The best way to protect your child from diseases is to carry out timely and competent prevention. Hardening is rightfully considered one of the best preventive methods. However, there is no need to rush headlong into extreme procedures; parents need to take into account various factors, such as the baby’s health status, the characteristics of his immunity, and his age. The famous children's doctor Evgeniy Komarovsky often tells parents how to properly approach the issues of hardening toddlers, preschool and school-age children.

What it is

Hardening children is a set of measures to influence the children's body from various natural factors, such as sunlight, water, air, and so on. Often it is based on contrast (a decrease and increase in ambient temperature in relation to the child’s body temperature, an increase and increase in atmospheric pressure. The goal is to bring the body into “combat readiness”, adapt it to possible external stress, thereby increasing its ability to withstand negative influence.

Doctors have long proven that systematic hardening improves cell composition, all organs and systems begin to act more harmoniously and better. Sleep and appetite improve, blood circulation is normalized, metabolic processes, adaptation mechanisms are improved faster, the nervous system is strengthened. This method of prevention was known to the healers of Ancient Greece and Rome.

Medicine knows many methods of hardening. The simplest and most accessible at home are wiping and dousing, contrast showers, sunbathing, sports and walks in the fresh air. A relatively long stay in ice water (the so-called winter swimming) is not recommended for children; contrasting alternation of warm and cool water is better for them.

You can harden the child either entirely or practice local procedures- hardening the throat, for example (there is a well-known and tasty way for this - ice cream). It is important that the therapy be constant, because after a long break, the effect of hardening is reduced to a minimum, and then completely lost.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

Evgeny Komarovsky, like many of his colleagues, believes that all children are born with great immune capabilities and abilities. And the first years of a new person’s life are connected, alas, with the fact that the people who love them most - parents - do everything possible and impossible to destroy these innate abilities to adapt to the world around them. To do this, they do not do anything supernatural, it is enough to create greenhouse conditions for the baby, dress warmly, monitor the sterility of the food that the baby eats, close the windows and doors tightly, and give the child various medications more often.

And here is the actual episode of Dr. Komarovsky’s program dedicated to children’s hardening.

The result will be a child who will often and severely get sick with all imaginable and inconceivable diseases, the first place among them will definitely be taken by colds and viral infections.

Evgeniy Olegovich is sure that children need to begin to be hardened from birth. The main thing is to do this every day, without missing a single procedure, and to approach hardening for reasons of reason. If mom and dad thought about it and decided that they want to harden their child, they should start by consulting a pediatrician. The specialist will examine the baby,, if necessary, prescribe laboratory tests, and render his verdict on whether this particular child can be hardened, and which of the known methods is better to choose.

When hardening is undesirable

Newborns

For a baby who has just been born, the usual rituals are quite suitable for hardening - morning exercises, changing clothes for a walk, evening swimming.

If the pediatrician allows it, you can gradually start pouring cold water over the baby’s feet, first with cool water, and then with cold water. The duration of the procedures should gradually increase. It is not necessary to practice contrast baths, but walks should become a mandatory attribute of every baby’s day; Evgeniy Komarovsky recommends walking with him, regardless of weather conditions and time of year. Washing is the very first hardening.

You can douse a child from birth, observing the temperature regime, which we have already described above. This should be done once a day, after bathing. First, they carefully pour over the heels, then the legs, arms, belly and smoothly move to the back of the baby’s head.

From the age of six months, the baby can be wiped with water using a special flannel mitten. At first, only the arms and legs, then you can wipe the back, and lastly, the chest and tummy.

Sunbathing is very beneficial for babies, because under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, vitamin D is produced, which the body needs to prevent rickets from developing. The main thing is to dose the baby’s exposure to the sun and avoid prolonged exposure to direct rays on the baby’s skin.

Children aged 3 years and older

It's never too late to toughen up, Evgeny Komarovsky is convinced. Therefore, such procedures can be started for a child at any age, if this was not practiced by parents in infancy. The approach is still the same, however, starting from the age of three, you can use a contrast shower, and from the age of 4, the child can be doused with cold water on the street, however, without fanaticism. From the age of three, a child can be allowed to spend quite a long time in the fresh air on a warm day in the summer in just shorts. Regular visits to the pool are useful.

