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Shower after school?

100 replies

Piixxiiee · 24/08/2020 22:08

In September will you be showering your kids/ yourself straight after school? Changing clothes etc?
During lockdown we were encouraged to put clothes straight into washing machine and shower straight away. I work in a school and have young children in another school. They're in 2 different bubbles then will go to after school club where they're in same bubble.
Just wondering whether to continue with the quick shower immediately once home ( which is annoying yo be honest) for all of us or whether to not..... what's everyone else doing?
Should add that we do bath the kids before bed and I shower in the morning!

OP posts:
BernardsarenotalwaysSaints · 25/08/2020 08:19

No.

Dc4(5) returned before the holiday & school asked for clean clothes every day (non uniform) but said they didn't need to shower immediately. From September they're saying full uniform but no need for clean every day. My older 3 shower in the mornings so I won't be changing that. The only time the younger 2 have a bath as soon as we get in is if it's a miserable day & we've got wet/cold.

Cookiecrisps · 25/08/2020 08:25

My child’s school is going back in full uniform including blazers so I won’t be able to wash that daily. They also carry their school bag around with them all day so that’s another surface for possible transmission that is difficult to clean.

We are thoroughly washing our hands when we’ve been outside to the shops etc so will insist on this as well as a daily shower. I think the crammed corridors and classrooms are going to be prime hotspots for transmission.

bettsbattenburg · 25/08/2020 08:27

@premiumshoes

No but it's a harmless precaution so what's the problem ?

As my previous post, I'm not convinced this is harmless at all. Kids just need to clean their hands and change, as mine have done for any many years after school. They don't need parents feeding them more worry in an already difficult time. It has the potential to be harmful to some, particularly the children who are struggling, not fully understanding the virus and prone to anxiety already.

I get that, it would be the case for some but mine like a shower so won't have a problem with it. We each have to decide knowing our own children.
premiumshoes · 25/08/2020 08:34

I get that, it would be the case for some but mine like a shower so won't have a problem with it. We each have to decide knowing our own children.

Ah, right enough. It will just be the dirty kids who don't like to shower that would possibly be affected by this regiment Hmm

Derbygerbil · 25/08/2020 09:00

I think the potential for anxiety and neuroses to develop as a result of this level of focus on hygiene is disproportionate to the risk of clothes being vectors for the virus given the evidence (one paper below). I’m not even clear how the virus can credibly passed on through school uniform... It involves a rather convoluted set of circumstances.

www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS1473-3099(20)30561-2.pdf

If you don’t assiduously disinfect your post and shopping, then it doesn’t make much sense to make this part of your daily routine. I’m all for sensible precautions, but know from my own tendencies that the damage caused by neurotic actions can exceed the risk those actions are trying to mitigate.

Orchidsindoors · 25/08/2020 09:02

No. M and S has run out of the size trousers we need so child only has one pair of trousers, so wont be washing them daily, no.

LadyPenelope68 · 25/08/2020 09:03

@theneverendinglaundry

No. My schools havent asked parents to do it so we won't be.

You’re expecting School to tell you when to shower?? They’re not telling you as they’re assuming you might use common sense!

LadyPenelope68 · 25/08/2020 09:06

My husband and son are key workers and I’m a teacher, we’ve all been showering as soon as we get in and putting clothes in the wash. It reduces the risk of any possible infection, wed be having a shower in the evening anyway, so it’s no hassle. I’d rather have my children do that, than risk anything.

Sallyspoons · 25/08/2020 09:07

Dts will have a change of uniform daily and a bath when they get home.

LadyPenelope68 · 25/08/2020 09:08

@Cookiecrisps
My child’s school is going back in full uniform including blazers so I won’t be able to wash that daily. They also carry their school bag around with them all day so that’s another surface for possible transmission that is difficult to clean.

You can get a disinfectant anti viral spray that you can use for clothing/bags etc, there are plenty different brands (Fabulosa is the nicest scent), we’ve been using that for bags etc. If mine were still in blazers I’d be using that.

TheGreatWave · 25/08/2020 09:10

@Treesofwood

What a waste of energy. Not only are we now filling the planet with plastic masks and plastic bags, plastic aprons and face visors, we are going to increase our use of water and energy to heat it. This is utter insanity.
Absolutely. Madness all round at the moment.
bettsbattenburg · 25/08/2020 09:19

@premiumshoes

I get that, it would be the case for some but mine like a shower so won't have a problem with it. We each have to decide knowing our own children.

Ah, right enough. It will just be the dirty kids who don't like to shower that would possibly be affected by this regiment Hmm

That's a heck of a leap. Some children don't like showers, some don't like baths, mine like a shower so they wouldn't be bothered. Do you always make such assumptions ?
MarshaBradyo · 25/08/2020 09:20

No just washing hands when they walk in, as in March and now when they come home

theneverendinglaundry · 25/08/2020 09:42

@ladypenelope68 is it necessary to be so rude to me?

When my youngest went back to nursery they requested that all children showered or bathed when they got home. The school are not requesting this, so we will wash at our usual times.

Does that explanation suffice?

GlomOfNit · 25/08/2020 09:46

I do worry that we're all going to drive ourselves, and now our children, mad with obsession on what are almost certainly minor points of hygiene. Washing hands frequently is just sensible as we rub our face/eyes/pick nose all the time and it's a nice short hop for the virus to get from one snotty-nosed child's hand to another.

