August 5th is hand hygiene day, and together with the CDC, we are encouraging parents and family members to teach kids about the importance of hand washing. Cleaning your hands is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. Handwashing not only helps you from catching germs but spreading them, too – especially to others who may be more at risk for illness. Hand hygiene is an important lifelong habit to teach kids for staying healthy.
Hand hygiene can become a lifelong healthy habit if you start teaching it at an early age. Make your child feel good about hand washing by associating it with fun activities like snack time, cleaning up after playtime, or arts and crafts. You can find ways to make it fun, like making up a special handwashing song or turning it into a game. Color-changing soaps can be fun and exciting for kids too!
Building the handwashing habit takes time and patience. In the beginning, your child will need regular reminders of how and when to wash their hands. But once handwashing becomes a regular part of your child’s day, they will practice it throughout their lives.
It’s especially important to teach children to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating. It’s also a good practice to clean hands after playing outside, touching animals, coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose. Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Just follow these five steps of hand washing: wet, lather, scrub, rinse, and dry.
Children learn by imitating the behaviors of the grown-ups in their lives. When proper hand hygiene is part of your daily routine, you’re setting a good example for your kids to follow. While you can’t prevent all illnesses, taking a proactive approach by teaching little one the importance of handwashing is a great first step towards maintaining a healthy family.
Our family practice doctors can treat patients of all ages, from newborns to the elderly, they provide comprehensive healthcare for the individual and family across all, conditions, diseases, and parts of the body. Our new doctors who are also moms understand the challenges of raising children, motherhood, and busy families. They are now accepting new patients.
At River Bend Medical Associates we look forward to providing you with the best in primary healthcare including care for both you and your kids. If you are looking for a primary care doctor, call our family practice at 916-392-4000 for an appointment or contact River Bend Medical Associates.