• Changing conditions (water temperature, for example) should be done only gradually. A sharp jump can negatively affect the child’s well-being.
• It is advisable to carry out the procedures in a playful way, so that the baby perceives what is happening as a fun activity and wants to harden himself.
• If the child begins to inadequately perceive the next increase or decrease in the temperature of water and air, he cries and is capricious, the procedure should be stopped and the next day return to the previous temperature level.
• When dousing and wiping, the genitals of boys should be covered to prevent temperature changes in the genital area, as this can subsequently negatively affect reproductive function.
• Under no circumstances should you overfeed your child. He should eat when he wants it, and not when “the time has come,” according to mom and dad. A healthy baby is always a little hungry, moderately thin and very active, says Komarovsky. These three words should become guidelines for caring parents.
• Evgeniy Komarovsky considers one of the most important factors in his hardening system to be the creation of normal conditions in the house where the child lives. Regular ventilation is needed at any time of the year, especially if the baby is sick. The air temperature in the room should not exceed 18-20 degrees, humidity - 40-60%.
• You cannot wrap your child up; he should always be dressed according to the weather. The way you dress yourself. The thermoregulation of a small body can be disrupted by the fact that an overly loving mother or grandmother dressed the little one for a walk in 2-3 blouses and a couple of jackets on top. Sweating is a surefire way to catch a cold.
• Parents should be guided by the child’s reaction to hardening. The temperature of water and air are purely individual factors, for some they will be higher, for others lower, it all depends on how comfortable the baby will feel during the procedures.

Ekaterina Morozova

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The baby’s health depends on many factors: heredity, living conditions, nutrition, etc. But for the most part it, of course, depends on the lifestyle for which the mother is responsible. Hardening has always gone “hand in hand” with the concept of a healthy lifestyle, and this issue does not lose its relevance to this day, despite the fact that many children are raised almost in “greenhouse” conditions.

So, how to harden your child, and is it necessary to do it?

What is hardening, and how is it useful for a child?

The term “hardening” is usually understood as a system of specific training in the body of thermoregulatory processes, consisting of procedures that increase immunity and overall endurance of the body.

Of course, hardening has both opponents (where would we be without them) and supporters. But in general, If the rules are followed, hardening is extremely beneficial , and the arguments of opponents, as a rule, are based on the results of ill-conducted procedures.

Video: How to properly harden a child?

Hardening: what is the benefit?

• Strengthening immunity. A hardened organism has lower sensitivity to any temperature changes, which means higher resistance to seasonal diseases.
• Prevention of varicose veins.
• Beneficial effects on the skin (skin cells begin to work even more actively).
• Normalization of the nervous system. That is, calming properties, elimination of stress, fatigue and a general increase in the body’s resistance to psychological problems.
• Stimulation of the endocrine system - which, in turn, has a positive effect on other processes in the body.
• General improvement in well-being, increased strength. Hardening promotes increased blood circulation and subsequent active saturation of cells with oxygen.

In addition, it is worth noting that hardening is a very effective alternative to medications designed.

The results of the procedures are faster and longer lasting, compared to immunostimulants, and in addition, they are safe.

Video: Advantages of child hardening and basic rules

At what age should you start hardening children at home? Is early hardening harmful?

When to start?

This question worries every mother, for whom the healthy lifestyle of her child comes first.

Exactly, not immediately after the maternity hospital!

It is clear that it is better to start hardening a baby from an early age, but the baby’s body is still too weak to bring new tests upon it.

Some experts argue that hardening can be introduced to a baby already on the 10th day after birth, but most pediatricians still agree that it is better to wait a month or two. Especially, .

Naturally, the procedures should begin only after consultation with a pediatrician , examining the baby and taking into account his health condition.

It is important to remember that the newborn’s body is still weak, and if there are any hidden diseases, such procedures can dramatically worsen the baby’s health.

In addition, hypothermia of a baby whose thermoregulation has not yet been established (note – cooling occurs much faster and more strongly than in adults!) can cause the development of various diseases.

Therefore, it is better to give the baby time to get stronger and “build up” his own immunity.

