To expect my son to wash his hands when he gets in?

[Whyareyousoannoying]

Ds 16yo has been at work or college, come home on public transport.

Aibu to expect him to wash his hands upon arriving home before he starts touching everything especially the fridge, food, cups etc. he will walk straight in and start going in the fridge making a drink not washing his hands.

When I ask him he shouts at me and calls me a germ phobe.

Everyone else in the house manages to wash their hands when they get in.

Completely agree. Hand wash when we get in, before eating or food prep and after toilet. Then if get visibly dirty. I work in healthcare so wash my hands a lot at work.
Think about it, if you’re out youve been touching lift buttons, door handles, bus or train handles etc, all been handled by hundreds of people daily. Most of whom won’t have washed their hands after going to the toilet. And I never have unwrapped food at work or bar snacks!
We realised during the pandemic how little people actually wash their hands….

Your DS should not be shouting at you. The shouting would trouble me more than the lack of hand washing tbh.

I was brought up to do this and continue to do so.

YANBU I've trained DS to wash his as soon as he gets in.

YANBU
we wash our hands when we get home.
The children always want a snack so hand washing (after being at school day) and before they start rifling through the cupboards and eating seems hygienic and normal to me.

Exactly, I don't get what people don't get about this.

I know loads of people will say that they never get sick. But there is a horrible sickness bug going round the school at the moment. Half the class were off. So people are getting ill.

A friend's dd was hospitalised with it.

I think it's OTT. Never done this. Never occurred to me. Wasn't aware anyone does. If your DS works somewhere dirty then he should clean as he finishes work. I don't think you should be imposing this on a 16 year old - he is no longer 6 and this is not normal at all.

I mean how hard is it to wash your hands after school or public transport.. a bit of basic hygiene. Who wants to deal with d+v being spread through the house 🤢

It would never occur to me to do this.

Well it clearly is because loads of people are saying they do it.

Is it fair for ds to impose germs on the rest of the household?

I always wash my hands when I get home @Whyareyousoannoying especially if I've been shopping etc, not a Covid hangover, just feel a bit yuck!

I'm with you, OP. After shopping, public transport, or coffee shops.

And obviously after the toilet and before handing food/eating.

These are probably the people you see walking out of public toilets without washing their hands though to be fair..

I'll take on board some people think it's ott but don't think I can change the habit of a lifetime.
That's fine for you bit you can't impose it on other people. Let him be.

We do as a a family OP my parents siblings children & grandchildren all have hand hygiene.

When coming in wash hands, after toileting, food prep chicken especially & cooking & before eating.
Out for a meal prior to eating.

To those who don’t was their hands, next time you come home wash your hands over a white sink and you will see the dirt they hold.

Your son should not be shouting at you OP where’s his respect for his mum.

You don't have to change your habit. You also don't have to make everyone else in the house have your habit.

Just think where lots of other things in your house have been. Do you wash your hands every time you've touched any of them? The clothes you've been wearing outside of the house? Bags? Things you've bought ftom shops, which have been stored god knows where and touched by umpteen people. Where do you draw the line?

Yes definitely not a Covid hangover.

I was surprised during Covid when we were all being told to wash our hands. I was already doing it.

And I wasn't washing my shopping or spying on my neighbours. I just think hand washing is basic.

I understand you because i also make it a point to wash my hands when i get in. We pick up a lot of things outside and although we can't be 100% germ/bacteria free, we should try to help ourselves.

Of course you should wash your hands when you get in, if you have been on public transport. It wouldn't particularly bother me if someone didn't, but I do think it is a sensible thing to do.

We have the opposite in our house. My DS has always had a thing about public transport so since he went to college he’s always been the same that he comes home and feels he has to shower first before he’ll eat etc!

@AllProperTeaIsTheft yes but you don't eat off all the other things or put them in your mouth do you?

Like it doesn't really matter about my coat and bag. But he's coming straight in going in the fridge, touching the food, the cups, the kitchen handles.

My son never does this, I don't know if he would humour me or not if I asked him to. I don't do it either, I only wash my hands before cooking, after using the toilet, and after cleaning the cat litter tray!
We don't get ill often.

I never wash my hands when I get in.

If you wash your hands, it shouldn't matter that DS hasn't washed his, surely?

He's nearly an adult, you need to let this one go.

Nope, wouldn’t occur to me.