Many parents make a big mistake, believing that hardening should begin in late or even adolescence. In fact, doctors believe that if this procedure is carried out correctly, then it is quite possible and necessary to do this from the very first days of your baby's life. However, not all dads and moms know how to do it right. Let's try to figure it out.

From this article you will learn:

Water is just one option. The advantage of the water method is that children, as a rule, like to take water procedures. This is not surprising, since the entire period of their development they were surrounded by water in their mother's belly. However, if your child does not like to swim, then you can either refuse this method, or teach him to water gently.

The secret is very simple. To begin with, it is worth washing the baby and wiping other parts of the body with water, the temperature of which is not lower than 28 degrees. You can combine this with massage movements that tone and invigorate.

Next stage- lowering the water temperature by 0.5 degrees daily. It is worth lowering the temperature to 23 or 24 degrees. It is better to give preference to rubbing the body and washing. And it is advisable to pour water on the child completely later. You need to make sure that he is used to this temperature. When you move on to pouring, then start not from the head, but from the feet, gradually rising higher.

We temper the baby with air

This is another way. First, pay attention to the air temperature in the room in which the baby spends most of the time. It should always be in the range of 22-24 degrees. Then gradually lower the temperature by 1 degree.

Of course, you should not lower the temperature every day. For a few days, the baby should adapt to changes in temperature, then you can lower it again a little. If it is warm outside, then leave the balcony windows open, but be sure to make sure that the child is not blown by a draft. In the cold season, keeping windows and balconies open is not recommended. But you should ventilate the room several times a day.

Tempering the child with air, you can leave him naked for several minutes. Let him crawl around the room in the fresh air. You can leave the baby in this form for 3-5 minutes. Gradually, the interval increases, reaching up to 10 minutes. Repeat the procedure 2 times a day for babies up to 6 months and 15 minutes 2-3 times a day for babies over 6 months.

And of course, one of the simplest and most effective ways of hardening is a walk. Walking with the baby is necessary, starting from the first days of his birth. You can stay at home only in the rain and in strong winds, and if the weather is frosty, but there is no gusty wind, it is not necessary to give up walking and air procedures!

The main thing is to monitor the well-being of the baby, as many mothers "sin" by wrapping the baby too tightly, and he is covered with perspiration and feels uncomfortable. Let the first walks be short, for example, 15-20 minutes, and then they can be increased to 1.5-2 hours. If it's warm outside, you can walk there even longer!

Help the sun in hardening the crumbs

The sun is also an indispensable assistant for hardening. It, moreover, saturates the body with useful vitamin D. Yes, this vitamin is also found in foods: cottage cheese, cheese, liver, but the baby, due to his age, cannot consume these foods in sufficient quantities, so sun walks are necessary.

It is necessary to carefully monitor that the baby is not under the direct rays of the sun. It is better to choose darkened areas under the tree. By the way, sunbathing is possible at home. To do this, you need a changing table, a crib, and a playpen for the baby to be placed by the window.

Pay close attention to the reaction and behavior of the crumbs. If you notice that he likes such sun and air baths, then you can take them 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening. The optimum ambient temperature should be between 22-24 degrees.

Many mothers have considerable experience in hardening children. Their advice will surely come in handy:

• If you have friends or relatives in the village, or you just like to go out of town, be sure to let your child walk barefoot on the grass, after making sure that there are no sharp stones, glasses, or cigarette butts on the ground. Babies up to a year old do not know how to walk firmly on their own, so you can support the baby under your arms and take the first steps with him on grass, sand, and earth.
• If summer is in full swing, then you can take water baths right on the street, carefully watching so that the baby does not get sunburn. It is very useful to equip a small sandbox near the house. The sand will warm up quickly and cool down quickly, the baby will be pleased to feel it with his skin.
• Some mothers in the cold season, when there is no wind and rain, wrap up their child and put him to sleep right in the stroller on the balcony.
• Prepare the child for hardening when he sleeps. If the house is warm, then let the baby sleep in panties and a diaper if you swaddle him. In winter, dress him in pajamas made of natural fabric - this will be enough.

• Don't forget the benefits of massage. Massage is a substitute for physical education, which helps to adapt to hardening procedures and makes them more effective. Yes, due to their young age, a child cannot do full-fledged physical exercises like older children, so massage will be the only worthy alternative. But it is highly discouraged for parents to do it at their own discretion and on their own. The fact is that in children under 1 year old, normal muscle tone often has not yet formed. Muscle tone can be reduced or increased, so improper massage can only exacerbate the problem and cause discomfort to the child. You need to consult with a neurologist, pediatrician and children's massage therapist what type of massage your child needs based on the characteristics of his muscles. You should visit several massage sessions and see how the masseur conducts it. Only after that you can do massage at home on your own, carefully watching the reaction of the child.

Is it possible to temper all children?

Many parents are wondering whether it is worth tempering a child if he is often sick. In this case, hardening is also not a contraindication, but it should be started when the baby is healthy.

