Every parent knows the hassle of teaching young children how to stick to personal hygiene practices such as teeth brushing or hand washing. After all, the last thing an excited toddler wants to do when he’s running in from playing outside is to stop to wash the dirt from his hands. The earlier you teach hand washing for kids as a regular habit, the more likely they will be to stick to it over the long run. Here are a few ways you can turn hand washing for kids into a fun family routine:
Explain Why Hand Washing for Kids is Important
While a young child may not be able to comprehend complex things like germs or viruses, it’s still good to explain why hand washing for kids is so important. Talk to your children about how hand washing keeps everyone happy and healthy, being sure to emphasize its many benefits. Every time your child washes their hands properly, he or she is a hero keeping all the other little kids out there safe!
Teach Them the Basics of Hand Washing for Kids
Hand washing for kids is a habit that has to be formed, so teaching your kids how to do it properly is vital to ensure that they’re being effective. Teach your children about the basic hand washing steps: lathering hands with soap, scrubbing the dirt away, then rinsing and drying your hands. Be sure to include the fact that they should wash for at least 20 seconds for it to be effective.
Make Hand Washing for Kids Part of the Routine
One of the best ways to ensure that your children are washing their hands is by talking to them about the specific times that they need to wash their hands. You can create a fun little list of all the times hand washing is required that they can then check off whenever they’ve completed. This can include before meals, after coming in from outside, after using the bathroom, and after coughing or sneezing. The more your children begin to understand why and when they should be washing the hands, the more hand washing for kids will be like clockwork.
Add a Little Bit of Fun to Hand Washing for Kids
One of the reasons that hand washing for kids can be so difficult to ingrain is how boring it can be. Create a special song to sing every time you wash your hands! This can be a cute way to get them to look forward to hand washing. Another way to make hand washing for kids fun is with our next generation liquid hand soap, which allows your kids to “paint” their hands with the soap before scrubbing the color off.
It may seem tough to make hand washing for kids into a fun routine, but all it really requires is a little bit of effort and a lot of imagination!