When do children start managing hand hygeine

[TinySaltLick]

... DC is 2.5. Absolutely no comprehension of the irreparable damage being done to all soft furnishings in the house through the gradual transfer of peanut butter / anything with a sauce.

Also when tired, any foodstuff rubbed into the eyes and general face area (hair, nose, others) completely unencumbered by worries about cleanliness, longevity of eyesight etc

Had hoped a thorough, soap based ritual would be ingrained by now - am I a few months too early?

Also when tired, any foodstuff rubbed into the eyes and general face area (hair, nose, others) completely unencumbered by worries about cleanliness, longevity of eyesight etc
Love this description. I am looking forward to the day my LO stops rubbing food into her eyes.

If my almost 12yo DS is anything to go by, you're several years too early! He still wipes his nose on his sleeve and his hands on his clothes (or the sofa ) if he thinks no one is looking. I feel like I am constantly nagging!

Yep sorry you have years before it becomes habit.

Optomistic by years. My soapdodgers (8 & 10) will wash on command, but as minimally as they can get away with. We have hardy immune systems.

Just don't have food in the living room, there can't be peanut butter on the sofa if there's no peanut butter near the sofa. DS eats at the kitchen table, dining table or in the garden when the weather is nice, he doesn't get down from the table mid meal and run around like a lot of my friends' children, hands and face wiped before he gets down when he's finished eating, no snacks running around the house playing, he stops eats if he's hungry then goes back to what he was doing, they're not bad habits to get into even for adults. He's 2.5

18? 20 possibly.

25 if you are lucky.

Food at the table and nowhere else

My DS was great by primary school age.
His 12yr old sister is still pretty slack on hand hygiene, even during a pandemic.

I had to give my 12 year old the hand washing lecture, again, yesterday. You would think he would have got it by now. His older brother seems to have got it, I hope.

Depends on the child. DS didn't like having dirty hands and despite constant battles to get him to sit down to eat rather than get up and run around every 5 seconds, he didn't get food everywhere. He also never rubbed food into his face.

This is terrible news, perhaps the white suede three piece suite wasn't such a good idea after all

I might try disposal gloves and safety goggles, or perhaps a full diving helmet

@KingdomScrolls

Just don't have food in the living room, there can't be peanut butter on the sofa if there's no peanut butter near the sofa. DS eats at the kitchen table, dining table or in the garden when the weather is nice, he doesn't get down from the table mid meal and run around like a lot of my friends' children, hands and face wiped before he gets down when he's finished eating, no snacks running around the house playing, he stops eats if he's hungry then goes back to what he was doing, they're not bad habits to get into even for adults. He's 2.5

I'm looking for a lower admin solution, I can't monitor the buffet all day long

Also it would interfere with Peanut Ptuesdays, which is an important family cornerstone

When do adults start managing hand hygiene? Some never do...!