It is required to carry out the procedures systematically, only then they will be useful. According to statistics, babies who are regularly hardened by their parents get sick 4 times less often than their “room” counterparts.

By the way, did you know that this procedure helps to defeat not only diseases associated with the adverse effects of environmental factors? Yes, hardening will not be able to protect the child from, say, infectious diseases such as chickenpox or influenza. But even in this case, hardened children endure infectious diseases much more easily and with a lower risk of complications.

Thus, hardening indirectly helps to protect their body from many other diseases.

Many parents complain that the child often catches a cold. Weak immune defense is the main cause of diseases, low body resistance. A few simple steps can help boost your immune system. The main thing: the regularity of classes, constant monitoring of results, consultations with a pediatrician.

Hardening a child with weak immunity is carried out by different methods. Air and sun baths, water procedures, physical education, a healthy lifestyle - all the ways to strengthen the body can not be counted. Learn how to temper toddlers and older children.

Reasons for weak immunity

Often sick children have a weak immune system. Excessive sensitivity of the body develops under the influence of many factors.

Reasons for the weakening of the protective forces:

• insufficient, irrational, poor-quality nutrition of the mother during pregnancy;
• artificial feeding or early cessation of breastfeeding;
• lack of trace elements, vitamins, minerals, poor diet;
• insufficient care for the baby;
• parents' lack of knowledge on hardening the baby;
• unwillingness of parents to engage in physical education with the baby, to massage;
• insufficient duration of walks in the fresh air;
• the duration of day / night sleep is lower than normal;
• chronic diseases, increased sensitization of the body;
• hereditary pathologies of the immune system.

Signs of weak immunity:

• frequent colds (the child gets sick more than 4-6 times a year);
• constant complaints of headache;
• weakness, apathy, drowsiness;
• propensity to allergies;
• after illness, the child recovers for a long time;
• the body reacts poorly to the penetration of pathogens, the temperature rarely rises even with diseases that are almost always accompanied by high temperature indicators;
• pimples, red spots often appear on the skin;
• any draft causes nasal congestion;
• at the slightest contact with a cold person, coughing, sneezing begins, health worsens;
• children refuse outdoor games, quietly sit on the sidelines, complain that "there is no strength."

Many adults ask: “How to increase immunity in frequently ill children?”. Methods depend on the cause of the decrease in immune protection. If the problem is acquired, place maximum emphasis on natural methods: proper nutrition, daily routine, vitamin therapy, physical education, hardening. In congenital immune pathologies, special preparations have the main therapeutic effect. The doctor will prescribe immunostimulants, without which the correct lifestyle will not give noticeable results.

General hardening rules

After a visit to an immunologist and a pediatrician, you learned that the child has no serious diseases, no congenital pathologies. This is good news. To strengthen immunity, it is important to establish nutrition, sleep, rest, and health will become stronger.

An obligatory item for increasing the body's defenses is hardening. Pay attention to the general requirements that should be followed at any age.

10 rules for parents who start hardening sick children:

• think over the methods, stop at one or two, consult a pediatrician;
• start the procedure when the children are completely healthy;
• act carefully, gradually reduce the temperature of water / air, increase the duration of air / sunbathing;
• gradually introduce new types of health procedures;
• observe the adaptation mode: enter the following technique in a week - another after a calm reaction of the body to previous sessions;
• start water procedures in the summer, in warm weather;
• for children suffering from frequent colds, the temperature of water and air should be 2-3 degrees higher;
• if the baby is sick, cancel rubdowns, baths (in water or air), after recovery, start the process again, from the first stage;
• every 2 weeks take a break for a couple of days, observe the reaction of the body;
• combine hardening with proper nutrition, staying in the fresh air, taking vitamin and mineral complexes, good rest. Only in this case, the immune system of the child will become stronger.

Hardening methods for children of different ages

A pediatrician, methodologist of the health cabinet will suggest the best types of procedures for healing the body. Most methods are suitable for home use. The task of parents is to learn the rules of hardening, to get expert advice. It is important to take into account the health status of a particular child.

Water procedures

Simple, affordable methods: rubdown, douche and shower. Show your baby an example of how to rub the body with a towel. Please note: the skin of children is delicate, it is impossible to rub the body strongly. Buy your baby a soft towel.

• wipe the body after waking up, the duration of the procedure is 1-2 minutes. Initially, the temperature is + 33 ... + 35 degrees. As with other water procedures, gradually lower the temperature by 1-2 degrees;
• shower is allowed after a year and a half. The optimal time for water procedures is in the morning and after light gymnastics. The temperature regime is the same as for taking a bath (from +36 degrees, gradually “remove” 1 degree each);
• douche. Excellent hardening effect, active training of the thermoregulation mechanism. Begin the procedures after the baby is used to wiping and showering. You can’t immediately pour a jug of cold water on a child: a cold is guaranteed. The duration of dousing is from 15 to 30 seconds. Start with a standard temperature (from +35 degrees), for two months reach a temperature of +30 degrees. At first, pour over only the legs (from the feet to the knees) and the arms (from the hands to the shoulders), later go to the whole body (gradually). When the baby gets used, alternate warm and cool water.

