Handwashing before meals

[perrinelli]

I admit it - I don't routinely get my DCs (4 & 1) to wash their hands before meals. I might think of it if they've been doing something particularly messy but might not. It just doesn't normally enter my mind. At least one of DD1's friend's mum is very hot on this & got me thinking as DD1 is going there for a playdate soon and found myself hoping she wouldn't show me up by saying "we don't do that at home"! So do we have sub standard personal hygiene in our house? Do most people actually do this?

DD1 has only ever had one vomiting bug (which she got from TSC's kids but we wash hands before meals. I did growing up too. We are lax about most other things though.

No, not before meals. I don't, so why should they? Unless they're actually dirty. After the loo, yes. I do, so they do too.

Always.

Handwashing rules are in place in our house:

You wash your hands after doing something which has made your hands dirty and before doing something that requires your hands to be clean.

I follow the 3 second rule where food etc is concerned but children aren't the most hygienic of creatures and hands spend a lot of time near pants/bottoms, feet and up noses etc. Which is just a bit grim if we're all taking salad from the same bowl!

Do you wash your hands before preparing food and cooking though molehill?

Yes, I do wash my own hands before snacks and also if we are out for dinner/lunch. In the house, I consider that my hands are clean before eating as I have washed them before (and usually during) cooking/preparing food........or don't people do that either?

I wash my hands before preparing food and after going to the loo (as do all the family). No hand-washing before eating though. Wash kids' hands when they are dirty - couple of times a day. Daughter likes to wet wipe her own hands after eating. Think she picked that up at nursery.

Yes

Yes we do.

of course! have been known to send them back in again if I don't hear the water running long enough. Supervised washing when DCs small. Can't cover every eventuality but reduce risk of illness. Its awful for them if they are sick (haven't had vomiting in years and even then hardly ever).

Some germs are needed to build up immunity but sensible precautions against illness seem, well sensible.