5yo DS - won’t wash hands

[twinnies1987]

Ok Hive-Mind, please share strategies for how I can encourage my nearly 5yo DS to actually wash his hands? 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ He has younger siblings starting to copy him 🫠 I don’t think this is a sensory thing - occasionally we find the right thing to convince him to happily wash them (hand wash before ice cream 😆), but haven’t found something that regularly works.

Apparently he “only washes his hands at school” 🤷‍♀️ In lieu of asking his teacher to share her magic tricks, any ideas? 😅🙏

Take him to the sink , put his hands under the water , soap , rinse and dry. He’s 5 it’s non negotiable.

“Wash your hands” sign on the door of the bathroom inside and out, and one above the sink. Big bright colours with pictures of the steps. Remind him every time. Google germ science activities for kids and do them with him. Talk about why we wash our hands. Remind remind remind.

My son doesn’t get to do things he wants to do if he hasn’t washed his hands after the toilet.

He can't do [thing he wants to do] until he has washed his hands, because you don't want sticky greasy fingers all over tablet/Lego/book/colouring pencils/whatever.

When you have washed your hands, then we can have lunch/watch TV/play

You take him to the sink and you stand there until he’s done it. No tv, no snacks, no toys, no iPad no nothing until it’s done.
He does it in school because it’s expected and non-negotiable.

This nothing happens including no food or drink until hands are washed .

I've had this with son - has ASD so likely a sensory a thing as he has many sensory issues. As much as people will say force them to wash their hands - in my instance it just triggers a meltdown, thrashing, hitting etc. So I tell him if he doesn't wash his hands he will get worms, I explain exactly how you get them and that it's painful and not very nice and that seems to have done the trick. And generally reading books about germs. We also use a reward chart for anything he doesn't want to do and that seems to help reinforce those things/setting patterns.

Put on gloves, give him a slice of bread (a one that’s not too processed or it will take longer to happen! This happened me once amd i had to do it myself separately and swap it out) get him to pass it between his hands and then put it in a zip lock bag. Then watch the mould grow- it will be quite disgusting. Also can do a cough one and possibly a control one that is put straight into a bag by you with your gloved hands

👏👏👏👏👏👏

Yes this

I hate washing my hands. I have no idea why, I also hate brushing my teeth. Of course I do it as an adult who understand why I have to. But I always hate it.

Either you wash them for him, or you make him stand in the bathroom til they’re done (and properly), he can’t go anywhere or do anything till it’s done. Same as any other non negotiable things we have to do. Usually you only have to follow through once or twice enforcing it and they just do as they’re told after that.

I was terrible about washing y hands as a kid because my mum bought bar soap and the grimy cracks/pool of slimeyness underneath made me feel sick. As soon as I was old enough to buy my own I switched to foaming handwash and have been ultra-hygienic ever since! Might this be an issue for him? Soft foaming handwashes can be quite a pleasant sensory experience in comparison to liquid ones or bar soap.

Show him videos of UV light handwashing experiments.

I agree make it non-negotiable.