Teaching Children to Wash Their Hands
November 15, 2008 by rainier
As we go through the day, our hands pick up germs from many different sources. Even seemingly clean surfaces can carry germs such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The influenza virus, for example, can live for up to 2 days on hard surfaces such as desks and doorknobs; some bacteria can survive for weeks or months. When we eat or touch our eyes or nose, those germs can enter our bodies and make us sick. Often these bugs are more annoying than serious, but they can also include dangerous infections such as drug-resistant strains of bacteria.Even young children can learn to wash their hands properly. Some tips:
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Start early. Handwashing should be an essential part of going to the bathroom right from the start. Wash your hands after changing your child’s diaper, and if he touched the diaper or the diaper area, wash his hands too. When your child uses the potty, even if you wipe him off, both of you should wash your hands afterwards.
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Lead by example. Always wash your hands using the correct technique.
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Make it easy. Have a stable stool in front of the sink for your child to stand on, and make sure the soap and towels are within your child’s reach. Bar soap can be slippery and hard to handle, so you may want to use liquid or foam soap instead.
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Explain why. Tell your child that germs can get on his hands when he plays with animals or goes to the bathroom, even if his hands look clean. Germs can make him sick, so it’s important to wash them off, especially before eating.
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Keep your child safe. To avoid scalds, turn on the water and adjust the temperature for your child until he is old enough to do it himself.
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Get backup. Find out if your child’s school or daycare centre teaches proper handwashing. Check to make sure handwashing and infection control are priorities.
