Dirty Hands - HELP

[dirtyhands]

hi there - slightly worried my four year old won't play with soil or do messy play because he would get his hands dirty - will do anything else and will happily play football and get all mucky then but will avoid things he percieves as dirtying his hands - is this normal? any other children doing this?

I think it's fairly common. Not sure the best way to overcome it as DD is only litle so will bump and hope a wise MNetter comes along

I think this is normal and is usually something they grow out of.
I'm no child psychologist but most children I've seen goes through it to some extent or other.

I wouldn't let on to him that you give a monekeys one way or another though, if it is a phase he'll get over it eventually and watching you stress will only make it worse! IMO

This is normal if the chid is so inclined.

Could you gently introduce something like breadmaking, or even homemade playdough firstly to see how he copes with that.

If you use wipes after he has eaten, try to reduce the occaisions that you use them, so that he can experience 'tacky' hands.

This is very common, and although a shame because he is missing out on some experiences, it's not the end of the world.

HTH

thanks guys - he actually ENJOYS homebaking already so doesn't really make sense - good to know it's normal though

i am having the same concerns.
My 4.9yr old son constantly asks about germs

and just now wouldnt sit on the sofa or the

carpet as his baby brother had a soiled

nappy and "there might be poo on there" -

(there wasnt of course). I am worried this

sort of behaviour is going to escalate into something more - thoughts anyone??

Let him see you gettng your hands dirty, and really slow down on the handwashing in your house.

My son went through this, after having a rather-too-graphic talk from the school nurse about germs. he gave himself dishpan hands from washing too much. I had to take the soap away for 3 days to prove to him he wouldn't 'be sick' if he didn't scrub his bloody skin off!

Many thanks for replying.

Well thats the strange thing - i am not that

obsesive over handwashing - literally after

using the toilet and after playing outside

is when i insist on him washing. He does do

other strange things, for example he will

pick up tiny stones at school and give them

to me because it will " keep you and daddy

safe and you wont die" .

Sometimes he wont lift the toilet seat

because of the "germs" and if i ask him to

hand me a wipe or a clean nappy i either get

a refusal or he will hold them at finger

tips.

hi there

i think the giving you stones to keep you safe is actually quite sweet and also normal - he may have picked it up form tv - certainly on "me too" the children give their parents something before they go off to work so that the parents can remember them by it during the day

my ds1 also has a thing about dying - an elderly friend of ours recently died and he misses her - he asked about it and i explained it by saying that she was really but really but really elderly so now he tells me he doesn't want anyone of us to reach a hundred to make sure that we don't die - i think it's also normal part of developing

about the germs i think the more i ask about it the more people say that their kids also do something similar - guess the thing is to demystify it and show them by example that nothing will happen

Message withdrawn

I have explained it before but will

definalty reiterate where they are found etc.

We went to the park yesterday and he was

fine playing in the dirt but this morning

he threw away a peice of biscuit because it

had fallen on the carpet of his baby

brothers room and so "it might have poo on it" .

Overall i propably need to get a grip on myself and not stress - but at the same time if there is a risk that it could develop into something more as he gets older i really want to "nip it in the bud" now

Thanks for listening