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!

My DC are in primary and secondary and both schools have been very sensible with advice and both have had specific instructions on washing hands. I teach health and safety and food safety so washing hands regularly is normal practice for me!!!

Ours are very sensible thank god, smaller children have had lessons from school nurse on germs and hand washing, and staff are policing the antibacterial gel dispensers that they have on the wall where children line up for lunch. Younger ones are sent for hand washing before lunchtime anyway I think.

Exactly the same at our school. Could they not just say as they're leaving the classroom before lunch "go sand wash your hands"? My son like many others just needs that tiny reminder! 🙄 He'll wash them properly but he forgets! Can't the lunchtime supervisors ask them as they come to the hall if they've washed their hands? According to DS, there was an assembly about it but the class teacher hasn't mentioned it at all.

@catsandlavender you sound lovely and in DCs class there is also a parent going through Chemo so his teacher should be doing the same.

I work with tinies and we're always washing our hands! And they are!

Why couldn’t your daughter was her hands at break time?
Did she not wash them before & after her lunch?
I don’t see how that is the school’s fault.

I wouldn't be happy.
dc's school had a special assembly and the pta organised hand wash and paper towels and disinfectant spray for the it equipment.
they wash their hands before going into their classroom, after toilet, before lunch, after playing out (as it should be, but now it's monitored)

I'm a secondary school teacher. I remind my form about it every day and to not touch their faces etc but all school have done is issue a generic letter home. You'd think teachers would be more keen to do this given that they are protecting themselves too!

@sawyersfishbiscuits thank you so much! That’s really kind. I know children don’t seem to be hugely at risk themselves but you never know, and it’s then their relatives and any other vulnerable people they come into contact with, etc. I hope your DCs teacher considers this too!

Our primary school has always supervised the children in infants washing hands before lunch. They have now told all children everyone should wash hands at home before and after school. At school they all have to wash hands before and after breaktime and lunch. All very sensible.

But they have now had to ban any discussion of Coronavirus because the kids are getting hysterical and passing rumours amount themselves.

DS (7) started asking about viruses and was worried about things growing inside him. I'm a biochemist so he is now an expert on viruses and the history of vaccination (Edward Jenner)! DD1 (12) know the risk to her is next to non-existent but is worried about people she knows who are in the at risk category (particularly MIL who is in her 80s). She knows not to believe rumours but she said Newsround is full of it.

Our school is, and actually have been doing for a while,anyway. Our phse topic this spring term across reception and ks1 is 'healthy me' so we've been covering this since Christmas in more detail past fortnight we've been doing this increasingly,so, especially this week. Whilst also teaching the curriculum and everything else were expected to cover.

It's even more important however that parents and career are also doing this with their children, so it is just an automatic thing they do rather than something teachers have to teach. We really shouldn't be having to remind children to,wash their hands after using the toilet for example, but we do. Really by the time a child gets to school age it should be part of their normal hygiene routine, let alone by the time they get to be 6 or 7 or more.

We seemed to be getting a lot of bugs, including norovirus and d an v, going round in the winter term - much higher numbers than previous years. So we upped the anti over teaching all this then too,

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

So no being allowed at playtime or lunchtime, or before or after school?
Or did she ask right in the middle of learning time?

We're not doing it hourly but regularly.

Encourage your child to wash their hands on arrival, before register.
Then at playtime (and/or,snack time) - normally about 1.5 hours later.
Then lunchtime - again around 1.5 hours later again.
Then after lunch break before afternoon register - an hour later.
If afternoon play - again then, or after school - again not that long generally.

That should be plenty really.

I'm sure lots have seen this in social media, but it's been posted a few times and worth considering for teachers and schools to consider when trying to get 30 children's hands washed.

Line up children. Aone by one they wet their hands and get a squirt of sop.
They go to the back of the line rubbing their hands to wash them.
By the time they get to the front again it should have been at least two seconds to then wash and rinse under the tap.
Still not quick, but faster than one at a time standing at sink throughout.

They are at my school. After every lesson they wash their hands (secondary) and they are reminded it needs to be for 29 seconds. They've had the NHS video showing them how to wash properly. Are you sure they aren't ?

I'd love to see this being taken seriously at DDs school. They've been told they can take hand sanitiser in - so you have 30 kids constantly applying cheap hand sanitiser rather than washing their hands properly. Not to mention the ones whose parents can't get any and now think they are going to get ill. I would have thought a class hand washing rota would make more sense.

Off topic slightly, but how does anti- bacterial spray/ handgel help with preventing a virus?
Washing hands, yes.
The school should be making arrangements for children to do this, but at 10 she is old enough to wash her hands after break without being reminded.

Anti bad has to have a certain percentage of a;cohoe in to be effective. I think it's something like 60%. This is strong enough to kill the virus. A lot of anti bad in primary schools is alcohol free and this isn't really that effective against coronavirus. Though it's still better than nothing and helps with general cleanliness and other bacteria. Ideally it should be regular hand washing (though not necessarily hourly) with anti bad used for the times you're not near soap and water, and your hands aren't actually visibly dirty

Antibac not bad - autocorrect!