At What Age Should A Child Be Expected To Cover Their Mouth When They Sneeze Or Cough

[sahm1225]

And does anyone have that cute saying about how kids won't share toys but will share germs?

I have 2 year olds. I am Constantly reminding them to cover their mouth/sneeze in their pocket. I have one that HAS to be kept separate during meal times because it never fails, dck will sneeze or cough (uncovered)ALL over everyone's food within 2 minutes of sitting down.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I expect it of everyone who comes here. However, it seems like the kids ignore me about covering sneezes and are nearly 3 before they cover coughs.

I always tell the kids, "Please cover your mouth. Your friends don't want your germs." and then I demonstrate how we are to do it (mouth to elbow) and then take their arm and show them how to do it.

[Imagination's Creations]

We "catch" them in our sleeves! Ive sort of made a game out of it. The ones closer to three are really good at it, anything younger, forget it. Im not sure why the younger ones dont do it, because I have a 22 month old daughter who can cover when she coughs (not always when she sneezes though).

[Dia]

Arghhh, this aggravates me to no end! Most of mine catch on pretty quickly I guess (most of my 2.5 year olds cover their mouths and say god bless you to others) this may be because everyone seems to have terrible allergies here in good ole Texas and have constant practice daily. I think I have already sneezed about 10 times this morning and it is only 8:30 so they have constant reinforcement in their little brains......

[daycarediva]

Mine are pretty much all good at it. (age 2-almost 5) We read germs are not for sharing EVERY SINGLE DAY and practice coughing and sneezing into our shirts or elbows at circle.

The 3yo is the worst offender, and it's because his Mom tells him to use his hands (and doesn't wash them after...) so his struggle is more about what he is supposed to do here vs home.

[ColorfulSunburst]

i have a question. Why people do it in sleeve or elbow? My parents taught me do it in my palm and then wash it or clean with napkin. Now almost all people have some sanitizer and can sanitize it after sneezing and they can not do so if they sneeze in sleeve.:confused:

[WImom]

i have a question. Why people do it in sleeve or elbow? My parents taught me do it in my palm and then wash it or clean with napkin. Now almost all people have some sanitizer and can sanitize it after sneezing and they can not do so if they sneeze in sleeve.:confused:

Because a lot of people don't wash their hands and then touch everything with their germy hands.

[llpa]

I an so with everyone on this one! My twos just honestly seem to forget, because they can catch the second sneeze but not the first. I have a spacey little three who happily spreads germs everywhere and I am constantly reminding and sanitizing

[Play Care]

i have a question. Why people do it in sleeve or elbow? My parents taught me do it in my palm and then wash it or clean with napkin. Now almost all people have some sanitizer and can sanitize it after sneezing and they can not do so if they sneeze in sleeve.:confused:

We call it the "magic elbow" here because it's"magically" catches germs! As the other poster mentioned, it has to do with the fact kids will sneeze over their hands and then touch everyone and everything on their way to the bathroom to wash them::

[Blackcat31]

I just watched this experiment on ABC news and sneezing into a tissue is THE MOST effective way to trap germs.

Sneezing into the open spreads germs as far as 11 feet away

Sneezing into your hands spreads germs as far as 3.5 feet away

Sneezing into your elbow spreads germs as far as 8.5 feet away

and sneezing into a tissue stopped almost all germs.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2014/01/27/sneezing-101-which-contains-germs-better-tissue-or-elbow/

If someone here has a case of the sneezy's...I have them keep a tissue handy in their pocket or cuff of their sleeve. That way if they feel a sneeze coming on, they can use the tissue they have.

If they are too young to use the tissue, they more than likely wouldn't be old enough to cover anyways.

[melilley]

I have a 2 year old who coughs and/or sneezes into his elbow every time and he always says "Ms. M. I sneezed in my elbow" and will tell you until you say something back...
My othe 2 yo almost gets it.

The rest are working on it, but I think are too young to understand to do it when they actually cough or sneeze.

[Oss_cc]

I use the Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood saying: "if you cough or sneeze, use your elbow, please."
The kids love it and the olders remind the youngers.

[ColorfulSunburst]

Because a lot of people don't wash their hands and then touch everything with their germy hands.

in this way 100% people have their spit and snot on their sleeves
Germs die very fast in the air. You can get germs from a sick person if you breath it in at once the sick person sneezes it out or by licking your own palms with their germs in a couple minute after he sneezes it out on your palms. Even you can get germs from a sick person if you are very close to him and breath in the air that he breathes out. But you will not get sick if you just touch some place that he touches with his sneezed palm.
Children touch sleeves of each other during day a million times. And it is not possible to clean the sleeves. It means they touch spit and snot of each other

[ColorfulSunburst]

I just watched this experiment on ABC news and sneezing into a tissue is THE MOST effective way to trap germs.

Sneezing into the open spreads germs as far as 11 feet away

Sneezing into your hands spreads germs as far as 3.5 feet away

Sneezing into your elbow spreads germs as far as 8.5 feet away

and sneezing into a tissue stopped almost all germs.

but we still teach children to sneeze into elbow. But most of children automatically cover their mouth with their hand. WHY we teach them to use the worst way instead of the better way?!:confused: And almost no one teach them to use a tissue. pffff I don't understand.

[ColorfulSunburst]

If someone here has a case of the sneezy's...I have them keep a tissue handy in their pocket or cuff of their sleeve. That way if they feel a sneeze coming on, they can use the tissue they have.

If they are too young to use the tissue, they more than likely wouldn't be old enough to cover anyways.