Handwashing

[newtodaycare22]

So I had a food program workshop last night and they are getting strict about kids washing their hands. I'm strict on them with washing after the bathroom but I'll admit, I usually use sanitizer for snacks and meals. The idea of 6 kids in the bathroom having to wash hands seems like it'd take forever and a half. But, with this new push, I tried to start some new routines today.

After circle time, we usually march to snack. Instead, we marched to the bathroom. Each kid took a turn to put their hands under the water and then one kid was designated soap helper, giver them a squirt. Once everyone had soap and water (standing around the bathroom, not all at the sink), we sang Twinkle twinkle while we scrubbed. Then, we took turns rinsing off and heading to the kitchen. The process didn't take TOO long and I think it will get better as they learn the routine of getting their hands wet and then moving so the next person can.

Do you think this would look ok to an outside observer? Is it odd to have them all in their at the same time? I just think it's easier and I can see all of their bodies rather than having them go in and out, with the risk of dawdling and playing. Thanks for any advice.happyface

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Sounds great to me!

[Country Kids]

Looks good to me.

We stand in a line for handwashing. It usually takes up to about 15 min or longer for us. Drives me nuts also because I always feel pushed to get things done so we can do this. We have diaper changing/then after outdoor time we change clothes so it seems we are just in the bathroom a loooooonnnnngggg time.

[allsmiles]

i REALLY like your idea.. we only have a few bigger kids so i usually have them do it one at a time and i sing a song.. scrub scrub scrub..rinse rinse rinse.. now DRYYYYY DRYYYYYY ..
they think its hilarious.. but i like having them all scrub up at the same time.. could cut down on time!!!

[spud912]

The way I have it set up is before breakfast and snack, the kids go potty so they automatically wash their hands after doing their duty and before eating. Then before lunch we come in from outside and they always wash their hands when coming in from outside. Therefore, all the kids have their hands washed before a meal without making a special trip to do it.

[Michelle]

This reminds me of a funny joke I heard...

At Christmas dinner, with grandma's,grandpa's and all the relatives watching.... mom tells her kids to go wash their hands before they eat and they say
"Why? we never wash our hands before we eat!"
::::::

[Heidi]

The way I have it set up is before breakfast and snack, the kids go potty so they automatically wash their hands after doing their duty and before eating. Then before lunch we come in from outside and they always wash their hands when coming in from outside. Therefore, all the kids have their hands washed before a meal without making a special trip to do it.

yes, but according to someone (I don't know who..something to do with our rating system and FCCERS) the kids should wash their hands after toileting, then EVEN IF THEY ARE GOING RIGHT TO THE TABLE...you should sanitize the sink, and have them wash their hands AGAIN for eating. The first time didn't count, because now your sink is infested with body waste that they just washed off their hands....

Comming in from outside? Yeah...wash the hands, because we always was when we come in from outside. Oooppss...someone touched the dog. Wash those hands again!

Then while the table is being sanitized (2 minutes of sanitizer sitting on it), the children have to wash their hands AGAIN before they eat...then, not touching ANYTHING, go to the table and sit down (oh, and you should have wiped the table/sanitizer off in the meantime).

Luckily, a fairy came in and got the food ready while all this was going on...

Because...we don't make them wait for more than 3 minutes between activities...so don't forget to sing while all this is going on...:::::: seriously....

[kitykids3]

yes, but according to someone (I don't know who..something to do with our rating system and FCCERS) the kids should wash their hands after toileting, then EVEN IF THEY ARE GOING RIGHT TO THE TABLE...you should sanitize the sink, and have them wash their hands AGAIN for eating. The first time didn't count, because now your sink is infested with body waste that they just washed off their hands....

Comming in from outside? Yeah...wash the hands, because we always was when we come in from outside. Oooppss...someone touched the dog. Wash those hands again!

Then while the table is being sanitized (2 minutes of sanitizer sitting on it), the children have to wash their hands AGAIN before they eat...then, not touching ANYTHING, go to the table and sit down (oh, and you should have wiped the table/sanitizer off in the meantime).

Luckily, a fairy came in and got the food ready while all this was going on...

Because...we don't make them wait for more than 3 minutes between activities...so don't forget to sing while all this is going on...:::::: seriously....

I'm dealing with this with our new Youngstar rating system here in our state. On top of it, EVERY child that has head control (babies) have to wash their hands during all this time, plus, they have to scrub for 20 seconds BEFORE going under water (rinsing) again. I dread my upcoming water bill with 4-7 kids doing this 10 times a day.

I only have one small sink in one small bathroom that the kids can only reach with a step stool, so they've always done it individually, but I might try them all washing at the same time. Seems like we're washing half the day away.

[daycarediva]

The way I have it set up is before breakfast and snack, the kids go potty so they automatically wash their hands after doing their duty and before eating. Then before lunch we come in from outside and they always wash their hands when coming in from outside. Therefore, all the kids have their hands washed before a meal without making a special trip to do it.

Me too! Messy activity is immediately followed by potty, then wash/clean kids well, then snack. Then outdoors, then indoors/potty/wash hands/lunch, story time nap

[snbauser]

We have been doing this for ages. Kids wash upon arrival, after diapering/toileting, after nose wipes, before AND after meals/snacks, after coming in from outside, after messy activities, and also before and after sand/water table play. That means for a child that is here for a full day, they wash their hands a minimum of 7 times and that is if they time their potty breaks to coincide with another time that they would be washing anyway. In the beginning it takes a long time but the kids get better at it. And we have to wash for 20 seconds and rinse for 15 seconds. We have a song we sing for both. The other challenge is that for things like FCCERS, the children can not wait for an activity for more than 3 minutes. So that means if you are washing one at a time, you have to occupy the rest that are either waiting to wash or sitting at the table waiting to eat. This means doing things like fingerplays, singing songs, etc with those waiting. The positive thing is that the kids in our care are rarely sick because the single most important thing in fighting the spread of germs is handwashing.

[MissAnn]

Here's what I do..
Line kids up in hallway, sitting down. Boys on one side, girls on the other.

I put soap in girls hands and they wash counting to 30.
Girls go rinse off hands in my sink with a motion sensor (you can buy it at Amazon and it's not expensive)
Girls go march off to table to eat lunch with no food on table yet

As girls are washing hands I put soap in boys hands
They count to 30
They go rinse hands
Boys march off to table

Honestly it doesn't take much time this way!

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

i REALLY like your idea.. we only have a few bigger kids so i usually have them do it one at a time and i sing a song.. scrub scrub scrub..rinse rinse rinse.. now DRYYYYY DRYYYYYY ..
they think its hilarious.. but i like having them all scrub up at the same time.. could cut down on time!!!

We sing a song, too.

Top and bottom, top and bottom, in between, in between. Rub them all together, rub them all together, now they're clean, now they're clean.

[VTMom]

We sing as well... ABC's. My 2 year old DCG refers to washing her hands as "ABCD"!