Importance of Hand Washing for Children
Germs and dirt seem to go along with children. Some dirt is actually good for the immune system, as discussed recently in the NY Times (see Resources below) but germs are definitely not what you want your child's hands teeming with as there are negative side effects as well.
Other People Are Reading
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Hygiene
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Having your children wash their hands beginning at a young age sets a habit of practicing good hygiene after using the bathroom.
Dirt
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Washing hands when coming in from the back yard or the playground ensures that dirt stays outside, and minimizes the potential for smears across doorknobs and smudges on your walls.
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Illness
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Nothing is worse than a flu that seems to decimate a classroom. Often the culprit is person-to-person contact. The more often children wash their hands, the less likely the children are to become ill.
Sticky Stuff
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Children are often heavily committed to the use of paste, glue or anything else that's sticky. By ensuring that the children wash their hands, you're helping establish a routine of cleanliness and minimizing the potential that they get stuck to the book they pick up right after craft time.
Anti-bacterial Products
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Many parents and schools invest heavily in anti-bacterial hand wash or soaps. Remember that anti-bacterial products kill good bacteria as well as the bacteria you don't want you'll child to keep on their hands and may help the growth germs that are bacteria resistant (see Resources below). Use sparingly, and only if regular soap and water is unavailable.
Considerations
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One of the best ways to help kids remember to wash their hands is to put up learning tools near the sink that list, in order, the steps to washing hands and include a picture of the process for non-readers.
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