Handwashing at Home and at School:
A Parents Perspective

As a parent of two boys, one in middle school and one in elementary school, keeping hands clean has been something that we have battled since they were little. Boys are after all, nothing if not dirt magnets, right? 

So, when COVID hit, I knew that the phrase “a little dirt don’t hurt,” no longer felt relevant, especially since my kids would be returning to school, in person.  

Being at home with our “own” germs is one thing. Keeping both my kids and the other kids, not to mention the teachers and staff of the school at school, safe, seems like a bigger battle. And, it’s has been at the forefront of our minds as a family.   

We are incredibly lucky to be partnering with a school that takes the safety and health of the kids so seriously.  

Here are some of the ways that my children have shared that things have changed for the better, in my opinion, at their school:  

 
Signs in the bathroom 

Let’s be honest here, if I was guessing, I would say that those signs were in the bathroom before March 2020. The important part is that my younger child is noticing them now.  

Less Hand Sanitizer, more soap and water.  

This is a change that I would like to see stick around. According to my middle schooler, if they ask in class to use hand sanitizer they are instead sent to the restroom to wash up with soap and water, which in my book is a big win!  

Wash hands in the bathroom after each class.  

This is another change for my middle schooler, because his pod travels to different teachers during the day, they wash their hands between each class, before entering the next classroom.  

 
For my youngest, who is still in elementary and primarily with the same teacher each day, they wash before and after their special area classes (PE, Art, Music) and before and after lunch and recess.  

 
At home, the biggest change that has come about is the fact that we have recently implemented washing hands as soon as we come home from any errands, at school or anything that takes us away from home.  

 
Both of my kids, including my too cool for anything middle schooler, are very excited about the Time Timer WASH. To have a visual reminder of how long hand washing is supposed to take, along with a catchy tune, is just another really good reinforcement of the habits that are more important than ever.  

Handwashing at Home and at School: A Parents Perspective

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *