Page 12 - ParentsWorld June 2020

nurturing 21st Century Children
Cover

story

Personal hygiene & physical

WELL-BEING

arents need to follow expert advice and encourage chil-
Pdren to maintain personal hygiene and healthy lifestyle. their faces (mouth, nose, eyes).
Some guidelines:  Lead by example. Avoid shaking hands, hugging or
 Teach children to wash hands thoroughly with soap kissing, sharing food plates, cups and towels.
— for at least 20-30 seconds. An easy way to time it is  Wipe kitchen and other metal surfaces clean with
to get children to sing the full happy birthday song while disinfectants at least twice daily. Also ensure that toilets are
doing so. Particular care should be taken to wash your cleaned regularly.
own and their hands after nose blowing, coughing and/  Ensure children get adequate sleep. Insufficient sleep
or sneezing, after visiting a public space, touching surfaces lowers their body immunity.
outside the home, including money, and before and after  Include exercise in the family’s daily routine. Exercise
meals. boosts blood circulation, releases endorphins and expels
 Model proper sneezing and coughing etiquette. Cover toxins while maximising the body’s germs-fighting power.
the mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when  Avoid processed foods with artificial preservatives
coughing or sneezing. Dispose of used tissue immediately, and additives. Eat natural, healthy foods which include
and wash hands. immunity boosting spices such as turmeric, garlic, pepper
 Explain to children why they need to avoid touching and ginger.

ling psychologist, Prerna Academy, Bangalore and mother have inspired them to help with household chores and
of two children, Derek (14) and Dalvi (11): “Without our learn cooking — all essential life skills.”
maid servant to help, I have to do all the cooking and Moses believes the upside of the coronavirus crisis and
cleaning, household chores and care for my children and national lockdown is that it has taught sentient members
aged parents. In addition, I continue my counselling work of the national parents community and over-indulged mid-
from home. But I am learning to cope and have worked dle and upper class children several valuable lifestyle and
out a daily schedule. Also, the lockdown has forced me to soft skills lessons which will stand them in good stead after
rethink my parent- the national and state lockdowns are lifted. “For one, it has
ing style. I realise taught all of us to be more appreciative and respectful of
now that I was a our household help. There’s a widespread tendency within
pushy parent, always middle class and affluent households to under-estimate the
pressuring my sons value of maid servants, cooks, gardeners — all of whom
to excel. Slowly, I am have their own families to nurture and educate — to our
learning to give them comfort and well-being. Secondly, the lockdown has made
the freedom to make me aware that children want to — and will — learn on
their own choices, their own, given modest encouragement and inspiration.
self-discipline them- Academic excellence is only one facet of education,” says
selves and make their Moses.
own study schedules, In the pages following, we present advice gathered from
including digital psychologists and parenting experts on ways and means
screen time usage. Jennifer Moses parents can empower children to cope with the rigours of
Most important I the Covid-19 national lockdown and the summer holidays

parentsworld • june 2020 12