Sponsored By: American Cleaning Institute
It’s a fact, kids are gross. I mean they’re cute and all, but if yours are anything like mine, it’s not uncommon to find one with a finger up their nose or another one running out of the bathroom having just touched the toilet lid. There is no better time to start teaching our littles good habits now to help prevent our kids from getting sick and stay healthy!
American Cleaning Institute would like parents of children 5 and younger to begin to learn good hand hygiene from the start. It’s also important for parents to demonstrate good behaviors, as well as follow safe practices when using and storing cleaning products where and when children are present.
We’re already deep into cold and flu season – but it’s never too late to start protecting yourself. Easy step? Keep your hands clean. Consider this: 65% of U.S. parents of children ages 5 and under don’t always wash their hands for at least 20 seconds, according to a new survey by Wakefield Research for the American Cleaning Institute. Any less than that and you could be leaving gross flu germs behind and spreading them to others.
And learning hand hygiene begins long before children can read and write. ACI offers parents five Finger Tips to help prevent their young ones from getting sick, spreading illness and missing school.
- Set a good example by washing your own hands often and properly.
- Teach kids to soap up for at least 20 seconds, rinsing and drying completely.
- Explain to kids the reasons they should wash up, to keep from getting sick and spreading germs.
- Tell kids when to wash, such as after using the bathroom, while cooking and after touching animals, blowing your nose, coughing and sneezing.
- Keep alcohol-based hand sanitizers or gels or antibacterial wipes on hand for when soap and water are unavailable.
How are you teaching your kids healthy habits?
:: GIVEAWAY ALERT :: Comment below with your own cleaning/hygiene tips and you could win $100 Visa gift card!!!
I took a cue from one of my son’s favorite shows and made a song about germs and how we need to clean up. He loves to sing and dance so sometimes he wants to wash his hands just to sing the nice and clean song lol.
I have a 3yr old who loves to drink the water from the faucet using his mouth on the actual faucet after brushing his teeth. Instead of the cup. Ugh. So, sanatizing everything is a must. He washes his face after. He knows hands MUST be washed and cleaned. So now, he washes them about 20times a day. Even when I feel it’s excessive. Lol
When in public, little one wears mittens because it’s cold and to keep germs off her hands. She doesn’t ever touch her mouth or nose without a tissue so that helps. We teach her to cough and sneeze in her elbow and to wipe with a wipe!
Another thing we have been trying is having them carry mini sanitizer on their back pack. We also buy the pocket Kleenex for when we aren’t with them at school.
Great article !!
We have a routine to wash and sing our hands everytime after potty – school or outside !
Even wipe their hands with wipes right after school when they get in the car.
We sing Barneys wash your hands song 🙂
The wise ole saying is so true with a little one, turn the page wash your hands !!
We make sure our little one sees us washing our hands through out the day and we sing wishy-washy song as we do it.
I carry handsanitizer in my purse for my kids to use when we are unable to get to a sink. Helps cut down on the nastiness some 😉
Great tips! My 10 year old is always touching everything and now we have a newborn as well. Everyone is washing their hands!
I am teaching my son by my example and always carrying a hand sanitizer, wipes when we are out and about and constantly using them. When he goes to his peds appointment, I wipe down the toys before be uses them .