Note! Adjust the temperature for dousing children depending on the time of year. For kids from one to three years old, in winter, focus on indicators of + 34 ... + 28 degrees, in summer: + 33 ... + 24 degrees. From 6 to 8 years, temperature indicators decrease from +32…+24 degrees in winter to +30…+20 degrees in summer.

Swimming

The effect of cool water on a small organism, soft “wave” massage, developing physical activity made swimming one of the leaders in hardening procedures for children of different ages. It is noteworthy that a baby can swim with support from 6-8 weeks.

The smallest swimmers will be able to stay on the water with an inflatable ring for newborns with a comfortable fixation in the neck area. At first, the child swims in the bathroom, in the open water it is allowed to swim for babies from the age of one year, always with their parents.

Many pools offer a special early swim course for moms and babies. Children develop more actively, get sick less often, become more sociable, confident, the bond between mother and baby is strengthened. Sometimes dads go to such classes: this is also a plus for raising a little man.

The temperature in the pool for babies is at the level of +32 C ... +34 C, the air should warm up to +26 C. For comfortable swimming in the pool, gradually reduce the temperature of the water in the bathroom from 36–37 degrees to +33 C ... +34 C. Perform recommendations from the instructor, obtain permission from the pediatrician for recreational swimming in the baby pool.

For older children, classes are also recommended to develop strength, dexterity, hardening of the body. One of the positive aspects: swimming is an active physical activity with minimal impact on the spine and cardiovascular system.

magic track

A simple, affordable way. During the procedure, the child acts on the biologically active points of the feet, massages the sole, feels the effect of water on the legs. Vapors of essential oils penetrate the respiratory tract, have a beneficial effect on the body. Walking on an uneven surface is an easy exercise plus a massage.

You will need:

• massage Mat;
• fine sand;
• small pebbles;
• sea ​​salt;
• essential oils.

On the page, learn about how to properly introduce complementary foods while breastfeeding.

How to proceed:

• pour not very much water into the bath: at first the liquid should be warm: + 36 ... + 37 degrees;
• pour sea salt with a concentrate of fir, eucalyptus, pine;
• put a massage mat on top;
• put the baby in the bath. Suggest walking along the path. Many parents and herbalists advise singing songs. The more often the child opens his mouth, takes in more air, the more active are the beneficial vapors of pine needles or eucalyptus, salt vapors penetrate the respiratory tract;
• The first procedure lasts 10 minutes. The water gradually cools down, a hardening effect is noticeable;
• gradually lower the temperature by 1-2 degrees, but you should not keep your feet in cold water either;
• after a couple of weeks, bring the duration of the procedure to 20 minutes;
• make sure that the child does not freeze. After the procedure, rinse the legs with clean water, wipe dry.

Advice! A useful session can be held in a large basin. Pour sand and small pebbles, pour in a little sea salt, drip a little pine elixir. For useful procedures, warm up some water to 36 degrees. Let the baby walk in the basin, as if on the seabed. Start with 5 minutes, increase to 20 minutes in 2 weeks.

Air baths

The easiest, most affordable way to harden. Undress the baby, let him lie down naked in warm weather 2-3 times a day. The duration of the procedures is from 2 to 15 minutes. Be sure to take into account the temperature in the room, so that the little one does not freeze.

In the fresh air, the child should walk without extra clothes (do not wrap even the smallest ones), taking into account climatic conditions. Start hardening in the morning or after a daytime sleep, gradually increase the duration of the sessions.

sunbathing

A useful form of healing the body. Main: do not overdo it, observe hours favorable for hardening.

• babies should be in the sun for no more than 1-2 minutes, babies after a year old - no more than 20 minutes;
• the optimal time for staying in the summer sun is before 10.00 and after 16.00. From 11 to 15, kids (and older children) should not walk under the scorching sun: dangerous radiation during peak hours provokes various diseases;
• As with other hardening methods, increase sun exposure gradually. Watch the reaction of the body, do not allow heat stroke. Always wear a cap, panama hat with a visor to protect your face and eyes.

Physical education, gymnastics, massage

• morning exercises are a game, not a punishment. The kid will be happy to study if the parents lead by example. The child should not guess how serious the event is: the exercises should be easy, fun;
• let the baby jump, run, squat, bend over to cheerful, incendiary music. Parents will also benefit from a warm-up;
• Remember: young children copy the behavior of adults. If you force the little one to do exercises, while you yourself bask under the covers, there will be no sense;
• massage is a great way to strengthen muscles, normalize body functions. Conduct useful sessions an hour and a half after eating, during the daytime or in the morning, before exercising;
• if the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe nursery allows, buy a corner for physical education for a young athlete. The minimum set is a horizontal bar, a Swedish ladder, a rope, a sports bench, a swing. In a well-equipped place, physical education is much more interesting.

