"Don't put that in your mouth", "don't get dirty", "don't touch anything" These are some phrases that parents usually say to our children. We want to keep them clean and we see dirt as something negative, but excessive hygiene can even be harmful to children.
A little dirt is good for your health And it has more benefits than we think. These are seven important reasons why you should let your children get stained more often
They learn to relate better to their surroundings
Children need to touch and experiment to get to know their surroundings better. They are curious by nature and need to have contact with leaves, mud, trees and everything that generates interest to learn from them. Call yourself ants, snails, sand, stones, earth, dust or any element you may find in nature.
If not, How are they going to learn what the world is like without coming into contact with their surroundings? How will they know food if they don't touch them, feel their texture and consistency?
In Babies and more The day I decided to stop stressing about nonsense and started letting my daughter get dirty while playingIt improves your immune system
Jack Gilbert, a scientist at the University of Chicago who studies microbial ecosystems and co-author of the book "Dirt Is Good" says that It is a mistake not to allow children to approach dirt. In fact, that could be extremely beneficial for the child's health.
Keeping the house clean is fine, but it is also not good to go through cleaning and disinfection because with the intention of protecting children, we create a sterile environment that does not allow their immune system to work by weakening it and making them more prone to suffer certain allergies and diseases.
If children are exposed to germs, your immune system is strengthened.
Promote your creativity
Imagine leaving a three-year-old boy in front of two cans of paint, some brushes, some white folios and you say, "Here you have materials to paint, but don't get stained".
Cleanliness and creativity are not compatible in these cases. Letting children get dirty is part of the creative process. Let them experiment with objects and materials of different shapes and textures.
Promotes the development of motor skills
Children need to play, run, jump, climb trees, catch things with their hands, feel different textures with their hands.
All these activities, which are most likely accompanied by dirt, are necessary for a adequate development of its fine and gross motor skills.
They learn to love nature
The contact with nature is essential for learning and nowadays it has an arduous task: to compete with the screens.
If he goes out to jump in the puddles, the boy will get home quite spotted, instead, in front of a screen it won't get dirty. But you will miss the opportunity to learn from nature, its colors, animals, to feel the raindrops ...
It is a favorable and necessary contact, since children have much to learn from it and provides them with an environment conducive to experiencing important sensations for their physical and emotional development.
In Babies and more The contact with nature is good for learning: keys for children to leave the screens and go outsideThey benefit from free play
The game is the "work of children." It's not just fun, free play is the pillar on which other skills such as imagination, creativity, perseverance, effort, etc. are sustained.
Letting them get dirty while playing freely outdoors in the park, on the patio, on the beach is the best way to learn.
There is research focused on free play that ensures that people who had free time to play in an unstructured way children become adults with greater self-esteem and adaptability.
It is part of everyday life
The dirt is there, it is part of our daily life and we should not see it as the enemy. It is important to have hygiene habits to avoid diseases, but it is also important to learn to "live" with a little dirt.
Photos | Pixabay In Babies and more | Home hygiene when we have a baby
