It’s a tricky time we’re living in. It’s trickier when there are children involved. Their most formative years are being spent in a somewhat abnormal environment and navigating through it presents its own learning curve for the parents of today.
In terms of keeping the house clean and sanitized, there are a lot of considerations. But some parents may have become too overprotective that they keep their child indoors in an overly-sterile environment at all costs. This may be going a bit overboard, so though it may be a bit hard, make sure to still balance exposure to the outdoors and all the other elements that come with it for the benefit of your kid.
So, how often should you be cleaning or disinfecting your toddler’s paraphernalia? Should it be more often now considering the pandemic? Here are some good pillars for your toddler’s cleanliness in these unprecedented times:
- Disinfect the items that are touched regularly.
This doesn’t apply just to your toddler. It applies to you as well. Make sure you disinfect the toys, gadgets, doorknobs and all other things that your kid has to touch on a daily basis.
- Clean the items that are visibly soiled.
This includes clothes, stuffed toys, and other apparel your child is around often. Wash utensils and dishes after every use. Launder their clothes once soiled and used for the day.
- Use child-friendly cleaning products and disinfectants.
A lot of the most popular brands of bleach – those that have become household names – have ingredients that are toxic, and/or irritant to the skin and the airways. Make sure to keep your child outside the room when you are applying these cleaning or disinfecting materials, and have a chance to aerate the room before they enter. Better yet, use disinfectants that are child-friendly and are non-irritant to the skin and airways, but still have formidable virus-killing capacity.
- Perform routine cleaning at least once a week.
For everything else that is not visibly soiled or touched often, you can perform routine cleaning once a week. This can be applicable to your bedsheets, crib sheets, tables, countertops, and other surfaces that your child may come in contact with.
- Practice regular handwashing.
Even if your child is still young, you can imbibe these hygienic practices early. Remind them to not touch their face; to not put their hands or any other toys or objects they pick up from anywhere and into their mouths, and let them get into the habit of washing their hands often. Let them sing their favorite nursery rhyme while rubbing their hands with soapy water so they know how to time their handwashing as well.
- Ensure a proper diet and sleeping habits.
This is one way to increase their immunity to sicknesses and other disease-causing viruses. Make sure they are eating right, are nourished with all the nutrients, vitamins, minerals; and are getting quality sleep, so they are strong enough to repel unwanted disturbances to their health.
- Let them out into the sun.
A daily habit of being out in the sun early, ideally around 8 in the morning or earlier, will do a lot for their mood as well as their immunity. The fresh air will do them good, too – make sure they aren’t indoors all day everyday. Let them run around when they can, and expend their energy – and make sure to clean up and take a bath afterwards when needed.
- Keep them away from deliveries that arrive into the home.
There are so many packages being delivered to homes nowadays – make sure you are sanitizing these before letting them into the house. As much as possible, keep these out of sight and out of reach from your toddler, so as to prevent any possible contamination.
Some basic tips to remember but make sure you are doing these for the benefit of your child. It’s best to inculcate these hygienic habits and let them know the value of these early on.