Is the child often sick? The doctor said that the child's immune system is weakened, do you need to harden the body? Consider the recommendations of pediatricians, consider methods suitable for your baby. The sooner you start hardening with weak immunity, the sooner the child will become stronger, will more actively resist infections.

Dr. Komarovsky about hardening children in the following video:

Hi all! When our kids once again begin to sneeze and have a temperature, we take out the first aid kit and sigh sadly. Well, here it is again! And hands just drop, because there is no end to colds!

Medicines are no longer effective, because the body is simply used to them. And I have a suggestion for this. Or maybe we will teach the little one not to medicines, but to a healthy lifestyle? What does that require? Learn how to properly temper a child at home. Or rather, the rules and techniques of this wonderful procedure.

First, answer yourself the question: “Are you ready to change your lifestyle for the sake of the health of the little one?”. After all, hardening is a regular event that should become a ritual. In addition to sometimes having to sacrifice your interests, you will sometimes need to take part in the process! You must be an example! Only in this way the child will understand that the event is quite natural and necessary.

So, are you ready? Well then, here's a list of rules for you. Please study before proceeding!

1. Doctor's recommendations. Do not be lazy, take the baby to the pediatrician. What if the procedures that you prescribe yourself do not suit the baby? Get medical support.
2. The earlier the better. After birth, babies get used to the effects of cold more easily. So do not wrap up your treasure more than necessary. Take care of your health without delay.
3. Regularity. Once you start, you don't need to stop. After all, a break in a week will become critical. Children's immunity will return to its previous positions.
4. Subsequence. Children in the snow and barefoot, this is just the result of a lot of hard work that we see. On the way to this are long months of training. It is always good to start with comfortable temperatures. And lower them just a degree every 5-7 days.
5. Individuality. The approach is different for everyone. Consider the desire and state of health of each baby.
6. Mood. In no case do not force! If the baby is naughty, postpone the event for another time or day. The process should be fun! After all, we are going to make it a regular and everyday ritual, right? Why cause negativity in the crumbs?
7. We begin to harden only a completely healthy toddler. No colds or chronic exacerbations.

Every point is important. But more often parents have a question about the latter. Yes, it is not recommended to start, if the child is sick. But what if the hardening is in full swing, and then the baby caught a cold?

If the child is sick?

In this case, rule number 1 applies. A doctor's consultation is required. Depending on the state of health will depend on what to do. Usually, at any elevated body temperature, procedures are completely canceled.

And when to resume? Not earlier than a week after complete recovery. The body must recover completely. Otherwise, instead of benefit, we will get a new cold.

If the disease goes away with minor symptoms, the doctor may allow the hardening to continue. But! Throw in a few degrees. For example, you doused a child with +25° water. For the period of illness, do it with water + 28 °. Those. the mode still has to be gentle!

But, I hope that during the hardening of your crumbs, no cataclysms will happen. Then, having studied the rules, let me talk about the methods.

Methods and ways

There are several hardening methods. In fact, with a certain habit, you can combine them all with each other! And you can choose a few and systematically do it. Develop a habit, such as brushing your teeth. So choose!

• Air.
• Water.
• Sun.
• Non-standard events.

Well, first about the most popular. And then I will try to surprise you with a non-standard technique!

Air

This is the most gentle and gentle way. But even here you can use a lot of interesting tricks! The simplest is air baths. Recommended for the smallest, i.e. ! First, leave the baby naked for 15 seconds, then increase the interval of stay by 5-10 seconds. So bring up to 30-40 minutes!

Such baths are taken at + 22 ° in the room. When the child gets used to these manipulations, you can complicate the task. By airing, lower the temperature every 5 days by a degree. But this is already after six months, and better than a year. Bring the reading to +17°.

Oh yes! I want to ask you, how often do you ventilate the room? You need at least 5 times a day for 15 minutes. And don't forget about walking! By the way, how much do you wrap the baby? Did you know that children most often catch colds from overheating? Dress them for the weather. Don't be too zealous.

Are you afraid of freezing? So let them move more actively. Ahhh, don't want to? Then option one: move together! Organize outdoor games! Trust my experience, kids love group games. Especially with parents!

Water

I don’t know about you, but I am delighted with those mothers who take their children to the pools even before they are a year old. More precisely, swimming begins as soon as the umbilical wound heals. During this period, he had not yet forgotten how to swim. And it is good to develop in the pool.

Is there no such possibility? Is there a bath at home? Then get more water, buy a special circle and go! Do you know how to tumble? Don't pull out your ears! Other than that, here are some other great options:

• Rubbing.
• Pouring.
• Washing feet in cold water.

Such manipulations can be carried out both on the whole body and locally. Yes, it's better to start locally. Let the legs get used to one value first, then the arms, bye, back, tummy ... Not clear yet? I'll try to explain!

rubdowns

If the little one is regularly sick, first rub it until it is slightly reddened with a terry or flannel mitten. Then soak this glove in water. Wipe hands and feet from toes upwards. Back and breast from the middle to the sides. And the stomach is strictly clockwise. You need to start from + 35 °. And bring to +20° ... +22°.