Everything you need to know and do before starting to harden your child - a reminder to parents

In order for hardening to bring exceptional benefits to the child, the mother must remember the following rules for carrying out these procedures (regardless of their form and type):

• First of all, consult a pediatrician! He will decide whether the baby has any contraindications to the procedures, whether they will aggravate his health condition if there are any problems, tell him what absolutely cannot be done, and help him choose the best method of hardening.
• If the doctor doesn’t mind, and there are no health problems, and the baby’s mood is conducive to procedures, choose a hardening method .
• Time of the procedure. It is important to understand that the effect of hardening directly depends on whether you carry out the procedures on an ongoing basis. 1-2 hardenings every 2 weeks and at different times will only undermine the baby’s health. The procedure must take place at the same time and on a regular basis - that is, constantly. Only then will it be of any use.
• Load intensity. First of all, it should increase gradually. It is clear that you cannot pour ice water on a baby and dream that now he will be as healthy as a hero. The intensity of the load should not be too strong, but not too weak (ventilating the heels at room temperature for 2 minutes, of course, will do nothing), and it should be increased gradually - from procedure to procedure.
• The mood and condition of the baby. It is not recommended to carry out such procedures if the baby is in a bad mood. Hardening should bring only positive emotions, otherwise it will not be useful. That is why it is recommended to carry out procedures in a playful way with the absolute involvement of all family members. And procedures are strictly prohibited if the baby is sick.
• Do not start the process of hardening the child by dousing it with cold water. This is stress even for an adult body, and even more so for a baby. Start with air baths, frequent ventilation, sleeping in a room with an open window, etc.
• Hardening should take place in combination with other activities: proper nutrition, physical activity and walks, .
• Many mothers think that cold water and the “breathtaking” effect are important in hardening. In fact, the contrast of the effect, which is important during hardening, is achieved not only with a bucket of ice water: It is important to train the ability of blood vessels to change their lumens according to the external temperature.
• The feet are most sensitive to temperature changes (the face and palms, which are constantly open, do not need hardening too much), due to the large number of receptors on them.

What not to do:

1. Start immediately with extreme procedures.
2. Carry out procedures in a room where there is a draft.
3. Get involved in the procedure. The maximum period for it is 10-20 minutes.
4. Temper the baby when he is sick. You can return to procedures no earlier than 10-14 days after an acute respiratory infection and 4-5 weeks after pneumonia.
5. Force the child to harden, carry out procedures by force.
6. Allow hypothermia.

Contraindications:

• Any infectious, viral or other disease in the acute stage.
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system. When cooled, the blood vessels contract, and the consequences for a “problem” heart can be very serious.
• Diseases of the nervous system. In this case, low temperature is an irritant.
• Skin diseases.
• Diseases of the respiratory system.

Methods of hardening children at home - hardening procedures, video

When choosing a hardening method, it is important to understand that the age of the child is of great importance.

If a teenager can cheerfully be doused with cool water in the summer at the dacha and not worry about the consequences, then for a baby such a “procedure” can result in pneumonia.

Therefore, for newborns, we choose the most gentle hardening methods and increase the intensity of hardening GRADUALLY!

How to harden a baby - the main methods:

• Frequently air the room. In the summer, you don’t have to close the window at all, but in the cold season, you can open it 4-5 times a day for 10-15 minutes. An important rule is to avoid drafts. You can also use modern technology that will not only regulate the temperature, but also humidify/purify the air.
• Sleeping with an open window or on the balcony in a stroller. Naturally, leaving the baby alone on the balcony is prohibited. You can start with 15 minutes and then increase your sleep time outdoors to 40-60 minutes. Of course, you don’t need to do this in cold weather (minus 5 for a baby is a reason to stay home). But in the summer, you can sleep (walk) on the street as much as you like (if the baby is fed, dry and hidden from mosquitoes and the sun).
• Air baths. This procedure can be started right in the maternity hospital. After changing the diaper, the baby should be left naked for a while. Air baths should be started at a temperature of 21-22 degrees from 1-3 minutes, and then gradually reduce it and increase the bath time to 30 minutes by 1 year.
• Gradually lowering the water temperature when bathing the baby. With each bathing it is lowered by 1 degree. Or they pour water on the baby after bathing, the temperature of which is 1-2 degrees lower than that in the bath.
• Wash with cool water for 1-2 minutes. From warm temperatures are gradually reduced to cold (from 28 to 21 degrees).
• Wiping with a wet towel. A mitten or towel is moistened in water, the temperature of which does not exceed 32-36 degrees, after which the arms and legs from the limbs to the body are lightly wiped for 2-3 minutes. Within 5 days the temperature is reduced to 27-28 degrees.

