One of the most important learning skills a parent can teach their children early in life is personal hygiene and grooming. It is essential for the foundation of good health and social acceptance in all individuals, especially those having various disabilities. Children should be taught the importance of hygiene and how to achieve good hygiene very early on in life, to keep themselves and others healthy and to reduce the risk of being bullied at school. Children need to be taught that good hygiene helps to prevent the development and spread of infections, illnesses, and bad odors. In some individuals, poor hygiene can lead to poor health.
As individuals with disabilities approach adulthood, they may want to become more self-sufficient and begin to take on more personal responsibility, enter the workforce, and when they are ready to live on their own (if possible). A healthy well-groomed individual will display a healthy body image to maintain self-esteem, confidence, and motivation. Those who already have low self-esteem and especially those with depression often neglect personal hygiene which can show the impression of poor body image as well as bad hygiene. Having bad hygiene or not looking well-groomed can prevent an opportunity for being hired for a job and might slow down the process for obtaining independent living. Often for adults with special needs, their personal hygiene and maintaining a well-groomed appearance can sometimes go overlooked because of their primary disability. Teaching individuals with disabilities how to care for themselves and ensuring they are getting the best possible healthcare is extremely important. As a parent or caregiver, educating people with special needs to make healthy decisions is one of the best and positive things you can do for them.
Listed below are the Essentials Young Children Should be Taught to Become Healthy Adults
Hand Washing: Hands are the biggest spreaders of germs in the home and out in public. Studies show that hand washing lowers the transmission of diarrhea, colds, various illnesses, etc. Hand washing cannot be emphasized enough. Many people 'forget or neglect' to wash their hands after using the toilet or before handling different foods. Not doing this can cause a great deal of illness and even death if you don’t wash your hands.
Bathing/Showering: It should be taught that bathing or showering everyday is very important for everyone’s health and preventing bad body odor.
Washing Hair: It is very important to wash hair at a minimum of once a week, however washing hair two or three times a week is better for your personal appearance as well as good hygiene. Conditions such as head lice should be treated as soon as possible to prevent the spread to others.
Brushing Hair: Maintaining hair that is not tangled or looking messy is very important. Teaching children how to brush their hair every day is very important for not only themselves but to look well-groomed to others.
Hair Cutting/Styling: Females and Males need to have their hair cut and styled to appropriately maintain on their own if possible. Males need to cut their hair more frequently than women. The length of a woman’s hair should be determined by lifestyle and the ability to manage and maintain long hair versus short hair.
Tooth Brushing: There have been documented studies that there is a direct connection between oral health and overall physical health. Tooth decay is now considered a preventable infectious disease. Using mouthwash and flossing is also a good habit to teach early on to help prevent tooth decay and for fresh breath. Tooth decay can be transmitted by saliva if individuals are intimate.
Nails, Toenails, and Skin Care Maintenance: Cutting nails and toenails should also be trained to children to prevent nails from splitting and catching on to clothing, etc. This will also prevent infections to nails and toenails. Acne should be addressed and properly treated.
Cuts, Wounds, Athlete’s Foot: Teaching to clean and dress wounds and skin cuts properly can help reduce the risk of infection and pain. Athlete's foot should be treated immediately to prevent further infections and the spread to others.
Getting Ready for Adolescence: When children's bodies begin to change that means that various personal hygiene will need to change too for both females and males. This learning skill may be ongoing in life as children become teenagers and adults.
Special Care for Women: Early on, a young lady should be taught special hygiene during her menstrual cycle and using various sanitary pads and tampons properly, and changing them often. Bathing more frequently during a women’s menstrual cycle is important. Personal care of hair removal on legs, underarms, or facial hair should be carefully considered to be done by the individual or to have someone assisting them at all times.
Personal Appearance for a Job Interview and out in the Workforce: Whether interviewing in person or virtually, the interviewers first visual impression of you is most important. You do not need to dress as if you are being photographed for a fashion magazine, but look neat, clean, and dress wearing professional clothing. Either for ladies or gentlemen, a clean and ironed shirt or sweater, dress pants/dockers is professionally acceptable in workplaces that have a casual or business casual dress code. Do some research on the company and find out if their dress code is business attire. If the company does have a business attire dress code, even on your interview, if you get the job, you need to wear proper attire. For example: Women need to wear dress pants, pants suits/skirt suits, non-revealing blouses, or dresses. Men need to wear a dress shirt with a tie. Either a sports coat/blazer or a full-dress suit. For both men and women professional looking shoes must be added to your business attire.
Source of Information: Various Google Searches
Until next time, stay safe and well!
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