Am I being weird and paranoid or rightly cautious

[romanrainsalot]

Vote now!

DD (aged 5) has been given a letter re a school trip to local farm - one of those family day out types with petting zoo things as well as part of it being a real working farm.

Its an all day trip, needs to take a lunch.

Thing is, DD and I went a few months ago and whilst it was worthwhile and I don't mind her going again, when we went to wash our hands the water was cold more like freezing in all of the taps we tried, in all of the hand washing blocks.

I hate washing hands in cold water, it feels like they are not washed. I hate the thought of DD not being able to wash hands properly, especially at a farm and then they will be having lunch there. I can just imagine her ending up ill.

Would I be a) weird and paranoid to mention it to teacher or b)rightly cautious?

Thanks in advance

[rainbowstardrops]

I'd be concerned if there wasn't soap but not warm water! I probably would send her with a hand gel though and remind her to use it.
I work in an infant school and we usually take some 'just in case'.

Having said that, I wish I had £1 everytime I asked a child if they'd washed their hands, please don't pick your nose, get your hands out of your pants etc etc etc.
Let's not even mention the ones that say, 'I was sick last night'

I know it's different germs etc but school trips are usually micromanaged. Day to day yukky school isn't.

[mummytime]

I would expect that for the risk assessment: a teacher has visited recently and they will have a big thing on hand washing (and any chaperones will have this made clear to them). For all trips a form on risk assessment has to be filled in, and they tend to be pretty thorough. Your local LA may well have special advice on visits to farms - as the ecoli issues are well known.

[derxa]

There are many things I could say here being an ex teacher and the owner of a farm. None of them would be very helpful.

[RedSauce]

There are many things I could say here being an ex teacher and the owner of a farm. None of them would be very helpful

Anything would have been more helpful than this post, to be fair.

[HelenaGWells]

The teachers will have done a risk assessment. This will include a sentence something along the lines of "teachers and helpers will ensure all children have washed their hands thoroughly with soap to prevent infection."

I visited a farm like this (complete with freezing taps) for 5 years straight at primary school. The teachers always watched us wash our hands and made sure we did it properly with soap. I don't recall ever being ill but I can remember standing in a line waiting to wash your hands with freezing water so you could go sit on the big hay bale to eat your jam sandwiches....

[derxa]

I know RedSauce but I'm just placemarking to see how this potential catastrophe can be averted.
In my experience of actually taking actual school children to petting farms the teachers are over cautious to a fault. I mean I don't think the OP's little DD will be asked to get stuck into lambing a ewe. Pregnant school teachers are more at risk in this scenario.
www.gov.uk/government/news/pregnant-women-advised-to-avoid-animals-that-are-giving-birth--2

[SuperFlyHigh]

Pack some extra soap (travel sized) and if necessary pack a small thermos flask of water that will be warm/hottish if your DD wants to use it.

Again pack hand sanitizer and gel too.

[llangennith]

If this is a real problem for you maybe you could offer to go along as a parent helper. But you're going to have to step back from getting stressed about things like this and projecting your ideas onto your DD. School and school trips are things that are sort of outside your control so take a few deep breaths and go with the flow.

[Norland]

Given homo sapiens is the only creature on the planet that indulges in such a thing, as anti-bacterial measures; and homo sapiens seems to suffer from more ailments than other animals; and a lot of intolerances have been blamed on the modern trend of scrupulous cleanliness, perhaps your child would build a better imune system and tolerance to the all the bugs in the world today, if she doesn't wash her hands?

[amidawsh]

i don't blame you for being cautious/anxious. I would be and i'm not usually an anxious parent. Those that are saying there are more bugs etc at school, yes you are right, but not ones like e.coli !

i went along as a helper on a school farm trip for exactly this reason. fwiw they were all made to wash and dry their hands properly, with soap, before lunch.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Also OP let's face it if you worry about this, your kid will be the ones the goats single out for licking.

[bulletjournal]

All the farms around here (South East) have warm water, at least in the main center, some only have (freezing) water in the further wash points.

