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Here I was tending to three sick males. (Man cold, anyone?) I had three goals: one, to stay sane; two, to book a weeklong trip far, far away (oh, the sweet bliss of silence); and three, to stay healthy.
Last week was my initiation into this fall's germ fest, where colds, the flu and random bugs start cropping up as kids get immersed into their school year. And it was a not-so-gentle reminder that I need to make sure my kids are diligently washing their hands. Not just getting their hands wet in the sink, but actually washing their hands. With soap (little sneaks).
Teaching your kids to wash their hands is not just about germs that cause illness. Have you ever looked at a young child's hands when she comes home from school? Nastique. They're usually covered in markers, dirt from the playground and probably a little bit of lunch. And boogers. And anything else they've touched since the moment you dropped them off earlier that day.
So here's a little hand-washing 101 to help your kids out:
- Monkey see, monkey do. For little kids, wash their hands after you wash your hands. Let them participate in the process by getting the soap and creating suds. I tell my kids that if they don't see suds, they're not really washing their hands. And be sure to show them how to wash their hands, fingers and wrists.
- Time it. It should take about 20 seconds to thoroughly wash hands. Tell your kid to sing "Happy Birthday" or another song while they wash their hands.
- Rinse. Kids tend to put too much soap on their
hands so they to learn how to completely rinse their hands of soap.
Otherwise they risk drying out their skin, especially in between
their fingers.
- Routine. Let your kids know when they need to
wash their hands. After they...use the bathroom, eat, come home
from school, touch garbage, play with a pet, touch anything that
has contact with lots of people (shopping carts, buttons on
elevators, counters at stores, etc.)
- Remind. Little kids who've just learned to wash their hands are always eager to practice their new skill. But as the novelty wears off, you'll need to remind them. Often. And you'll need to check their handiwork (heh), because they become quite skilled at saying they've washed their hands when they've only washed a few fingertips. (This is where you employ the sniff test.)
As for what soap you use, it doesn't matter if it's antibacterial or regular hand soap. As long as your kids are doing a good job getting their hands clean, you're in business. Also, don't buy into gimmicky products like Pamper's Kandoo hand soap with funky packaging to get little ones excited. Toddlers will use that entire bottle in an hour. Just use what you have and create the excitement yourself.
And finally, those antibacterial gels and sprays are a nice temporary solution when you're out and about with your kids. They may kill germs, but they don't get rid of dirt. And they're definitely not a substitute for soap and water. When you get home, send your kids to the faucet.
Tips and stories are welcomed. And please, share your stories about your kids getting sick at the same time. I know I'm not the only one!
