To ask you to show your kids how to wash their hands?

[Tiredoutteacher2020]

I'm a teacher. My immune system is compromised. I'm expected to be in work. There are currently lots of colds going around which I just can't shake. I'm not specifically worried about Covid 19 but I'm worried about catching yet another winter virus. I wash my hands religiously but you'd be amazed how many kids we have to send back to the toilets to wash their hands (and that's just the ones we happen to see). Then there's the putting pencils in their mouths, leaving tissues on their tables, sneezing all over you, holding your hand etc etc. I'm tired of being ill constantly. I love my job and want to do it well. Aibu to ask you to have a hygiene chat with your children this weekend? I would be grateful and I'm sure hundreds of other school staff would be too. Thank you.

I've shown my 5 year old a million times how to wash her hands, even before the whole corona virus thing, I'm a nurse so quite hot on it. she still does a crap job if I'm not watching. puts soap on and rinses it off without barely rubbing together. not sure what else I can do, she just wants to get back to playing!

This.

I have tried everything, I now supervise at home, but if I don't he doesn't do it properly. I'm literally not sure what else I can do. I enforce handwash I v and I've drummed it in a million times about germs, not getting sick.

I was in a trampoline park today and was shocked on my two visits to the toilet how briefly children washed their hands even with their mother's standing beside them. It was just a quick putting their hands under the tap and finish. Disgusting.

This accurate handwashing demo film (with accompanying song) is pretty good for showing kids the right technique.

Made by an infectious diseases Dr, who was fed up with half-arsed information being fed to the public!

www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=32&v=GAP8HZdV5Qo&feature=emb_logo

Do calm down. It's a flu. You'll be poorly. You'll get over it. Like every illness. Or you may avoid it. Again. Like any contagious illness.

Yep. Sorry, but you are deluded. Of course we show our children how to wash their hands. And of course they are revolting creatures who fail.

I teach at university; my students are mostly aged 18-22 or older. I have still stood in a lecture hall with my stomach churning as I see people coughing without covering their mouths, someone picking their nose, someone else chewing their fingers/hair/pen, and of course, someone who thinks I haven't noticed they've just vigorously scratched themselves and are now biting their nails so as to ingest the remnants of skin cells underneath.

It's revolting.

I have previously stopped a lecture when it was obvious students were sneezing into the air with no tissues, and got people to hand round tissues. I have given instructions on throwing tissues away.

You are not going to get small children to be perfect here.

I saw a really good video on twitter of someone using blue ink instead of soap to show what you tend to miss when washing. It really shows that people tend not to wash the whole hand.

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all. But I don't think it will make much difference as the kids will continue to ignore their parents!

I'd suggest instead having a class talk on how to wash hands properly. There's obviously a lot of these discussions taking place in schools atm - one teacher told me she demonstrated with glitter and Vaseline (glitter representing germs) and got the kids to try lots of different ways to get that off their hands but then demonstrating that they only manage to get it off when they wash their hands properly with warm water and soap

Do you get a flu shot?
We can ask children doesn't mean they will do or listen
I have to sniff for the soap smell and I make a effort to ask wash your hands, but the pump soap and yet sometimes kids just don't remember or think about it.
It's not just hands it's in the air..
I'm concerned our teacher never seems to opens windows make me shudder the heat and the stuffy class. Eww
Germs, children it should strengthen your immune system after the first year teaching

expecting children to share a towel as per PP is really gross, whoever has children in that school needs to complain, and copy in governors

In my childrens school all the children are being made to wash their hands for 20seconds at the start of the day and then before they eat. Lunchtime has been extended to allow all children time to wash and eat. The first day the children were all taught to wash their hands properly by the teacher and are quickly reminded how before each hand washing now. Posters about hygiene have been put up all around the school.

I'm not in the UK but presumed it would be similar everywhere. I know parents should teach handwashing but would it not be easier to take 5 mins out of your day to teach the kids yourself than relying on mumsnetters to 1. Read your post and 2. Implement it?

Donkeytail - I do teach them how to but surely everyone singing from the same hymn sheet has a better impact.

Anotherfineday - yes I do get the annual flu shot. I'm WAY past my NQT year. I've been teaching over 15 years. My immune system won't improve.

I can't do another winter like this one. I've been ill for pretty much the entire winter and I think I'm done.

Our school has always been hot on hand washing (they sing “row your boat” twice), but they’ve ramped it up recently: mandatory supervised hand washing when they come in, before snack and lunch, and after playtime. it’s possible!

That sounds good Myself2020. I bet they have less colds and stuff going around.

Watching the news yesterday, 2 adult sisters from UK wandering around Milan being interviewed " Oh we'll be fine, we're young and healthy". To be honest I don't think it's the kids or their parents you need to worry about.

Zombiemum, it is children AND adults.

We're just moving this over to the right topic now.

Not at all, there’s plenty of friends I’d like to have a chat to about hygiene in general!!!

Hands need to be wet under the tap first THEN soap added to form a lather, and rinsed, not soap added to dry hands, water added and rinsed.

I honestly don't get the difference. Wet hands + soap = soapy lather... and dry hands + soap + water = soapy lather.

else chewing their fingers/hair/pen, and of course, someone who thinks I haven't noticed they've just vigorously scratched themselves and are now biting their nails so as to ingest the remnants of skin cells underneath.

Ha, I'm an adult and still rip the skin off my lips and the skin around my fingers. it's a compulsion.

“ you'd be amazed how many kids we have to send back to the toilets to wash their hands (and that's just the ones we happen to see). Then there's the putting pencils in their mouths, leaving tissues on their tables, sneezing all over you, holding your hand etc etc”

They’re children. I’m amazed that as a teacher you think that at least a proportion of them won’t need reminding multiple times for months on end before it becomes ingrained. You automatically assume it’s not being reinforced at home instead

I'm not sure why the thread has been moved. This isn't even about Coronavirus. It's about bugs in general.

Ivinghoe - you can't say it's being reinforced in every home, just like I can't say it's being reinforced in every school. Surely working together is better.

The school should introduce a hygiene regime. DD has 2 DC at school in village in France - not a virus area. The teachers take the pupils' temperature 3 times a day. All the children had to bring their own bottle of soap to school for hand washing - also x3 a day. There are 30 -35 DC in the classes!

Wow tara - that sounds hardcore.