A message from the Nurse

Hi all! Where has this winter gone?! I am so pleased to see the daffodils around, it makes me think hopefully not too much longer of cold and flu season.

These last few weeks I’ve developed some information for the boys on the area of personal hygiene. With cold and flu like symptoms seemingly at their peak, I am really trying to encourage a high standard of personal hygiene and cleanliness, after all ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’ 😉

I’ve always been a fan of Jordan Peterson, the Canadian Psychologist who rose to fame after writing his book ’12 Rules for Life’. One of these rules that I’ve been thinking about recently is ‘Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world’. Obviously, your boys are not home owners (yet) but the rule can be used in its simpler form: ‘Clean your room’.

Of course this is meant in a literal sense, but also can be interpreted that once you have taken care of your immediate environment, only then you can move on to bigger challenges. Jordan argues that when you take the time to de-clutter and organise your space, you are also taking control of your thoughts and emotions.

It can be said that in doing so, leads to a positive outlook on life and greater success later on in life.

Not only can cleaning your room lead to greater mental clarity but is also closely linked with the important subject of personal hygiene.

Keeping up a good standard of personal hygiene is one of the best ways in which the boys can protect themselves against preventable illnesses. This includes:

·         Covering coughs and sneezes

·         Handwashing

·         Trimming long nails

·         Brushing your teeth twice a day and regular dental check ups

·         Showering / bathing regularly

·         And of course, cleaning their rooms

Some simple yet effective tips for the boys we are trying to communicate is – changing sheets weekly, opening windows on a regular basis to limit condensation and allow good ventilation, clearing their room of rubbish, used foods and tissues, and tidying their floor space to allow the cleaners to do their (amazing) job.

Are these practices you think you can maintain at home? Do the boys take pride in their rooms? My eldest son definitely has some of my milder OCD traits and gets annoyed when people move his Lego cars around. I’m very aware the teenage years are more challenging so wonder what incentives you use to help your sons keep their rooms tidy?

Maybe you can share some with me 😊

 

Take care and blessings to you all,

 

Fiona – College Nurse