What’s normal with regard to uniform?

[Abigwhale]

Let me start with I have OCD (proper diagnosed). One of the things I find most challenging currently is when my son comes home from school. I like to get him changed and washed hands straight away, uniform in the washing basket. In an ideal world I would bath him then too but that’s not practical really.

Do you change your children’s clothes and wash their hands or just leave them to it? I worry about them sitting on the sofa, playing with the new baby all while in uniform covered in germs, dirt, threadworm eggs, goodness knows what!

Talk some common sense into me so that I can get over this particular obsession and live a more “normal” life!!

[reefedsail]

I have 5 sets of uniform for DS. Comes off as soon as he gets home and goes in a tub to wait and all be washed together at the weekend.

I'm slovenly, so it definitely isn't coming from concern about germs. DS has sports most evenings and doesn't want to be going out to those in school uniform.

[happyasasandboy]

Mine don't get changed or wash their hands when they get home. They wear shoes (and often wellies) in the house too.

I nag them about washing hands after the loo, but don't always know they've been and so don't know whether they washed their hands. I also mostly enforce hand washing before eating, but it does sometimes get forgotten and I notice there's crusty claws clutching pizza crusts

Doesn't occur to me to worry about germs and my kids are rarely sick.

[Her0utdoors]

If there's a chance the uniform if clean enough to last another day then I'd ask her to get changed, but it's never happened, so she can leave it on till bath time (she's in reception). You're brave to challenge yourself op, well done.

[Pigletin]

In our house we wash hands straight after coming home from school/work/park, etc. I don't particularly worry about germs and worms but we do care about general hygiene so we are all washing our hands. We do the same before meals and after toilet. And uniform is for school and not for playing around in the garden or in the house so it comes off and is either put away for the next day or goes in the wash. For the record, I am not OCD, but I do think these are good habits to have from a young age.

[LeekMunchingSheepShagger]

It wouldn't even occur to me that clothes might have germs on. We hand wash before meals, but we often forget!

[Sooverthemill]

abigwhale no. Obviously there are germs but if they wash their hands before they put them in their mouths that's good enough ( or it was. They are now 20, 23 and 26).. We followed the idea that kids needed to get a bit grubby and taking in a few germs was good for the immune system. I could probably dig out a photo of one of them eating mud if you want to get freaked out. But you have OCD so I recognise you have to manage that the best way for you. That may mean getting your kids to wash their hands a lot more than I would. I'd be sad if they picked up on health anxieties though

[mollyblack]

Threadworms are very common- just no one talks about it as the stigma is worse than nits! These are the stats:

How common are threadworms?
The threadworm is the most common worm parasite that infects children. It is estimated that up to 40% of children under 10 years of age may be infected with threadworms.

[Beamur]

Unfortunately, kids are a bit germy. There will also always be the odd kid who gets worms or impetigo and it's responsible of the school to flag these things up so parents can take steps to make sure their kids are ok.
I think changing clothes/washing hands especially for little ones is a good idea. My DD always wears clean uniform daily.
The other way to approach this is to think, what is the worst thing that can happen? In the highly unlikely chance of picking up worms for example, they are easily treated with no lasting harm.

[SuzieQ10]

My DD goes to the loo, washes her hands with soap (maybe her face too as usually covered in muck) and then gets changed into more comfortable clothes, as soon as we get home.
Uniform goes in the wash basket.

[Ivegotthree]

Mine wash their hands as soon as they come in and that's in. They're all still alive and worm-free!

[littlepeaegg]

My son (7) comes home from school, he takes his shoes off in the porch (we all do this) and he'll go upstairs and get changed out of his uniform straight away and into comfy clothes. He will wash hands before snacks or dinner (hygienic) and he has a bath/shower every night as he always comes home sweaty as he does a lot of sports.

[mollyblack]

I prefer my kids to stay in school clothes after school. They wash their hands as and when they need to, i dont consider it important they do it when they come in from school. They have had worms a couple of times, its not the end of the world, most kids get them at some point.

[Abigwhale]

@MarchingFrogs I think a text went round when he was in reception but I’m not aware of it being a massive problem at the school.

[Abigwhale]

Yes @Beamur I have had CBT (currently taking a break as just had a baby 2 weeks ago). Have also been on medication in the past.

[MarchingFrogs]

I don’t want them to think school is a dirty place to be disinfected from.

So just make getting changed part of getting ready for 'home play', perhaps - a positive something, rather than a negative. Have a 'serious' discussion as to whether he should keep his uniform on to do any homework first, or whether homework can be done just as well in home clothes?

Has there ever actually been a problem with threadworms in his class / the school generally, btw? Or is this a particular personal fear of yours? I can't remember a single reported incidence at our primary (3 DC there over 12 years and a term) and our lot have certainly never had them.

[Signhereplease]

To be honest I only have to see the black in the water when DC are washing their hands to know its perfectly fine to wash your hands after being at school.

The amount of times they say so & so felt sick or someone went home unwell is enough for me.

Theres 30 of them using the same 4 loo's in one school day.

We wash them as soon as we get in from the supermarket/day out as well.

Its just habit, shoes off, wash hands, get changed.

But then people were horrified at me on the soap dodger thread because I said I shower before work every day, apply deodrant & wear a clean top & then shower as soon as I get home due to the environment I work in.

If Im strange, I can live with that

I also take hand gel out with me.

[Abigwhale]

@Catalicious I have no idea why ocd has latched onto this. Maybe because it’s because you can’t see the eggs, maybe it’s because it feels like I should be able to prevent it. I also worry if we got them we would never get rid of them (internet horror stories)

[Beamur]

Have you had any advice about dealing with your anxiety?
My DD has had issues with anxiety/intrusive thoughts, so I have some inkling of how difficult this is. She did see a counsellor and it was very helpful, she still gets anxious and we all recognise the signs when it flares up, but she's got much better at managing it.
All rather easier said than done

[babysharkah]

Honestly if they're going to get work s they will get them in school anyway, washing his hands when he comes home won't make any difference to that. He's probably eaten lunch without washing them.

[Quartz2208]

Washing hands and changing is fine - is the washing every day that is perhaps more unusual

[PotteringAlong]

I never bother to get them to wash their hands. NormLly they don’t get changed either. By the time they’ve done school and after school club their uniform is filthy so I don’t want another set of clothes to wash!

[Catalicious]

Why specifically worms?

[Abigwhale]

Thanks beamur. I don’t think it’s that unreasonable either but I do wonder if it has got to a stage now where I just need to stare down the anxiety as it where and just let him roll all over the furniture in uniform and wait til it feels normal again?

[Beamur]

It sounds like you are well aware of your OCD and the effect it could have on your kids - so, consider what is reasonable (to someone without OCD) and if you can feel comfortable with that, have that as your routine for your child.
I don't think coming home, changing your clothes and washing your hands - especially if you have a baby in the house too is unreasonable.
I know it's a hard circle to square when you are germ phobic, but childhood exposure to germs will make your child healthier in the long run.

[eurochick]

Child stays in school clothes until bathtime or getting into PJs (she has a bath every other day). She has fresh uniform every day.

Hand washing happens before food.