Washing clothes is another remove, and I'd argue also fairly pointless. If a Covid-infected child sneezes or coughs all over another one, including on their clothes, then that child is fairly likely to get it. They're already infected inside, washing the clothes is shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. And it's not as if pupils are coming home after a 12 hour stint in A&E, where I'm sure HCPs are extremely careful about changing, not travelling in work clothes etc.

However, thinking back to when I did my fortnightly supermarket shops at the peak (wearing a handmade mask, my glasses, Vicks First Defence spray up my nose and sleeves pushed back - see, I've also been fairly neurotic Grin but I think more justified back then) I did often put my supermarket clothes in the wash and would spray my bag/coat with Dettol 'All in One' disinfectant spray (it can be sprayed on fabrics and sofas, and claims to be anti-viral as well as anti-bacterial). It made me feel better and I do see that these suggestions to shower and throw everything in the washing machine are for reassurance. They probably won't make much, if any, difference to transmission though. But for those mentioning blazers, the Dettol spray seems sensible, I suppose.

I really worry about the effect all these extra disinfectants are having on the environment, though. Confused

premiumshoes · 25/08/2020 09:48

@Orchidsindoors

No. M and S has run out of the size trousers we need so child only has one pair of trousers, so wont be washing them daily, no.

Really? Other shops sell trousers.

AlandAnna · 25/08/2020 09:49

No. But incidence vanishingly low where I am.

SleepingStandingUp · 25/08/2020 09:51

I'll be bringing him he with 9 momth old teon brothers. There's no way i can supervise a showing 5 yo and watch them.
So I guess it's strip at the door and handwash etc.

Even the time it takes me to take two babies into the house and sort the pushchair, he'd be in the house 10 minutes easily.

I guess I could put the baby chairs in the bathroom before I go, carry each baby up to the bathroom, then shower him with is all in they're, then send him down and carry the babies and their chairs down?

Orchidsindoors · 25/08/2020 10:00

Premium shoes.....not the type we need.

So it will be one pair till I manage to get more. I dont think I'd wash them every day anyway. Weve been out quite a bit recently to various towns and ate out etc, and havent all stripped off and put our clothes in the wash as soon as weve got home.

Triangularbubble · 25/08/2020 12:05

No, although they wear clean uniform daily anyway. If there’s sufficient virus in the classroom to be carried on clothes and skin and hair, it’ll be in their eyes, nose and mouth and they will be infected. They will therefore infect me by breathing on me etc, not by bringing it home on their clothes and hair. If a classmate has it I fully expect our family to get it too, it’s part of the deal I accept for them going to school at present. The immediate shower type stuff only makes sense to me for people who are reasonably sure they’ve not been infected because they’re wearing proper respirators etc - nurses on Covid wards for example. Otherwise I think it’s just been suggested to make people feel better because they’re “doing something”. Kids will be washing hands on coming home as they have always done because if last term was anything to go by they’ll be covered in mud, pen etc despite the claim of frequent school hand washing. But that’ll be it.

latticechaos · 25/08/2020 12:16

@premiumshoes

No but it's a harmless precaution so what's the problem ?

As my previous post, I'm not convinced this is harmless at all. Kids just need to clean their hands and change, as mine have done for any many years after school. They don't need parents feeding them more worry in an already difficult time. It has the potential to be harmful to some, particularly the children who are struggling, not fully understanding the virus and prone to anxiety already.

I'm not feeding mine worry, they always changed out of uniform anyway, and what's the issue of moving the ordinary shower three hours?

I think many parents are struggling with their anxiety, which makes them resistant to any new hygiene measures. It was the same with masks, the adults are the ones with issues.

We are doing less than we were at the height of lockdown and it will continue to decline hopefully.

No one in this house is anxious at all, we are happy when out and about.

premiumshoes · 25/08/2020 12:21

I'm not feeding mine worry, they always changed out of uniform anyway, and what's the issue of moving the ordinary shower three hours?

Well I was talking about 'some' and not 'your' children. I'm glad yours are happy, let's not pretend that all children will be completely unaffected by it.

I think many parents are struggling with their anxiety, which makes them resistant to any new hygiene measures. It was the same with masks, the adults are the ones with issues.

I think as many are resistant as are becoming obsessive. We just do what we always did because I cannot see any benefit in them having a shower at 3:30pm.

The point I raised though is still valid, even though it doesn't apply to you specifically.

WhyIsItSoHardToPickAUsername · 25/08/2020 12:30

4yo ds has been back at nursery for about a month, we wash hands when he gets in. He gets his bath before bed as usual and fresh clothes everyday like he did before anyway. Can't imagine how much of a faff is would be showering specifically after nursery especially as 2 days he picked up by other family members.
I'm a frontline worker (not nhs) and heavily pregnant. I wash hands when I get in and wear fresh clothes daily.

WhyIsItSoHardToPickAUsername · 25/08/2020 12:31

*i prefer showering in the morning although occasionally have an evening bath

DidSheReallySayThat20 · 25/08/2020 12:31

Tbh my teen 9/10times showers as soon as he's in as he says he smells like school?
He has a real thing about it.
All his uniform gets washed daily anyway so that's no different.

Toddler at pre school, Bath as norm each day after tea. (, gets in such a mess Inc her hair it's pointless doing it prior)

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