Another interesting recommendation. After wiping, after all, it is necessary to wipe the body dry with a towel, until a slight redness. So, when you get used to it, wipe, leaving the body a little damp. Let it dry naturally. This will give additional hardening to the body.

Yes, one more piece of advice: such manipulations should be carried out not earlier than six months of age. Especially at .

In addition, do not forget about washing in cool water. Lower your thermometer by one degree every 5 days. Honestly, right after birth, I washed my daughter with water at room temperature. More precisely wiped. The main thing is not to lose this good habit as you grow up!

Pouring

Up to a year, many are already pouring over children. At first, some water is about + 35 °, and as a result, it is brought to + 20 °. And sometimes even less! Look at the child's reaction here.

First you need to get used to the limbs, and then the whole body. As a rule, the head is not doused. And, in general, in most cases, it is recommended to start such events no earlier than 1-2 years. Depends on the health of the baby. And now advice for those parents whose children are especially often sick.

Washing feet in cold water

Great for strengthening the immune system. Especially when the child is often sick. So, every evening we pour water on the legs + 36 °. We gradually lower the boundaries: if the baby is not older than a year old, then up to + 28 °. And when older, then up to + 20 °.

At the end, do not forget to rub to the red heels. It is better to do it before going to bed so that you can immediately lie down in a warm bed. By the way, if the feet are cold, this does not always mean that the baby is cold. It turns out that our heels are able to adapt to environmental conditions.

So do not be afraid to let the baby barefoot on the floor. Of course, within reason. And not for long.

Sun

In general, it's great to have water procedures on the street in the summer! But first you need to develop a habit of the sun's rays. Take the child out only in the morning, before 10:00 and walk only under the crowns of trees.

Then, you can go out into the sun, but after 10:00 urgently into the house! The scorching sun has never done anyone any good. And don't forget the hats.

As for clothes: initially, these are light shirts and shorts. Then you can leave only in shorts, even barefoot! Provided that there is nothing dangerous and piercing on the surface of the earth.

And now, as promised, a few words about unusual methods that help strengthen immunity!

Non-standard methods in hardening children

Tell me, do you allow children to drink drinks from the refrigerator? And believe that the child will not get sick after this? If this is organized correctly, he really will not get sick. Moreover, drinking cold drinks will also become a hardening method! So how do you do it? Very simple. Dear readers, the main thing is to follow the rule of sequence.

In fact, there are several methods and techniques, namely. I chose the most effective and interesting:

• Cold cubes from the freezer. You can freeze the juice and give the baby to suck. First, 15 seconds. So, bring the resorption up to 2 minutes. Don't give big cubes and control the time.
• Ice cream. Let's start with a teaspoon. And explain that the child does not swallow, but also dissolves.
• Gargling with cold water. See if you can add salt to the water. Or make a decoction of chamomile. Rinsing should be started from comfortable temperatures with warm solutions. Lower by a degree, bringing to + 17 °. In adolescents and adults, the lower limit is + 8 ° ... + 10 °.
• Drinking drinks from the refrigerator. We take a drink, and give literally a sip - two. And so, every 3 days we increase the number of sips.

Well, how do you like these ways to temper? Really, great? But it can only be applied to older children, at least 3-4 years old.

Well, the technique, I think is clear. You have probably already chosen something suitable for yourself. What if not a secret? Tell in the comments! But choosing is not enough. You need to figure it out, but where do you start?

Getting Started the Right Way

Above, in the methods, I described the temperatures at which hardening can begin. If your child is quite hardened or just healthy, then you should not be afraid. That is, if he is already drinking the juice of their refrigerator, there is no need to train him in sips. Continue in the same rhythm, just adding new methods of hardening.

And the rest need to be handled more gently. Add more complex methods only when the baby is completely used to the previous, simpler one.

Air baths are recommended first. Then water rubdowns are added, dousing the house. When the child gets used to it, in the summer it is possible to do this on the street, in hot weather. Make it harder as you get used to it and grow up. In principle, up to 4 years, you can use all the above methods. And preschool age, 5-6 years old, can be completely released barefoot on the snow! Well, subject to a trained body and a doctor's consultation.

Now tell us what you are doing to make your child stop getting sick often? What methods did you like? What are you planning to try from what I suggested? Leave comments and become blog subscribers. Bye. See you soon!

No one denies the great benefits of tempering procedures. But often parents are frightened by the very thought that the child should be taken out barefoot in the snow, poured with ice water every day.

Hardening principles

There are also frequent misconceptions that it is too late to harden a child at 5-6 years old. All these fears are groundless, because hardening procedures have a large number of methods in their arsenal, from very mild to extreme.

You can start healing even at preschool age. You just need to know the general rules for conducting wellness procedures, as well as some of the features inherent in each childhood.

