Long-term studies and observations have shown that hardening in childhood has a positive effect on the development of children and their degree of health. Since the child attends kindergarten for a long time, it is in this educational institution that special attention is paid to hardening.
Hardening in kindergarten is aimed at increasing the body's resistance to pathogens, and the child’s body as a result is better able to withstand sudden changes in air temperatures.
There are certain types of hardening in kindergarten, which are used today:
- Through ventilation of the group, which is carried out at a time when children are not in the room.
- Wiping the body with a damp towel, repeated washing, dousing with limbs.
- If there is a pool in the kindergarten, swimming is included in the daily routine of the child .
- Regular morning exercises with a set of breathing exercises, outdoor games.
- Reception of sun and air baths.
- Sleep during the daytime, which is held with an open window.
Educators sometimes use the Riga hardening method. It consists in the fact that two rugs with spikes are laid on the floor. On one of them is placed a napkin, previously soaked in saline. The child should walk on this rug for 10 seconds, then as much on dry. Then you need to wipe your hands, face and neck with cool water.
There are a certain number of rules, compliance with which involves hardening children in kindergarten:
- Procedures should be carried out regularly. Carers should ensure that hardening exercises are carried out every day. Otherwise, it will not have any positive result. Parents need to remember that at home the child needs to be allowed to walk barefoot as much as possible, regular walks in the fresh air are also important. It is important not to forget about carrying out water procedures.
- Remember that in hardening it is important to do everything gradually, avoiding sharp jumps in air and water temperature. So, all walks and games held on the street should take place in appropriate weather conditions. As for water quenching, it is necessary to lower its temperature by about 1-1.5 degrees per day.
- Hardening in kindergarten should include a variety of types of exercises and activities. The influence of sunlight, massage, water and air procedures, as well as physical activity should be provided .
- Each teacher should remember that hardening in kindergarten should be fully oriented to the condition of the child. The baby should not have a feeling of fear, he should not cry. Hardening is therefore carried out in a playful way.
An important fact is that only a healthy child can and should be hardened. If the child is weakened, strong loads are contraindicated, and he should be monitored if he is involved in the hardening process.
As a rule, the educator should keep a journal in which all illnesses of children, the occurring intervals between the hardening elements, the qualitative characteristics of the procedures, their duration and intensity, and the characteristics of the temperature regime should be noted.
For successful procedures, it is necessary to divide the children into not two groups. In the first group, identify healthy children and children who were previously hardened. The second group should include those who are in poor health and children who are tempered for the first time. Hardening in kindergarten must necessarily take into account such gradation in order to differentiate the approach and thus achieve the most positive results.