HOW TO PROTECT KIDS FROM PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES

My kids and I have had several conversations on germs and cleanliness over time, but with recent happenings in the world, and in Nigeria specifically, we’ve had to have more talks and demonstrations on how to wash your hands, how to use a hand sanitiser and so on.

With the rising health concerns since the first case of Corona virus has been recorded in Nigeria, the need to be extra cautious and keep our little ones safe and healthy cannot be overemphasised. As parents, we might not be able to proffer a medical solution to help the person in the hospital, but we can do little things to help keep our kids safe and not spread germs. Here’s a list of five things to do to protect your kids from general health issues.

WASH YOUR HANDS

I prepared lunch for my kids yesterday and before the meal, I got my kids to go wash their hands. I got up to supervise and my daughter announced to me that she needed to ‘rub’ her palms together properly before rinsing off the lather with water. Washing of hands, both for you and your kids, has always been important but it is even more important now to avoid the spread of germs. Get them to wash their hands before and after meals, after going into the rest room, and of course after going to a public space like the park or the airport.

USE HAND SANITISERS

My son likes the cool feeling he gets when he uses a hand sanitiser (I’m glad he can have fun while doing what is absolutely necessary!). That cool feeling, and how the hand sanitiser quickly evaporates tells you that it contains enough volume of alcohol (at least 60%) to actually kill germs. Have a hand sanitiser in your car, bag, bathroom and in strategic places in your house. This makes it easy for you and your kids to use and reduces the chances of you forgetting.

PREACH SAFETY

It’s important that you encourage your kids’ school, kids’ clothing store, church, mosque, barbing salon, hair dressing salon and major places you know kids visit a lot, to practice these simple healthy habits of hand washing and making hand sanitisers available. This way, you’re not just protecting your kids, you’re helping to protect other kids as well.

BE CAREFUL

I was going grocery shopping and my daughter wanted to come with me; truth is I already said yes then I suddenly remembered that being careful is a requirement for safety. Being careful is not being scared, it’s just ensuring that you don’t go or take your kids to crowded places unless it’s absolutely necessary, especially a place like the market.

TEACH YOUR KIDS

When I told my Princess that she couldn’t go grocery shopping with me, I had to explain why, it wasn’t just enough to tell her no. In the same way, it’s not just enough to tell them what to do, we need to tell them why. This makes them feel like you trust them to do the right things and makes them less likely to do the opposite just to rebel.

As we trust and believe that our nation would be able to handle the Corona Virus issue quickly and thoroughly, it’s important that we obey basic health rules to keep us and our kids safe. Let’s always remember that a healthy child is a happy child.

Leave a comment

All comments are moderated before being published