Teaching hand washing to preschoolers

We are all hearing that (and worrying about) the third wave of COVID might affect children worst. Those with little kids also realize that hand hygiene is an almost impossible goal. My own 4-year-old, although zealous about hand washing at home, is also most curious and is the first one to touch every object and surface in sight.

Well, I have some good news - you can be prepared. Hand hygiene, physical distancing, educating yourself about how children might be affected, and timely administration of homeopathic medicines can cut this disease short.

Let me take you through this step-by-step, starting with hand hygiene.

Teach by doing

Children are great at copying their elders, and so the best way to get them to wash their hands is by regularly washing your own hands. Every time you enter the house, tell them,

"Wait, I have come from the outside. Let me wash my hands first."

The 20-second rule

Make a habit of singing the "happy birthday" song every time you wash hands with them. It really excites the little ones.

Repetition leads to perfection

Every single time when you wash hands, sing the song and talk loudly about what you are doing. I used to narrate what I was doing to my son like this -

"Now I'll clean my fingernails to get the dirt out, now the back, thumbs, wrist. Do it again, and it's all clean!"

Keep away from sanitizer inside the house

Children love to use the sanitizer, so you have them covered in case you need to take them outside. Even so, try to avoid using the sanitizer before eating if possible, especially in case of children. Soap and water is the best at home.

Do not stress

If you get angry at your children for not washing their hands, or scare them into washing hands, it will backfire. Don't worry, they just need some time to learn. Till then, have faith and tell yourself, "We are happy and healthy." Also, trust in homeopathy and start taking homeopathic preventive medicines right away.