Before starting to harden a child, care must be taken that the following principles will be observed.

Rules for hardening children 5 - 6 years old:

• the individual characteristics of the child must be taken into account. Firstly, his desire to harden in general, and secondly, the level of his health and ability;
• hardening is not an arena for demonstrating feats. Here the principle of gradualism must be respected. You can not abruptly switch to intensive procedures. Gradually, you need to reduce the temperature of exposure, open more and more parts of the body, increase the duration of the procedures;
• it is necessary to organize the security of events. And during the procedures themselves, it is important to monitor the condition of the child, to prevent hypothermia and overheating;
• the result depends very much on the mood of the child and the parent during hardening. Do not start if the mood is bad. And to create good, you can apply game elements;
• A complex approach. When introducing new hardening habits into a child’s life, it is also necessary to take care of observing the daily routine, proper nutrition and other preventive measures, such as massage, exercise;
• regularity. Hardening should be carried out every day. In order to make it easier to introduce new habits into life, it is convenient to draw up an action plan, where you need to include not only the main procedures, but also auxiliary ones, such as, for example, washing and washing hands with cool water, and also draw up a plan to increase the load at the initial stage. .

At the time of the beginning of hardening, the child must be completely healthy. It is impossible to introduce new procedures until the disease has completely subsided, especially for weakened children.

Before starting the introduction of a complex of hardening measures, it is recommended to visit a doctor so that he assesses the general health of the child and advises hardening procedures that are suitable for him.

Hardening procedures can be carried out in two modes:

1. elementary. The period of entry into the load, when the body gradually gets used to the effects of lower temperatures and other external factors. Its duration is usually 1-2 months;
2. supportive. The period when the loads remain basically constant, and change only depending on the time of year.

The initial and supporting stages may alternate. For example, with a long break in classes, you should return to the initial stage, and then again move on to the supporting one.

How to start tempering a child of 5 years?

You can harden with air, sun and water. Hardening methods can be general and specialized.

Hardening methods:

• sleeping outdoors;
• regular ventilation of the premises;
• clothes for the weather or a little lighter;
• washing and washing hands with cool water;
• walks.

Specialized activities include dousing, gymnastics, swimming and others. To obtain good and stable hardening results, both methods must be combined.

Air hardening. This is the most accessible hardening factor. It can be used at home and on the street, in kindergarten and in the country. We are talking about air baths. Moreover, in the summer it is necessary to distinguish between air and sun baths for safety reasons, since the requirements for their implementation are different. Thus, in the summer it is better to heal on the street in the shade.

Before holding air events in the room, it is desirable to ventilate it. Hardening should begin with a temperature of 21-23 degrees. And gradually lower to 16-18 degrees.

To harden a child of 5 years on the street, you should start with a temperature of 25-26 degrees, gradually lowering to 18 degrees. In very windy or rainy weather, it is better to move the lesson indoors. It should also be borne in mind that the initial stage when hardening outdoors should be more extended in time compared to indoor air baths.

Sun hardening. Hardening a child of 5 years old with the help of the sun must be carried out either in the morning before 10:00 or in the evening after 17:00. If at this time the sun is still very hot and scorching, then the beginning of hardening is best done in the shade of trees.

The starting time is 10 minutes. Gradually, within 1 - 1.5 months, the duration of sunbathing should be increased to 45-50 minutes. Upon reaching the specified duration of sunbathing, you can gradually shift the boundaries of the time of day of exposure to the sun. As a result, it is worth excluding only the time from 11:00 to 16:00.

water hardening

Hardening with water gives the most powerful healing effect. With a lack of vitamins in the water for procedures, you can add herbal infusions. There are quite a lot of ways to harden with water. You need to start hardening a child of 5 years old with the most gentle ones: with rubbing with a damp towel.

The main types of hardening with water:

Wiping with a damp towel. The procedure is best done in the morning upon awakening. It is carried out as follows: a towel is moistened in water, the limbs are squeezed a little, then the torso. Duration of rubdown is 3-4 minutes. You should start with a water temperature of 30 degrees.

Then every week it is reduced by one degree to 19 degrees, if hardening is carried out in summer and to 23 degrees, if in winter. At the end of the rubdown, it is necessary to rub the body with a dry towel to a pink color.

Contrasting rub. The execution technique is the same as in the usual one, only very warm and cold water is used alternately. The duration of the procedure is 5 minutes. If the child responds well to such rubdowns, then after 3-4 days the difference between temperatures can be increased by 1 degree. And bring in this way to wiping with hot and ice water. At the end, you also need to rub the body with a dry towel.

Pouring. Both individual parts of the body and the whole body can be subjected to this procedure. Douche can be carried out both with a shower and a container of water. You can start with local or general douches. The temperature regime at the beginning for local procedures is 28 degrees, for general procedures - 30 degrees.