How to toughen up an older child?

1. Rubbing and washing with cool water remains valid for any age.
2. Contrasting foot baths. We put 2 basins of water - warm and cool. We keep the legs in warm water for 2 minutes, then place them in a bowl of cool water for 30 seconds. We alternate 6-8 times, after which we rub the legs and put on cotton socks. You can gradually lower the temperature of the water in the “cold” basin.
3. Let's run barefoot! In the absence of drafts, it is quite acceptable to run barefoot on the floor. Unless, of course, you have concrete floors or icy, slippery tiles. Experts also recommend a “rug” made of sea pebbles, which you can walk on right in the room.
4. Cold and hot shower. In this case, the mother changes the water temperature from warm to cool and back. The temperature, again, as in all cases, is lowered gradually!
5. Pouring. If your baby is accustomed to dousing from a jug from an early age, then you can move on to cooler dousings. The main thing is that the water does not become a shock, both for the baby and for his body. After dousing, it is important to rub the body with a towel until slightly reddened. Massage will be no less effective in consolidating the effect. Dousing begins at 35-37 degrees, and gradually raises the temperature to 27-28 degrees and below. After 2-3 years, the temperature can be lowered to 24 degrees.
6. Sauna and swimming pool. Option for older children. The air temperature in the sauna should not exceed 90 degrees, and the procedure time should be 10 minutes (start with 2-3 minutes). After the sauna, take a warm shower, and then you can go to the pool. The water in it should not be too cold, and the child should already be prepared for such temperature changes. That is, hardened.
7. Before going to bed, you can wash your feet in cool water. This healthy habit will be a real help in working to improve your immunity.
8. Hardening of the throat. To prevent your child from getting sick after every ice cream or glass of lemonade in the heat, harden the larynx. You can start by gargling daily with a gradual decrease in water temperature from 25 to 8 degrees. Then you can start sweet training according to the “three times a day” scheme: hold a piece of ice cream in your mouth, count to 10 and only then swallow. Then you can switch to small ice cubes made from juices or herbal infusions.

And a few more important hardening rules:

• We do not wrap up the child beyond the norm! A newborn is dressed “as himself plus 1 light clothing,” and older children are dressed simply “as himself.” There is no need to bundle up your children too much when out for a walk, and especially not at home. Especially if the baby is active.
• Temperature standards for walking children in winter : at -10 - only after 3 months, at -15 - after six months.
• When “dipping” your child into sunbathing, remember the harmful effects of UV rays. Infants under 1 year of age are extremely sensitive to them, and they are allowed to take baths only in diffuse sunlight. You can start sunbathing only after 3 years, and then only in doses (for the south of the country - from 8 to 10 am, and for the middle zone - 9-12 am).
• Parents carry out extreme hardening methods at their own peril and risk. These include swimming in an ice hole, diving in the snow after a bath, etc. Naturally, for children it is better to choose gentler procedures. And even the child should be prepared for them gradually.
• Usually hardening is combined with physical activity. But after sunbathing, it is better to abstain from it for an hour and a half.

And don’t forget about the child’s mood! We postpone the procedure if the baby is capricious. And we don’t impose them if the child protests.

Look for a way to instill a good habit through play - and be a good example for your child.

The site site thanks you for your attention to the article! We will be very pleased if you share your feedback and tips in the comments below.

Hardening is a set of measures designed to improve the body's resistance to adverse environmental conditions. The most important advantage of hardening is the reduction in the number of respiratory viral diseases suffered per year, or their complete elimination.

Of course, there is no complete certainty that the child will not get sick at all after hardening, but the illness will pass much easier, and the body will recover faster.

In addition, if you approach the hardening process correctly, children, as a rule, feel more energetic, less tired, develop faster, do not have problems with the skin or digestive system, and also have fewer allergic manifestations.

