I have two children, one 5 and one 8. I am struggling to get them to wash there hands after they have been to the loo. I was wondering if anyone had any advice or any methods to help me get them to wash there hands?
Getting Children to Wash Their Hands...
- Thread starter alexrickett
- Start date
Hi alexrickett, welcome to the forum.
There are some soaps that come in cool shapes. Have them pick out their own "hand washing soap", that might help.
You could also make a hand washing chart. Each time they wash their hands without you having to remind them, they get to put a mark on the chart. Chart full = reward.
There are some soaps that come in cool shapes. Have them pick out their own "hand washing soap", that might help.
You could also make a hand washing chart. Each time they wash their hands without you having to remind them, they get to put a mark on the chart. Chart full = reward.
Make this process similar to a game. Soap of different shares, special chair for reaching the tap and some encouragement will help you. Besides, some Montessori preschools have this learning activity obligatory and teach children to wash hands after visiting the loo. We combine different methods at Culver City preschool[/URL]
Last edited:
You're just going to have to remind them each time and make sure they have easy access to the sink with a stool and a hand towel placed low. If your kids have sensitive and/or dry skin or a skin condition, then make sure the soap is gentle and rinses off (so no bar soap) and keep some lotion by the sink. A nail brush is a good idea, too. There is such thing as being too clean and I don't think it's healthy to teach kids to be complete germ phobes by telling them that all germs are gross and bad. It's better to get it across that there are all types of bacteria, good and bad and bad bacteria occurs after you use the toilet. Perhaps look for fun products that can turn it from a task to play time. I had my daughter smell her hands every now and then when I've noticed she wasn't washing them. It got the message across.
Either way, you will have to just keep reminding them. It's normal.
Either way, you will have to just keep reminding them. It's normal.
There's this annoying song, courtesy of an Australian kid's television show called Play School that is pretty much "Wash your dirty ____, wash your dirty ____, rub and scrub and run and scrub and wash your dirty ____" over and over and over.
Turns out that if you sing "wash your dirty hands" over and over and over, it annoys them to the point where they do it, and eventually they do it out of habit just so they won't have to hear you sing.
Turns out that if you sing "wash your dirty hands" over and over and over, it annoys them to the point where they do it, and eventually they do it out of habit just so they won't have to hear you sing.
What a good question. With the quarantine, our grandmother began to wash her hands literally every hour, and children, having decided that this is a game, repeat after her. On Youtube, three is a bunch of cute videos with songs about the importance of purity. I am more than sure that they will follow your example.
