To think school should be encouraging handwashing

[Worriedmom2020]

My daughter's school have put up posters for handwashing.

And that is it.

No happy birthday, no making it fun, no requesting they wash their hands.

DD didn't use the toilet today and so didn't wash her hands between 8:30am and 4pm once. Yes I have discussed this with her.

They are not allowed to take in hand sanitizer "for health and safety reasons".

DD have not been encouraged all week (I've asked each day) to wash her hands before and after eating.

She has been on two little trips this week, and wasn't asked to wash her hands upon entering the building and told to just join the class.

She is 10 - year 6.

They are not sticking to the guidance for educational settings.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19

But I don't want to complain, my daughter's Headteacher has already taken a strong disliking to me due to unauthorized holiday. I haven't yet been referred for the £60 penalty fine and my circumstances have changed and I can't afford it. They are more likely to refer me if I piss them off with a complaint.

Aibu to want to complain? And how do you recommend I do, without putting further strain on our relationship.

My other DD starts there next year, hopefully!

I'd complain, they're taking it very seriously at schools in our area.

My dn teacher started making the kids (yr6) wash their hands after the school started getting a fluey bug before christmas, he tells them to wash hands like you would do in a hospital, his class mostly missed the fluey thing

We've got posters up and had an assembly about it. Children are also allowed hand sanitiser. I'm probably not reminding them as much as I should, but we've got wall-mounted sanitiser on every corridor and next to main doorways.

My daughter is in school nursery and the children are being sent to wash their hands on arrival at nursery.

Why is she going all day without weeing? That’s not healthy.

Perhaps talk to other parents and see if they feel the same and talk to the school together. Safety in numbers!

My DC school had nurse teach them a proper hospital wash and used the cream and UV light with them to help them learn how hard it is to get hands totally clean. They loved it.

I've been into my local primary school and nursery to teach them all handwashing. I'm in public health and worthy use of my time.

I agree op. They should be taking time out of lessons to do this if necessary. This should also happen in the workplace, doesn't matter if it affects productivity. Hourly handwashing should become the norm through the peak of this.

With respect, she's 10, not 4. Tell her to nip to the loo and wash her hands at break and before and after lunch. They've got posters up, they've probably had an assembly and told the children and now it's her turn to get on with it. She ought to be using the loo once in the day, doesn't sound like she's drinking enough

Whilst I agree that children should be washing their hands through this outbreak, I am not sure about enforced hourly handwashing in schools as that causes cracked and painful skin and I wonder whether the benefits would be significant. I think there needs to be a balance of sensible handwashing/sneezing into arm/avoiding hugging and kissing and handshakes and, yes, regular handwashing. Hourly is extreme and unsustainable, iny opinion.

Just my opinion and others may disagree.

It is important, but thinking practically if 30 children are taking it in turns to wash their hands in class for 20 secs every hour, that is 10mins in every hour, or one of the six hours that they are in school. Don't even think about them all singing bloody happy birthday for this period. Poor teachers.

I'm a teacher.. I am making my kids wash their hands but it does result in me loosing a staff member and a good 5/10 mins out of each lesson - wash hand when they come in, after break and before lunch.

But my kids have sen so they need help to do it a poster doesn't work. Tbh at age 10 I would expect that they go to the toilet at the start of break time/ lunch and wash their hands then but I would always have allowed 5 mins for this in my planning anyway when I taught in mainstream.
Also dettol spray desks at the break times and have hand sanitiser for myself and my tas
But it would help if parents didn't send their child in sick and kept them off for the required 48 hours rather than tellimg me after and saying "but they wanted to go to school"
I have my own toddler and a parent going through cancer treatment. I don't want to bring anything home with me!

Our school is opposite. They've put in hand sanitiser on every door and the kids are using it around 6 times a day. I had to complain today as ds2 has eczema on his hands and after 4 days of using the anti bac gel, they were bleeding last night. I guess it's easier for them than sending all to wash hands. Ds2 has been given permission to wash his hands a ridiculous amount of times a day instead.. Which will also exacerbate his eczema..

Our HT isn't bothered about coronavirus but is following government guidelines and all children have been taught a song about hand washing, apparently to placate parents rather than stop the spread of disease.

We're making sure hand washing is happening, but then children lick rubbers and pass them to a friend...I've caught a virus from a college who coughed all over me every lunchtime this week (I've learned from this!) so ultimately no amount of hand washing will stop germs spreading in primary schools.