Rules for hardening in childhood

Typically, the use of hardening procedures is typical for children with weak immunity. But before you start hardening your child, you should understand the basic rules of hardening:

1. The child must be healthy. A sick or not fully recovered baby should not undergo any hardening procedures, since this can only harm the fragile body and lead to complications.
2. You should prepare in advance for the start of hardening: allocate time when the procedures will be carried out, prepare the child for the procedures themselves.
3. You need to come to everything gradually. For example, you should not suddenly start pouring cold water on your baby. At first, when taking an evening bath or shower, the water temperature should be comfortable, then it can be reduced a little bit.
4. All procedures should be carried out sequentially. To begin with, the baby must adapt, for example, to air baths, and only after that you can move on to water hardening.
5. It is necessary to ensure systematic hardening procedures. It is ideal if the activities are held daily and become part of the baby’s daily routine.
6. Optimistic attitude. The child should approach the procedure in a good mood; this largely determines the positive result. This is especially important to take into account when performing the first procedure - if the baby is upset about something, then the procedure should be postponed until the next day.

1. You should not put excessive stress on the body; try to avoid sudden hypothermia or overheating of the child.
2. Before starting hardening procedures, you should consult your pediatrician about the presence of contraindications. For example, if you have chronic kidney or heart diseases, water procedures with a decrease in water temperature are prohibited. If your baby’s health begins to deteriorate sharply during hardening, we recommend that you immediately consult a doctor.
3. Individual approach. All children are different and require their own personal approach to each of them. Perhaps some procedure will not be to your liking, in which case you should not insist. Before you start hardening your child, try all the procedures on yourself.

What types of hardening are there?

All hardening methods can be divided into general and special. General ones include such as a good daily routine, balanced nutrition and physical education.

The main assistants in special methods of hardening a child are natural sources such as air, water and the sun.

Therefore, special hardening can be divided into three main components: hardening with air, water and sun.

How to harden a baby with air?

This method is the easiest to perform and is suitable for every baby, without exception, even infants.

Air hardening includes:

• staying in the fresh air,
• regular ventilation of the room,
• choosing the right clothes for your baby,
• taking air baths,
• walking barefoot.

Walking in the air

The benefits of walks in the fresh air are difficult to overestimate: they strengthen the immune system, increase the child’s physical activity, charge him with positivity and good mood.

Children should walk outside in any weather conditions; the duration of the walk, depending on the weather, should be from an hour to six hours a day or more.

It is very beneficial for infants to sleep outside in the open air. Their sleep duration can range from 10-15 minutes in winter to three hours or more in summer. However, do not forget that if the temperature outside is below 15 C°, the walking time should be shortened in order to prevent hypothermia in the child.

Regular ventilation of the apartment

It is necessary to ventilate the room in which the baby lives at least four times a day, and in the summer, when it’s hot, you don’t have to close the windows at all. The temperature in the house should not be less than 18 C°; the optimal temperature is around 22 C°.

Clothes according to temperature

It is very important for parents not to “bundle” their baby from birth to prevent him from overheating or sweating. The baby's clothes should meet the principles: light, comfortable and dry.

It is better to give preference to fabrics made from natural materials that allow air to circulate freely and the skin to “breathe”.

Taking air baths

Air baths are also allowed to be used from birth. So, for example, before going to bed or after waking up your child, let him lie naked for one or two minutes.

With each new procedure, the temperature in the apartment should be lowered gradually (over several months) to 14-16 C°. The duration of this procedure should also be gradually increased to 15-20 minutes.

During physical education or active games, you should leave a minimum amount of clothing on your baby. It is also allowed to arrange contrast air baths by running with the child from a room with cold air to a room with warm air.

Walking barefoot

Walking barefoot is not only a strong immunostimulating procedure, but also an excellent prevention of flat feet. It is better to start walking barefoot first at home, and then include walks outside in the warm season - first on grass and sand, and then on shells, pebbles, and crushed stone.

At the same time, make sure that the baby is not injured by fragments or debris during such walks. It is better if they take place in safe places or in a closed area: in the garden, at the dacha, on the beach.

How to harden a child with water?

Water hardening is one of the most effective means, however, it should be started only after mastering air hardening. The decrease in water temperature should be done gradually, avoiding a sharp drop in degrees to avoid hypothermia of the child.