For a week, you can reduce the temperature by 1-2 degrees, gradually bringing it up to 15 for local and 17 degrees for general douches. At the end of the procedure, rub the body with a dry towel until pink.

Cold and hot shower. It can also be applied to specific areas of the body or the entire body. The head is not involved in the procedure. The duration of the contrast shower starts from 30 seconds and is adjusted to 3 minutes within a month. They always start with a supply of warm water and end with it. The duration of the supply of warm water is always higher than that of cold water. They start with a temperature of 33 and 27 degrees, respectively, bringing up to 40 and 20 degrees within a month.

A large selection of methods allows you to create a hardening program that takes into account the individual characteristics of the child as much as possible. Depending on the general level of health and his personal preferences, you can start with the most sparing ones, moving forward in small steps. And you can go at a faster pace, using immediately stronger methods.

How to harden a child of 5 years?

When carrying out wellness procedures, it is necessary to observe safety measures so as not to harm health. In order to properly temper a child of 5 years old, you must first provide the necessary conditions.

Hardening scheme for a child of 5 years:

Proper hardening requires:

• lack of drafts;
• ventilated room;
• good weather calm or with a light breeze;
• headwear when sunbathing;
• pre-prepared towels, decoctions, thermometer.

The key to success in hardening a 5-year-old child is his good mood and willingness to feel discomfort. The easiest way to achieve this is by creating game conditions. You can come up with a plot and beat it in hardening events.

It is very easy to achieve the desired mood by combining air baths with gymnastics. These can be simple moving exercises with benefits for the musculoskeletal system. Hardening a 5-year-old child involves physical exercises lasting 25-30 minutes.

How to start hardening a child of 6 years old?

To start tempering a child of 6 years old, all recommendations for children of 5 years old with a slight difference in temperature and duration of procedures will do.

Start hardening indoors with the help of air baths should be from a temperature of 20-22 degrees and gradually lower to 15-17. For outdoor events, you need to start from 24-25 degrees, lowering to 17.

Hardening by the sun should be carried out according to the same scheme as for 5 years, only the duration of sunbathing as a result must be increased to 55-60 minutes. Be sure to use sunscreen if necessary. This applies to the southern regions of the country.

Maria Muraleva
Consultation for parents "Hardening children 3-4 years old at home"

Advice for parents

"Tempering children 3-4 years old at home".

To those whom parents began to harden from the first days of life, undoubtedly, it will be easier to study, they will not have to miss classes due to frequent runny noses and sore throats. But starting to hardening a child at three or four years old, and even at five or six years old, you can do a lot.

In the daily routine of the child with the same obligation as food, sleep, walks, must enter and hardening procedures. We offer the following schedule.

In the morning - air bath for 15 minutes; of which 6-7 minutes we recommend doing gymnastics.

After an air bath and gymnastics - washing up to the waist with water, the temperature of which is 16-14 degrees, and if water procedures were not performed before - 27 degrees.

Before and after washing - gargling. In the first days with warm water - 36-33 degrees; every 5 days, lower its temperature by 1 degree, bringing it to 18-16. This procedure is especially useful for weakened, often ill children. The initial water temperature for them is the same, but it must be reduced more slowly - every 7 days. If the child is ill, rinsing does not stop, but the water temperature should not be lowered. It is even better to gargle with warmer water - one degree higher than before the disease.

The most favorable time for sunbathing is from 8 to 11 hours, duration up to 30 minutes, but in two doses. The child lay down for 5-15 minutes in the sun, then rested in the shade and again for 5-15 minutes under direct sunlight.

hardened a child can replace morning washing to the waist with a general douche or shower; or, getting out of bed, let him wash himself and wash up to his waist, and do the douche after a sunbath.

Foot contrast baths - after daytime sleep.

This procedure can be replaced by dousing the legs. The initial water temperature is 28 degrees, lowering it every 8-4 days (for weakened children - every 7 days, bring to 16 degrees.

All hardening procedures are best done in the morning and afternoon, around 9 and 15 hours. Studies have shown that at this time of day, children preschool age, adaptive reactions to temperature fluctuations develop better.

Basic Rules hardening a child

1. Proceed to hardening possible at any time of the year.

2. hardening effective only when it is carried out systematically; without constant reinforcement, the results achieved decline.

3. You can not dramatically increase the duration and strength hardening effects. Violation of the principle of gradualness can cause hypothermia and illness in the child.

4. hardening procedures should not be started if the child is sick.

5. Efficiency tempering procedures increases if they are carried out in a complex.

6. The child should like the procedure, evoke positive emotions.

Together with mom and dad

It is known that children love to imitate adults, and it will be very good if this ability of a child parents use it to instill in him a strong habit of gymnastics and hardening procedures. Morning exercises for children and parents can do together!

Special observations have shown that children that even only three times a week (dressed accordingly in autumn and winter) perform gymnastic exercises in the air, the activity of the bacterial flora of the nasopharynx decreases, in other words, they are less threatened by acute respiratory diseases.

