Did you know that hand washing is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to keep your little one healthy? If you teach your children to wash their hands correctly and frequently, you can help them reduce the bacteria and germs exposed to any day.
Ensuring your little ones practice good hand hygiene is challenging, especially as they are not under your supervision every hour of the day when they reach a certain age. You want to instill good habits early, so they continue to practice even when you're not around. The best way to encourage little ones is by explaining the benefits.
Your children will also need to know how to wash their hands correctly. While hand washing is second nature to you and most adults, it isn't to children. You need to walk them through the steps.
Wet Hands & Lather
Your kids must understand that a quick rinse under the faucet is insufficient to eliminate all infection-causing bacteria. You need to explain that there is a pre-rinse and lather phase to washing hands.
During the pre-rinse, your little ones must run warm water over their hands. They should pretend to be lathering their hands with the water — rinsing the back of the hand, palm, and between the fingers.
Once their hands are thoroughly wet, they need to apply enough soap to cover their hands. They need to lather and scrub all surfaces of the hands, and they should continue to clean for a minimum of 20 seconds.
Lather With a Song
You can help your little one lather long enough by teaching them a song. For example, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is about 20 to 30 seconds long. You can also choose songs that take advantage of known melodies but convert the lyrics for hand washing, like Wash, Wash, Wash Your Hands, sung to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat.
Rinse & Dry
After lathering their hands for 20 to 30 seconds, your little one can rinse away the soap. They should rinse their hands the same way they dampened them thoroughly.
Once their hands are clean and free of suds, they can dry them. Ensure your children know only to use clean cloths or single-use towels to dry their hands. If they use the same towel as someone else, they will expose themselves to a new set of germs and need to re-wash their hands.
It might be best to use a spare paper towel to turn the faucet on and off. You never know who used the sink before you and how thoroughly they cleaned their hands.
Make Washing Hands Fun
Try to make washing hands a smooth process. Your little ones should understand the importance of hand washing, but if you make it too much work, they will likely avoid it.
When teaching your little one, stress the importance of hand washing for their health and have fun. Don't be afraid to get a little splashy when showing them how to wet their hands or lather. If your little ones can have a good time when learning, they are more likely to retain what you teach them.
When Should You Wash Your Hands?
Your child should wash their hands several times during the day. You will need to explain when hand washing is necessary and appropriate. You can give your child hand-washing rules so they know when to do it. Some standard rules include washing hands:
- When dirty
- After using the bathroom
- After coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose
- Before and after eating
- After touching animals, surfaces, or others
Hand washing is a vital life skill that can go a long way toward keeping your children healthy. You can also help boost immunity and maintain healthy lifestyles with Wellements organic supplements, like the Organic Multivitamin Drops.