kids learn good hygiene habits, talk to their pediatrician.