By the age of 4, the child is already noticeably more enduring than at the third. He can, for example, continuously walk for 20 to 40 minutes. Train him to walk! A walk with mom and dad out of town, to the park will leave him with joyful impressions and will be very useful.

One of my favorite summer activities children this age - cycling. At 3-4 years old, kids easily master a three-wheeled, and from 5 years old, a two-wheeled one. The duration of continuous cycling is from 15 to 30 minutes.

in winter children always attracts sledding from the mountains. Very good! Let only a child, according to a well-known Russian proverb, fall in love with a sledge carry: make sure he goes uphill with them! So he will not get cold, and physical training will be more effective.

From 4-5 years old teach children go skiing; first - to stand on them correctly, then - to walk without sticks, and only when they have mastered this skill well, you can give them sticks.

A kid of 4-5 years old can also be put on skates. At first, he will get tired after 10-15 minutes, but the more confident he starts to feel on the ice, the longer he will be able to ride - 40-60 minutes each. (with breaks every 20 minutes).

Bathing and swimming.

Swimming in open water is the most effective hardening procedure. Many parents now successfully taught to swim in home bath for infants. children young children are taught to swim in the pools of children's clinics. But if your child isn't a swimmer, use the summer to teach them how to float.

Of course, the baby can start swimming at an air temperature of at least 25 degrees (if he hardened - not lower than 24, on calm days and only in a clean reservoir, with a gentle sandy shore, where there are no snags, algae, stones. Teach him to calmly enter the water, not to be afraid to open his eyes in the water. Let him play with the ball, try to dip, and you, standing next to him, help him keep his balance. And watch - is he cold? If appeared "goose pimples"- now go to the shore, dry off and warm yourself in the sun!

After the first acquaintance with the water, tasks are already possible that prepare for swimming.

"Get it". The child must quickly find a toy or a stone placed on the bottom (in shallow water, of course).

"Who is sooner". Enter the water to the waist, turn to face the shore and, on command, quickly run ashore.

"Who is higher". Crouch and jump out of the water as high as possible.

"Hide Under Water". Plunge headlong, without pinching your nose and mouth with your hands.

Teach your child how to breathe properly in the water. Let him, after taking a short breath, lower his face into the water and exhale slowly through his mouth, as if blowing on hot tea, but so that small bubbles form on the surface of the water. To account "once" inhale over water "two three four five"- exhale into the water. After repeating this exercise 12-16 times, you can proceed to the next stage of preparatory exercises.

"Rinsing clothes". Enter the water so that it is just below the waist, put your legs apart, bend down, lower your hands into the water and make them move left and right, back and forth.

"Mill". Paddle your hands in water: one hand rows, the other sweeps through the air.

"Float". Standing in the water, take a breath, hold your breath, sit down, plunging under the water, wrap your arms around your knees, and press your chin to your chest. The water will push the baby to the surface.

"Jellyfish". After the child learns to "float" After completing this exercise, spread your arms and legs to the sides.

"Scissors". Sit near the shore in shallow water and move straightened legs up and down.

If within a few days the child gets comfortable with these exercises and does them with pleasure, try placing him with his chest on a rubber circle, arms extended forward. By kicking the water from top to bottom, balance is maintained, and the child swims. At first - without immersing the face, then exhaling into the water, and to inhale, turning the face to the side.

The next step is to learn to lie on your back. Let the child, standing with his back to the shore, slowly sit down so that his chin touches the water, maintain balance with his arms outstretched to the sides, then tilt his head back, plunging the back of his head into the water and gradually taking a lying position. Helping himself with the movements of his hands, he will lie on the water.

If this doesn’t work right away, it doesn’t matter, at first, lightly support the novice swimmer.

It remains to learn how to slide on the chest. Entering the water, the child should turn to face the shore, sit down, stretch his arms with his palms down and, taking a breath, push off from the bottom. Show him how, in a position resembling an arrow, to swim to the shore; then teach him to do alternating rowing with his hands and quick movements with his legs.

The thermoregulatory mechanisms of the child are trained under the influence of both strong, but short-term cooling and relatively weak, to longer ones. In addition, the researchers found that hardening it is most effective when not only individual parts of the body are cooled, but the whole body. This means that contrasting foot baths or dousing alone, for all their benefits, will not give the maximum effect. If you want your child to grow up strong, use the whole complex that we talked about!

If you harden a child is not the first year, we can recommend a combination of water procedures with subsequent air baths, first in the room, and in the summer in the open air. After pouring or showering, do not dry your baby dry. Remove only large drops of water with light touches of a terry towel. Let it dry by staying naked: as a result of evaporation of moisture, further cooling of the body occurs.

But it is impossible to allow the child to tremble. If he is cold - you need to do a light massage, rub it with a towel. Within a few days, repeat the douche followed by an air bath - and the child will get used to it, additional warming is not required.

We remind you that this procedure is potent, and start with it hardening is not possible.

Caution, gradualness, systematicity - three principles that must be strictly adhered to, tempering the child.