Follow these simple hand washing tips on how to teach your kids to wash their hands so they can stay healthy all year long!
This content is part of a paid partnership with Community Care Plan.
Undoubtedly, handwashing is one of the best ways of keeping you and your kids from getting sick. Not only is handwashing crucial for stopping the spread of viruses within your household but it can also help stop the spread of more serious illnesses to others around you. While most adults know that handwashing is essential, especially during this year, kids might not be on the same page as most adults. To get your kids on the same page, just follow these simple hand washing tips on how to teach your kids to wash their hands so they can stay healthy all year long!
How to Teach Kids to Wash Their Hands
Seven easy steps to teach kids to wash their hands:
- Get your hands wet with warm or cold water.
- Put on soap.
- Rub soapy hands for as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” two times or about 20 seconds.
- Scrub your fingertips and between fingers. Make lots of bubbles!
- Scrub just below your wrists. *Remember to scrub your palms, the back of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.*
- Rinse off! Rinse all those fun bubbles away under clean warm or cold water.
- Dry your hands with a paper towel, clean towel, or air dry.
Make handwashing fun!
Kids are more inclined to follow along with any process that involves fun! So, to teach kids that washing their hands is fun, get a cool soap dispenser with their favorite superhero or princess on it. You can even buy them some fun hand towels or buy some hidden gem or toy soap bars that are popular online right now. Your kids will be sure to scrub those germs away to get to that fun surprise within the soap bar.
Model proper handwashing with your kids!
To teach kids to wash their hands, you need to model proper handwashing techniques, so wash your hands with your children! Kids are more willing to imitate you when you show them instead of telling them. By washing your hands throughout the day or using hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available, you are showing your kids how to properly keep germs at bay.
What to do when you can’t use soap and water?!
Kids should know that washing their hands with soap and water is the best way to eliminate germs, but what do they do when soap and water are just not available? In that case, they need to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. To make sure kids are using at least a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer, look at the product label.
Three easy steps to teach kids to use hand-sanitizer: (Parents should supervise the use of hand sanitizer)
- Apply hand sanitizer to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).
- Rub your hands together (Rub hand sanitizer to the back of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.)
- Keep rubbing your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.
Remind kids to wash their hands often!
Kids need frequent reminders to wash their hands. For kids, it’s easy to remember when their hands are dirty, but germs are invisible to the naked eye. So, remind kids to wash their hands:
- Before eating food or cooking meals.
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick.
- Before and after treating a cut or wound.
- After using the bathroom.
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- After touching or carrying for a pet, handling pet food or pet treats, and/or pet waste.
- After doing household chores like cleaning and taking out the garbage.
- After playing outside.
Even with all the tips found here, kids might forget to wash their hands, so keep reminding them and keep modeling proper handwashing. To learn more about handwashing or to learn more about the Community Care plan, please visit the Community Care Plan page.