In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Prashant Moralwar, Consultant Pediatrician at Motherhood Hospital in Kharghar, advised, “Handwashing is a good habit that you can teach the child during the initial years of growth and development. Teach him/her to wash hands before eating, coughing, sneezing, after visiting the loo, touching the pet, or touching any objects.”
He added, “Ask the child from time to time if he/she has washed his hands. Set reminders so that they won’t forget to wash their hands. Ask them to sing their favorite song or play games during hand washing as it can be fun for them. Brief them on why handwashing is good for health.”
Talking about how parents can start healthy habits in kids at an early age, he suggested, “Make the child understand the meaning of self-control. You need to help the child to make the right decisions without any fear. He/she should be taught to choose healthy eating options over fried, junk, canned, and processed foods. Those children who successfully learn about self-control during the early stages of life are able to improve their overall well-being in later life. A child should be taught to include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, and lentils in the diet instead of namkeens, fried foods, pizza, Pasta, Chinese noodles, or burgers. Try to give the child age-appropriate tasks to help out in the kitchen as you make dinner. Ditch those sweets, colas, sodas, and desserts.