Our primary is getting the kids to wash hands regularly. They queue up and it doesn’t take too long.

I'm on the fence. My dd has always known to wash frequently. Her school implemented enforced washing. And an assembly was held. But they have now had to ban any discussion of Coronavirus because the kids are getting hysterical and passing rumours amount themselves. (My daughter, 7, came home saying x said that the government started it to control population and kid y said that it was found in x street (local) so they were all going to die. Another said that she went to France on the underground and saw "all the dead corona bodies piled up underground!!!" - all of this I'm sure is the parents fault but nonetheless , if the school took a harder line then the children's (unfounded) panic would go through the roof!

Just tell your dd to wash frequently, but touch her face often and cough into tissues

How long ago did you take the holiday?

They only have something like 6 months to issue a fine. So if it's been that long and you haven't got a fine. It's unlikely you'll get one

However I might be wrong on the timescale. So happy to be corrected.

DD has said that she has asked to go to wash her hands and they said "later". But it never came.

We haven't had a single letter about it or mention in the newsletters. DD is adamant is has not been mentioned in an assembly and she hasn't missed any school since well before all this started.

Older DC in secondary school, has been reminded loads and had assemblies about it. Facebook updates and letters. Emails too.

Seems very lax and they are not keeping to the rules set out for them.

We've had no mention of hand washing in my children's schools unfortunately. No posters or letters either and hand sanitizer is still banned

My nieces school (a lot more funding) across town has had an assembly, hand washing demonstrations and hand sanitizer machines placed around the school.

I work in reception (TA) and we get the children to wash hands after the toilet, before break and before lunch. Getting the whole reception class all toiletted and hands washed takes a good 15 minutes each time. Only today I encouraged them to hum 'happy birthday' whilst they washed, 30 vocal renditions proved too much!

I antibac spray the tables at the end of the day too but kids (esp little ones) are germy super spreaders. They think nothing of coughing into other people's faces, not blowing their noses until snot touches their lip, putting all sorts into their mouths and scratching their bums.

My own 9 and 10yo wash their hands in their own time at break and lunch (obvs after the toilet too) and tbh they are old enough to take some responsibility at this age.

They’re taking it very seriously at my DC’s school. Hand sanitiser and tissues in every classroom, guidance on washing hands, stopping the children shaking hands - they have been taught to elbow bump after sports fixtures, have to disinfect their iPads, phones and computer keyboards every day.

We are getting them to wash their hands when they arrive, before lunch, after lunch and before they go home. Today, it took 40 minutes out of our teaching time. 30 children for at least 20 seconds each with 1 sink in each classroom. You would not believe the amount of older Primary school children who just squirt soap on their hands and then try to hold them under the tap without a clue of how to wash them properly. Sadly, the Head vetoed my idea of emailing a video to parents showing them how to teach their children to wash their hands.

We had an email from school asking us to remind our children to wash their hands properly. I went over 'proper' hand washing with mine and both told me they don't have any soap in the toilets at school anyway! 😡

Mine are nursery and year 1.They are clearly getting handwshing info and support from school. DS (4) headed off after tea announcing that he would sing happy birthday twice or count to 20.

Last week I watched DS ‘wash’ his hands by shiwing each hand in turn to the tap. Now he is using soap and rubbing them. ( I have also been working on it at home of course - but with mine what school says is far more important than what mummy is banging on about again...)

Some children in my class are getting rather anxious and hysterical about the hand-washing now. I do think there needs to be a balance. Showing them how to wash their hands properly and providing the tools to do so is important, but constant reminders is unnecessary imo.

I was actually really surprised by how many children had never been shown how to wash their hands - didn't know that cold water wasn't as effective as hot water, didn't realise they needed soap, didn't bother washing every part of their hands, thought 2-3 seconds was long enough.

I just posted this in another thread but I’m washing the kids’ hands four times a day but I’ve also told them the coronavirus is really nothing to be worried about and it’s just a cold. Their parents have told them that it’s not just a cold though because if I say that some of them will say “it’s a NEW VIRUS!!!!!!” and they’re only 6.
I don’t want to worry them but they also constantly have their hands in their mouths, so it is necessary, and I try and make the hand washing fun and they don’t seem to be too concerned.

Doesn’t surprise me that not all schools/teachers are doing this. I know some of my class have family going through chemo etc so I feel it’s important.