How can children gain the habit of hand washing?
Most infections are transmitted from unwashed hands. Unfortunately, care is not taken in the habit of hand washing around the world. Figures are very poor in children's hand washing habits. Every year, approximately 2 million children under the age of 5 die due to infections from unwashed hands. To address these challenges, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Aid Fund) celebrates World Handwashing Day every year on October 15th, and organizes a series of events to highlight the importance of handwashing, especially for children. On the occasion of this meaningful day, we will share useful information on how to gain children's hand washing habits in this week's health corner on Ofix Blog.
Why is the habit of hand washing important in children?
First of all, let's talk about the importance of hand washing and the children's hand washing habit, sir. Every day billions of microbes circulate hand in hand. Our hands, one of the organs we use most in our daily life and in our business life, lead to the spread of microorganisms easily on the surfaces we touch. In this respect, washing hands is not only important for our personal hygiene, but also for public health. As a matter of fact, the purpose of handwashing is to prevent infection of microorganisms transmitted to the hand and to protect both individual and public health.
In order for the handwashing to have positive results, it is necessary to know the correct handwashing and in which situations it is necessary to wash hands. Handwashing without sufficient care will not provide the desired result, but it is also possible to catch infections due to simple neglect. Inadequate hand hygiene threatens the health of children more than adults' health. In order to prevent this situation, the habit of hand washing must be gained to children from a young age.
You should be patient for your child to gain the habit of washing hands.
However, the habit of handwashing in children is closely related to each child's own skills and learning motivation. For this reason, parents need to be very patient and manage this process correctly. Children who have not had the habit of washing hands before school age can easily get infection from school toilets. In order to develop the habit of handwashing in children, it is not enough to explain when and how to wash hands, and parents should also act as role models.
In which situations should you wash your hands?
One of the most important mistakes in the handwashing habits of children is that the handwashing should only be done before and after meals and after the toilet. Children who think hand washing is limited to these situations cannot gain enough sensitivity to other health risks. As a matter of fact, it is sufficient to touch a surface which is not clean enough to wash hands. It is also necessary to wash your hands, for example when exchanging money, contacting transport, touching uncooked food. In addition, after handshaking, coughing, and sneezing, contact with ill persons and their belongings, contact with spoiled food and rubbish, loving animals, touching someone else's personal belongings should also wash hands.
What should be considered when washing hands?
Antibacterial soaps should always be your first choice about hand soaps. Ordinary soaps may be insufficient to provide hand hygiene in some cases. It is necessary to use liquid soap instead of solid soap in collective living and working environments. It is very difficult to keep solid soaps dry in such environments. In solid soaps that are not stored under suitable conditions, some microorganisms can easily propagate and spread. If you work in a job where you need to take great care of hand hygiene, you may need to use special disinfectants in addition to antibacterial soaps. As a matter of fact, it may be necessary to use different products to provide hand hygiene in some occupational groups, especially health workers.
You can give your child the best hand washing habit in the 2-3 age range.
Soaps used for hand washing should not irritate the skin. Skin cracks caused by irritation create a suitable ground for microorganisms to enter the body. Do not use excessive hot or cold water when washing hands. If you wash your hands in warm water, it will be easier to continue the washing process for 30 seconds. If your hands are very dirty, you can increase this time up to 2-3 minutes. During the washing process, you should foam the soap to your wrists. Before washing your hands, if any rings, imprint, bracelets, watches such as jewelry and accessories should remove. When cleaning and hygiene is not provided on these surfaces due to the lack of water and soap, the risks of infection are not eliminated. It is best to use paper towels instead of cotton towels to avoid contact with microorganisms after washing your hands.
How can children gain the habit of hand washing?
After briefly discussing the importance of handwashing and handwashing in children, in this part of our article, we will share useful information about how to gain children's handwashing habit. But to make this information work, let's make it clear that you need to be a good role model for hand washing.
You must accurately explain the importance of hand washing.
When children understand what is good and useful for them, they have a natural desire to put into practice the knowledge they have learned. Especially 2-3 age range is the most appropriate time period for children to gain the desired behavior. However, if your child has not yet gained the habit of washing hands after he / she is 3 years old, you should be patient and give up the experiment. When explaining the importance of handwashing, you should be realistic rather than using analogies such as “avenger” and ort ghost hakkında about microbes. You should try to guide your child with the right information instead of forcing them into intimidation.
You must create suitable conditions for hand washing.
In order for children to develop hand washing habits, some physical and psychological conditions must be formed. In physical conditions, your child should be able to reach the sink and use soap. To facilitate physical conditions, you can use a stool when you reach the sink or get support from you. For psychological conditions, your child's awareness of personal hygiene needs to be improved. The ideal age range is 2-3 years. In this age range, your child will gain the habit of toiletry and if he / she learns to care for your mouth, hair and nails, he / she will gain the habit of hand washing easier. Since handwashing in children is a part of general cleaning habits, the learning process will become easier as they become aware of cleaning.
You should make hand washing fun.
Play for children is both a form of fun and learning. You can have fun with your child by playing games, as well as you can change the behavior you want to win. If you have a positive attitude towards your child when washing your hands, your child will have a natural desire to wash their hands depending on your interest. When you help him to overcome the physical difficulties he encounters while washing his hands, his sense of trust towards you will rise and his loyalty will increase. To make hand washing even more fun, you can use fun soaps made specifically for children.
You should teach him to wash his hands correctly.
While giving your child the habit of hand washing, you should tell them that they should not use water or soap more or less than necessary. The first leads to waste and the second leads to infection risks. Your child will understand over time what the ideal time is, 30 seconds. During the handwashing process, both the palms and the outside, fingers, nails and wrists should be washed thoroughly. In addition, water should not be wasted and hands should be in good contact with water during the rinsing process. Paper towels should be used instead of cotton towels for drying after washing hands.
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