Children encounter lots of germs every day, everywhere they go. By far the best and easiest way to prevent your kids from getting sick and stopping the spread of germs is by washing hands. Washing hands can prevent your kids from contracting illnesses like the common cold and even scarier bugs like Hepatitis A. The first step to your child’s wellness routine should be teaching them how and when to wash their hands.
The Best Way to Wash Your Hands
- Wash your hands in warm water (not too hot for young, sensitive hands).
- Lather with soap for 20 seconds (about the same time as it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice).
- Before rinsing, be sure to scrub under fingernails, on the backs of hands, between fingers, and all around your wrists.
- Dry hands on a clean towel.
How to Teach Your Children to Wash Their Hands
The following pointers will help you teach your children how and when to wash their hands.
- Model good hand-washing behavior by including your child when you wash.
- Establish hand-washing habits by always having your child wash before meals and after using the bathroom.
- Remind your children to wash their hands after sneezing or coughing.
- Ask them to wash after coming home from school, a public place, or from playing outside.
Reinforcing Basic Skills at Preschool and Daycare
At Creative Corner Child Care Center, we help toddlers and preschoolers learn the basics of hand washing. We talk about and practice these basic skills during our daily routine and reinforce them during storytime with books about hand washing and germs. For more information about our structured and enriching learning environment, we welcome you to schedule a visit today. For more information, call us at (615) 581-0157!