Water hardening also includes several procedures:

• wiping with a towel soaked in cool water,
• washing with cool or cold water,
• cool and contrast shower,
• dousing with cool or cold water,
• swimming in open waters.

Dry and wet wipes

Rubdowns can be used from two months of age. Dry rubbing should be used as preparatory procedures. They are carried out like this: take a clean terry mitten or towel and use it to rub the baby’s skin until slightly reddened.

Only after the baby has adapted to dry rubbing can you move on to rubbing with a damp towel. During the first procedure, the water temperature should be about 35 C°. Then every 3-4 days you can lower it by about a degree.

The procedure is simple:

1. First, the child’s arms and legs are wiped from the toes up the limbs to the body.
2. Then the chest and back areas, moving from the middle to the sides.
3. Finish the procedure with the abdominal area, wiping it clockwise.

Washing

Washing with cool water should also be introduced gradually. Start washing your child with warm water at 28-29 C° and gradually reduce the water temperature to 20 C°.

After walking, you can also wash your hands with cool water, however, you should first make sure that your baby’s hands are warm.

If a child is cold, do not worsen his condition with cold water. If your baby asks to play with water during the day, don’t forbid him to do so; for example, give him a basin with boats and let him splash around.

Cool and contrast shower

Showering or taking a bath should become a daily evening ritual. At the end of the bath, you can lower the shower temperature a little, but you need to start with a temperature that is comfortable for the baby, lowering it gradually.

Another effective hardening method is taking a contrast shower. The greater the temperature difference, the greater the effect. But, of course, you should start with a small difference. You can also do this procedure together with your baby.

To begin with, you should warm up your child’s feet, palms, and back with warm water, then pour cool streams of water over him, while quickly pouring cold water over his palms, feet, and back and switch back to warm water.

Do this procedure three more times and finish with a cold douse, then wrap the child in a towel.

Pouring cold water

You can also finish your evening bath with a douche. Dousing involves dousing the body with a large amount of water, at least two liters, at once. You should start with 36 C°, gradually lowering the temperature by one or two degrees.

At first, you can replace this procedure with pouring cool water on your feet. Pouring your feet also produces a good immune-stimulating effect.

Swimming in cold water

Swimming in open reservoirs combines the hardening effect of cool water and physical activity. The temperature in the pond or pool for the first procedures should not be lower than 22 C°.

It is also worth regulating the time the child spends in the water - the younger the baby, the less time the bathing procedure should take.

If a child has “goose bumps”, trembling, or blue lips, this means that he has the first signs of hypothermia. You should immediately remove him from the water, wrap him in a towel and give him warm water or tea to drink.

How to harden children with the sun?

Sun hardening means taking sun and light-air baths. You should begin to harden the child in this way, as in previous cases, gradually, after a little preparation and adaptation to new conditions.

Sunbathing

Sunbathing begins with walking or staying on the beach in the shade of trees. In this case, the temperature outside should be in the range from 22 C° to 29 C°, and the child must wear a hat on his head.

After a couple of days, you can expose the child’s arms and legs to take local (partial) sunbathing and take him out into the sun (attention! not in the sun, but from 9 to 11 or from 16 to 18 o’clock), stay there for 5 minutes, and then go back into the shadows.

When your baby gets his first tan, you can strip him down to his panties. Gradually increase the one-time session of exposure to the sun from 5 to 10 minutes. In this case, the total time spent in the sun should not exceed 50 minutes.

During and after sunbathing, it is necessary to offer your baby enough water. And remember that it is better to sunbathe from 9 to 11 am and after 4 pm, when the sun's activity is not so pronounced. After being in the sun, the child can be doused with cool water.

Taking light-air baths

Light-air baths are a complex method that involves sunbathing in the presence of a slight wind. At the same time, the temperature outside should not be below 19 C°. Preparation and carrying out the procedure are similar to the method of sun hardening described above.

If your child is sweating a lot and their face is red, this may indicate overheating. It is urgent to take him into the shade, give him something to drink and wash him with cool water.

To achieve the most pronounced effect from hardening, it is very desirable to combine all of the above methods in a complex.

Not so long ago, astrology was considered an inexact science, or rather, it was not even customary to classify it as a science. Today, many medical specialists are confident that the fate of a child is influenced not only by the time and date of his birth, but also by the moment of conception, as well as the weather conditions in which the first months of the baby’s life passed.

