to ask my stepkids to wash their hands before playing with my daughter??

[mugwumpy]

I love them to pieces but I regularly catch them not washing their hands after a poo and my daughter chews most of her toys when shes cutting teeth and i dont think poo germs on them is very hygenic, AIBU?

Why not focus on getting them to wash their hands after they use the loo rather than 'before they touch your DD'. Otherwise you risk sounding like a loon.

Agree with mrsmattie

YABU. They are kids, and she'll get plenty of germs off the floor. Obv they should wash their hands after the loo, but lets face it, washing isn't the most popular child activity

It is quite reasonable to ask children to wash their hands before touching a baby - and you should also focus on systematic hand washing after coming in from outside (garden or outings) and after going to the loo (poo or wee) and before and after meals.

yes agree with mrs mattie
washing hands after a poo is good for their own health

Mrs Mattie is spot on.

What MrsMattie said.

Teach them about the reasons for washing their hands after the loo and after coming in from school or playing outside. Say they are far less likely to catch colds and tummy bugs etc if they wash their hands regularly and properly.

by the way they are 7 and 8 years old, I have tried everything positive to get them into the habit of washing hands after the loo but I dont think anyone at their mothers house is bothered about such things!

Also keep their nails very short so they cannot harbour dirt.

I agree that you want to tackle this from the personal hygiene viewpoint.

The last thing you want is to put into their heads is any idea that you are being over protective about your own child as this could be a potential minefield in a stepkids situation.

Make handwashing fun - specail soap etc and also make sure they wash them after the loo.

My 2 and 3 year old do this and also wash before meals.

I would not ask them to wash before playing with a child, espcially once they get to the playing with toys off the floor stage.

Then you have to concentrate on them when they are at your house i guess and do your best by them there.

Well if no one in their mother's house is "bothered about such things" then there's even more reason for you to be a caring and responsible adult and take the matter in hand. They are children and it is up to the adults in their lives to teach them basic hygene.

I think perhaps a reward chart might help.
Get some of that foamy kids hand soap maybe.
Hope you get it sorted anyway

it is a minefield with their mother, i have tried reward charts little messages and just about everything but they still 'forget',i dont mind everyday germs but i dont like poo germs on things my teething daughter chews, i cant think of how else to deal with it...

Agree with MrsM, it's not just about your DD, they do need to wash their hands for their own health too!

Get them to draw the chart, get special stickers, a flannel, soap and hand towel for each of them.

Put chart of the outside of the loo door, put a sign on the inside, saying dont forget to wash your hands

Initially a small number of stickers for an incentive.

Them doing the chart makes all the difference - it doesnt have to look good just work.

Consistancy will work

What was the reward?...perhaps you need to gear it towards something they really want.

I think you could have real problems if you try to ban your boys from touching their sister. It sends out a bizarre message.

Can you call out "have you washed your hands?" when you hear the bathroom door go?

That might work in some families better than others.

they are my stepkids and i dont ban them from touching their sister i just dont want them touching things she mouths if they dont always wash their hands after the loo, big difference!

ds1 did a school experiment once where they washed just one hand and then placed each hand on a seperate slice of bread. The slices were then sealed into plastic bags, and after a few days you could see the difference in the amount of mould which grew on the clean hand slice and the dirty hand slice. A bit like this, but use one clean and one dirty hand, rather than two types of bread.

I find spelling it out like it is works a treat.

"if you don't wash your hands after using the loo you will have wee and poo on your hands..then it might go in our mouth...yuck!"

What a fab idea LunarSea.

thanks for that lunarsea, it looks quite fun too!

Agree with handwashing after doing grubby things not before touching your baby

truthfully you sound resentful of their presence - any excuse not to have them about and because you have an air of insulting about you they won't do as you want.

Chill!! kids are grubby and they do grubby things your dd will collect germs EVERYWHERE
no doubt you wheel her to the Drs - that is RIFE with germs from all over the shop!
Does everyone else have to wash before touching baby? or do you assume everyone elses is "clean" ?