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Personal hygiene: washing, bathing and drying

Child washing hands

Hand-washing stops the spread of germs. Teach your child to wash hands after sneezing, coughing or blowing noses, before touching food, after toileting, after being in public places, and after being near sick people.

Child playing in the bath

Regular baths or showers keep your child clean and healthy. Bathing at the end of the day can also be part of a bedtime routine. Make the bath fun with games and toys. Never leave your child alone at bath time.

Child getting dried after bath

After bathing, gently rub your child dry with a towel or flannel. Dry all over your child’s body. Drying before getting dressed can help avoid rashes. In warmer weather, your child can air-dry before dressing.

Personal hygiene: cleaning genitals and toileting

Daily hygiene - washing genitals

Wash your daughter’s vulva gently in the bath or shower. Wash from front to back to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections. The vagina cleans itself – don’t put anything in it.

Daily hygiene - washing genitals

Wash your son’s penis and scrotum the way you wash other body parts. Teach your son to regularly clean his penis tip. Avoid cleaning inside the foreskin until it pulls back easily.

Using toilet paper to clean after using toilet

Teach your child to wipe their bottom with toilet paper. You might have to help with wiping to start. Show how much paper to use by counting squares. Girls should always wipe from front to back.

Personal hygiene: teeth and nose

Child brushing and flossing teeth

Brush teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed. Speak with your dentist about whether your child needs to floss teeth.

Blowing nose on tissue and throwing tissue in bin

Your child should blow their nose gently when it’s blocked – this makes breathing easier. Put used tissues in the bin. Wash hands after blowing.

Keeping hands clean to stop the spread of germs

Teach your child to cover their mouth with a tissue, sleeve or elbow when sneezing or coughing. Put used tissues in the bin. Wash hands after sneezing or coughing.

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Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

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