Most children immediately after the start of attending kindergarten begin to get sick often. It was then that parents wondered how to properly temper a child?

Doctors recommend starting hardening almost from the first days of life. Even in winter, babies can take air and sun baths, as well as walk. Moms think that walking alone is enough to strengthen immunity, but this is not so. There are several methods and methods of recovery.

According to doctors and parents, hardening of children is a procedure that strengthens the immune system, while the child's body is affected by natural factors: sunlight, water and air. Immunostimulating exercises are based on the contrast of temperatures, which increases the body's resistance.

Dr. Komarovsky believes that systematic exercises can improve the functioning of all major body systems. With their help:

• metabolism is accelerated;
• sleep improves;
• increased appetite;
• the nervous system becomes more stable.

The purpose of hardening is to adapt the body to external stress factors. Children who have undergone strengthening procedures do not get sick from wet feet or suddenly changing weather. A hardened baby is able to resist viruses and most bacteria, as his immune cells are constantly ready to repel the attack of harmful agents.

Doctors have proven that when carrying out strengthening measures, the cellular structure improves.

General rules

Before you start tempering a child, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for these events:

1. Get the support of a doctor. Without his recommendations, it is impossible to independently prescribe procedures.
2. Health needs to be taken care of from birth. Therefore, get a consultation with a pediatrician as soon as possible.
3. Carry out all the procedures regularly, otherwise the body will wean from them, and the immune system will return to its original positions. If you are trying not to wrap up the baby, then you do not need to change your mind. Komarovsky recommends applying this rule to all healing methods.
4. Follow the sequence of classes. Do not use ice water to bathe a baby. Lower the degree of liquid gradually, start with comfortable temperatures.
5. Consider the state of health of the baby and his desire. If he does not want to wipe himself with a wet towel, then psychosomatic symptoms may appear. The body will react inadequately: a cough or nasal congestion will appear.
6. The process must bring joy, otherwise it cannot become a daily ritual. Choose the right time. Engage in strengthening immunity when the baby is healthy, cheerful, cheerful.
7. You can not start activities during illness or exacerbation of chronic pathologies.

By following these rules, you can properly organize hardening. If a child falls ill in the midst of restorative activities, consult a doctor. With minor symptoms of a cold, it is usually allowed to carry out hardening procedures, but in gentle ways.

hardening methods

There are three methods to help increase the body's resistance to external influences.

You can call on natural forces to help:

1. Water: rubbing, dousing, washing, shared bath. Methods associated with the water element are the most effective. Even adults are recommended a contrast shower, but for children it is mandatory.
2. Air. From the first days after discharge from the hospital, doctors recommend daily undressing the baby, for some time laying it on the changing table. Pre-ventilate the room until it is slightly cool (18-10 degrees). Additionally, it is recommended to walk barefoot on the ground or special rugs, dress according to the weather. Dress a healthy moving child a little lighter than yourself.
3. Sun. Under its rays, vitamin D is synthesized, which is important for the absorption of calcium and strengthening the immune system. Try to avoid burns, overheating.

Doctors consider the best way to quickly harden a child, swimming in an open pond. It combines all types of effects on the body. You need to start swimming with a baby when the water is heated to a temperature of at least 23 degrees. Send the baby to splash in several visits, the duration of each should be no more than 10 minutes.

If parents have the opportunity, then in the summer it is worth visiting the sea coast - salty air and water have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, immune cells, and metabolism.

Doctors prohibit hardening babies if they have health problems:

• heart defects of varying degrees;
• anemia (lack of hemoglobin in the blood);
• acute stage of respiratory diseases, accompanied by an increase in body temperature;
• severe neurological pathologies;
• exhaustion.

Before you start tempering premature babies, conduct a complete examination, get recommendations from a neurologist, pediatrician. For such children, you need to create your own recovery program, which includes physiotherapy, a visit to the salt room, and sensory development. Komarovsky claims that hardening a child will not save him from diseases, this is only a procedure that strengthens the immune system.

Healing with the sun

Light-air exposure consists in regular summer walks. With kids, you need to start walking in the shade of trees. Choose a time when the sun is not too active - from 9 to 11 am. The air temperature should be at least 19 degrees, while dressing the child easily. Choose cotton clothes. When using this method of strengthening the body, it is important to know the signs of overheating:

• sweating;
• redness of the face;
• lethargy.

When they appear, you need to drink the baby and take him home. Signs of overheating can appear in the shade if it's stuffy outside. In the heat, you should refrain from walking, and focus on water treatments.

After the appearance of the first tan, you can expose the arms and legs of the child to start the synthesis of vitamin D. After 1-2 weeks, you can sunbathe with the baby, undressed to the trunks, while the temperature should be from 22 to 29 degrees. In the sun you need to be no more than 5 minutes, and then it is best to hide in the shade.

When sunbathing, a light scarf or panama should be on the child's head.

Strengthening immunity with water

Water procedures are more accessible than other methods. They are combined with daily hygiene procedures. Rubbing is first carried out with a dry towel, then you can use a wet one. Sponging should be added to the list of daily activities in the summer, so that in a few months the crumbs' body can resist diseases. Wiping begins with the hands and feet of the child.

Morning washing can also harden a growing organism. To turn the procedure from hygienic to therapeutic, a decrease in water temperature from 28-29 degrees to 20 will help. After walking, you can wash your face with cool water if the child’s hands are warm. During the day, give the baby a bowl of cool water so that the child can splash around.

A contrast shower always begins with a warm douche and ends with a cold one. At first, the temperature difference is small, but every week the range increases. Direct the jets to the legs, arms and back. Don't water your belly and face.

After an evening bath, douse the baby with cool water. You will need to douse the child with more than two liters of cool water at once. The first dousing is carried out with a liquid heated to 36 degrees, gradually reduce the temperature by 1-2 degrees. First, pour over only the legs. This procedure gives an excellent immunostimulating effect.

Swimming in open water or an outdoor pool helps to make the baby's body as strong as possible. Start swimming with your child when the water warms up to 22 degrees, set the time spent in the water individually. It is enough for the smallest to spend up to 5 minutes there, gradually increase the time.

The appearance of goosebumps on the skin, trembling, blue lips are a sign that swimming in the pond should be stopped. The body with such symptoms became cold, became vulnerable to diseases.

Air baths

You can air-quench in different ways:

• daily walks;
• ventilation of the premises at any time of the year;
• optimal choice of clothes;
• walking barefoot;
• air baths.

Every mother knows about the benefits of walking. You need to walk from 1 to 6 hours a day, but remember that being outdoors should not be at the expense of other activities. Babies can be taken outside during daytime sleep. Ideally, if a mother can leave her baby in a stroller in the summer on the veranda of a private house or balcony. This will allow you to combine household chores and a walk. In winter, you should not be outside for a long time because of the danger of frostbite on your face or hypothermia.

The optimum temperature in the apartment is 22 degrees. It is necessary to ventilate the room at any time of the year. Modern plastic windows allow you to access fresh air all year round, thanks to folding doors. In winter, they can be kept minimally open, and in summer they can be folded back to the maximum. Instead of constant airing, open the doors for 10-15 minutes 2-3 times a day.

Be sure to ventilate in the evening before going to bed. At night, the air temperature in the child's room can be 4 degrees lower than during the day, this will make sleep sounder.

Give preference to clothes made from natural fabrics and do not wrap the baby, consider his mobility. In the summer, find an area where the baby can walk barefoot. This is a great foot massage that strengthens the arch of the foot.

Try to combine all types of hardening in order to develop the child's immunity organically. Combine your stay in the air with sunbathing, as well as with water procedures, if possible.