And this is not surprising, because babies born in the winter season are literally forced from birth to experience an acute lack of sunlight; their mothers eat food depleted in vitamins for an impressive period. In addition, babies spend most of the day in artificially heated rooms, and walks in the fresh air in the first days of life are associated with serious tests for their thermoregulation mechanisms.

At the same time, it is the babies who came into this world in the winter season, according to neonatologists, who have a more powerful immune system, which is associated with the hardening effect of the cold that affects babies from the first minutes of their life.

The presence of a significant temperature difference between the room where the child constantly stays and the open air, where he is taken out for a walk from time to time, is a powerful hardening factor.

How to harden a child correctly and safely? Even a short stay on the street can significantly strengthen the baby’s immunity and has a healing effect on his body. Each missed walk for babies born in winter is a kind of blow to the defense mechanisms, forcing them to start hardening activities from the starting point. That is why skipping walks is considered unacceptable, both due to bad weather conditions and due to the mother’s lack of time and opportunity to take walks. Even on the coldest days, hardening procedures should not be skipped; to do this, it is enough to dress the baby as if for a walk and take him out to the balcony for a short time if the family lives in an apartment building.

Children who have honed the work of thermoregulatory mechanisms over several winter months will easily cope with spring temperature changes, will be able to resist infectious agents, and will not get sick with acute respiratory diseases, which are so rich in the spring months.

A mother’s incorrect position and excessive, unjustified concern about the child’s comfort can play a cruel joke on a baby born in the winter months. Dry indoor air, an unreasonably large amount of warm clothes on the baby during a walk in the fresh air, a constant refusal to stay in the fresh air for various reasons before the onset of warm weather become the factors due to which the baby, instead of surprising others with his good health, begins to a long visit to medical specialists who will try in vain to restore the weakened immunity if the mother does not reconsider her attitude to such usual routine activities as air baths, walking and hardening.

How to train children so that their immunity does not decline in unfavorable winter conditions? The best assistant in preserving high tension of the immune system and preventing the weakening of protective mechanisms is the use of air humidifiers. The role of this accessible and inexpensive household electrical appliance is difficult to overestimate, since it prevents the air from drying out in the room where the baby is, which makes it possible to avoid drying out the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, which is the main condition for maintaining the integrity of the first barrier that prevents the penetration of viruses into the body of any person, including a child. Almost any pathogen easily overcomes the barrier of dry mucous membranes.

This is why children who constantly stay in rooms with dry air so often suffer from acute respiratory diseases. When deciding how to harden a child, air baths are no less important, and the air in the room should be at an “invigorating” temperature. The duration of air baths should be gradually increased as the baby’s adaptation mechanisms adapt to such tests.

As for clothing, the amount of clothing the baby wears during air baths and while in a heated room should be minimal. Already ten to twelve days after birth, you can stop using the cap at home. How to harden a child while walking? You should not wrap your baby up; effective heat exchange is the main condition for the development of his immunity. The use of special children's cosmetics allows you to keep your skin in perfect condition even in the cold season.

As for the personal characteristics of “winter” babies, then, according to astrologers, babies born in early December are inquisitive and active creatures who adore communication and are not afraid to be alone. Even a large group of adults will not confuse such a baby; he will feel quite comfortable in it. As soon as such a baby learns to move in space, parents will have to make great efforts to ensure that his activity does not go beyond what is permitted. To ensure the safety of the baby, it is important to exclude all potentially dangerous objects from his field of vision: sharp and piercing, cutting and small, household chemicals and flammable liquids. With the development of speech skills, a million questions will appear in the baby’s head, the answers to which he will want to receive immediately. Sports for such kids will be an effective way of self-realization, so as early as possible, such a child should be introduced to various options for physical activity and given the choice of the most suitable type for him.

Most January babies are philosophers and contemplators. They are born as if to teach their parents and loved ones something special. They completely devote themselves to what they do, demonstrating childlike responsibility and scrupulousness in carrying out even the simplest tasks. Unlike December babies, privacy is considered comfortable for them.

February babies have incredible imagination and impressive stubbornness; mastering information is easy and does not require much effort for them.

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