Is it too much to expect my ds,7 , to wash his hands after using the toilet?

[billyog]

I wonder how many times I have reminded him to wash his hands after using the toilet, it must be hundreds! I thought we'd cracked it for a while there but this morning I watched him leave the bathroom (after doing a number 2!) without washing his hands. God give me strength! I should add..... we have had recurrent worm issues! Am I asking too much? Should I just remind him and remind him and hope that some day, finally he'll take responsibility for his toilet hygiene needs! Is this a common problem?

No, he should be able to remember by now...
What about putting signs up in the loo, on the door and by the sink, and maybe over the loo too??

It's not to much at all but if he's anything like my ds every time is a fight.

Interested to hear that others have ths problem. My DD is nearly nine and until very recently has been really good at handwashing. She washes before eating and also if we have been out.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that handwashing after the loo was getting forgotten and/or sloppy and mentioned to my DH who asked her if she was washing her hands. She said 'yes' and he asked "Properly? With soap?" to which the reply was 'yes'.

We know (because we can hear the tap getting flpped on for just 2 seconds) that she is still not doing this properly with soap and warm water, despite endless reminders. I suggested to DH that we say 'You did wash your hands, didn't you?" (rather than "Have you washed hands?")as a more subtly positive approach. She always says yes.

Apart from her own health, I am concerned about germs being spread all over the place (I'm pregnant so my awareness/concern is heightened).

I have now asked DH to have a more serious chat about this, suggesting at least 10 seconds of proper washing each time she goes, along with a practical demonstration - "let's wash our hands together" - so she can be in no doubt.

Hopefully it will do the trick but would welcome any advice.

I had this problem and found that asking the person concerned to get a clean towel (because you've wiped wet but still dirty hands on it) and put the dirty one in the washing machine every single time eventually solved it. It was a long and tedious process though

Ha! Of course! This was another thing on my mind as DSD (missed out the 'S' in last post!) always wipes her hands on her father's towel. I tend to only put a hand towel in the bathroom when we have visitors and the idea is that we each use our own at other times. I moved my towel so it out of sight (and grubby hands) and have now moved hers so that it is the first towel she comes to next to sink.

But as you say Goldmandra, musical towels is not the answer as a towel is always left grubby. Perhaps I should put a hand towel in there all the time and then I can ask her to change it as you did.

Yes

Run the tap, splash the soap, make a mess, wipe germs on the towel possibly, wash, no.

It's like expecting DD2 to clean her teeth.

If the serious chat and demo don't change things then I was thinking about showing her some photos of nasty things she could catch/spread which might bring the whole thing to life. Too harsh?

I still nag my 19 year old DS, we have no sink in the toilet so you have to go next door to the bathroom to wash your hands..watched him the other day stop on the way and stoke the poor cat.

My boys are 6 and 7 and I still have to remind them after the toilet and before they eat. If they say they have I ask to smell their hands, they usually go scuttling back to do it!

Liquid scented soap is fantastic, no arguments, all I did was sniff.

DS1 (8) was similarly slack and we also had worm issues. We had a talk about the germs and worm eggs he would be putting in his mouth if he didn't wash his hands. I also do the sniff test if I suspect either boy has skimped in the soap department. Although, tbf, that just tells you that they've put soap on, not that they've rubbed it around or washed it off again!

It all builds up their immune system, right?

My DS's childminder never used towels for her minded kids - her downstairs loo was equipped with a roll of kitchen towels and a waste paper basket (I think the Council insisted on this system). At least hand towels aren't then being shared.

My son would be brilliant at the childminder's and crap at home but we never let him get away with it, ever. It took aaaages for it to become ingrained, but it did. (He's 17 now and a typical lazy teen but at least he washes his hands, brushes his teeth, picks the bathmat/towels up after a shower and puts the bog seat down EVERY time lol! Boy, it was tough going in the early days but worth it in the end)