How To Get Your Kids To Wash Their Hands The Right Way

Any parent would agree that washing hands properly at regular intervals, especially before a meal is very important. Most kids tend to be negligent toward this aspect of hygiene and more often than not, parents fail to get them to adhere to washing their hands properly. Why washing hands is important is because, in the course of our day to day activities we come in contact with a lot of different surfaces. Some of these surfaces are clean and some not so clean, but nearly all surface can transfer dirt or germs onto our hands. When we handle food with the same hands these germs get transferred onto the hands resulting in ingestion of those germs. If we neglect to wash our hands properly, we run the risk of getting infected with some disease or the other. Adults have stronger immune systems, but the immune system of kids is still in its development stage, hence they are more susceptible to illnesses.

Ways To Get Your Kids To Wash Their Hands Properly

Getting kids to wash their hands the right way is not an easy task, but there are some techniques that you can apply to get them in the habit. Here are some of them.

No matter what technique you employ to get your kids to wash their hands regularly, it will all be a waste if you fail to encourage them. Kids need to know that they are doing the right thing and that you appreciate it when they do so.
Make the child understand the importance of washing their hands by telling them about germs and the diseases they can cause. The idea should not be to horrify them, instead, educate them as to the dangers unclean hands pose.
Get them books with textual and pictorial representations of germs and diseases so as to help them picture the consequences of not washing hands properly. Children will find it easier to relate to what is being said if they can visualise it also.
If your child is really young, you could get him soap with a toy buried in it. This will prompt him to wash his hands regularly and properly with the added incentive of getting the toy.
For young children you can give them an activity to perform while washing their hands. Get them to sing a song or recite a short poem while they wash their hands. This will ensure they wash for longer periods.
Since it’s always best to lead by example, a good idea would be to join your children when they wash their hands. You can take this opportunity to not only demonstrate the correct technique, but also ensure that they follow it.
If your child has just gotten over an illness, even something small as the flu, remind them that if they don’t wash their hands properly then they will fall ill again and won’t be able to pursue their much-loved activities.

With a little perseverance and a lot of patience on your behalf, you can teach your kids the proper way to wash hands and make sure that the habit sticks with them for life.

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