My young kids would cry if you force their hands under freezing water, why would anyone do that? It's mean. Yes, cold water works just as well, but not if the kids refuse to put their hands in it.

The gel are nowhere near as good as good water and soap, so yes, I would mention it to the teacher, I would just warn her that mine will not wash their hands willingly in freezing water.

[Hullygully]

I think you have to be very very careful. Are there any Alpacas on this farm? They harbour a particular type of mite that adheres to the skin when washed with cold water being absorbed into the skin as the pores contract.

[Lifeonthefarm]

From someone who lives on a farm as do all our families children I had to LOL at this - sorry.

[FemelleReynard]

OTT I'm afraid OP.
Chill out, let her enjoy her childhood, and get muddy and dirty and eat gruesome things, without inflicting your over-cautious, frankly paranoid views about hygiene on her.

I grew up running around farms, in dirt, with a range of animals AND not washing my hands before eating. And guess what? I survived, and I was never struck down with any illness.

Let kids be kids.

[Verbena37]

The NHS supply hot water in all handwashing sinks however, I'm pretty sure a good wash with cold water will be fine.
Whoever said baby wipes aren't good because they're anti-bac, it doesn't matter. Not all soap is anti-bac obviously. Baby wipes are far better than nothing and if here is visible dirt, will get that off.

Incidentally op, I've had e-coli 0157 and I didn't catch it from a farm. I caught it from a restaurant in Carcassone after eating contaminated cassoulet. It was horrific. You can't protect your kids from everything.....other peoples' poor hygiene is far more likely to give you something bad than your child washing their hands in cold water with soap.

[ILoveDolly]

Have you any idea about the level of risk planning that's involved with planning a school trip! If you are interested/worried maybe you could ask to see what measures they will be putting in place.
I went on a YR farm school trip as a parent helper (you could offer) and I was basically there as hand washing monitor the whole day. They washed their hands so many times. It was awful

[derxa]

Thing is, DD and I went a few months ago and whilst it was worthwhile and I don't mind her going again, when we went to wash our hands the water was cold more like freezing in all of the taps we tried, in all of the hand washing blocks. You've already been and nothing bad happened!

[bulletjournal]

yes, because e coli outbreaks in petting farms have NEVER happen in this country, ever. Oh, wait...

Why can't people acknowledge that boosting immune system doesn't have to be the opposite of a minimum hygiene. Some posters should study history, some kids were fine but not everyone was that lucky with minimum hygiene, there is a balance. Mocking a mum who asks a reasonable question is not helpful.

[derxa]

I was thinking maybe teachers could re-inforce handwashing technique before the kids go in the toilet block etc. Teachers usually watch kids like hawks in this situation and especially very small children.

[ILoveDolly]

Allow me to reiterate, as someone who was recently on a school trip with year R at a farm: they washed their hands after EVERY animal encounter AND before lunch. It was Longdown so we also used "The Germinator"

[derxa]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2618669/Investigation-launched-four-children-hospitalised-catching-E-coli-lambs-PETTING-FARM.html
Here is an incidence of children catching E-coli and a serious one. However it didn't happen on a school trip.

[shillwheeler]

OP. I think anti-bacterial gel would do the trick, no need to stress. Either that or hand washing with cold water will suffice. Personally, I would opt for the gel anyway, as pools of stagnant water that collect around washing points can also harbour some nasty microbes (not that I want to add to anyone's worries).

Speaking as someone who lugs buckets of cold water out to animals daily, I think it unreasonable to expect a farm to have hot and cold running water. After all, it's not a spa.

The risk of catching E-coli or child-eating alpaca mites is miniscule, that's why it delights Daily Fail headline writers.

I am generally quite hygiene conscious (having a child with a serious medical condition), but I genuinely think gel would be sufficient (and gentle reminder to apply after handling any animals and before eating.

[mrz]

Anti bacteria gel isn't any good much better soap and cold water.

[RedSauce]

Anti bacteria gel isn't any good much better soap and cold water

Is Anti bacteria gel the same as alcohol gel? What is the evidence that it "isn't any good"?