How to Teach Toddlers Hand Washing

Most toddlers would enjoy frequent opportunities to stand at the sink and splash with water, so your toddler might become a willing hand-washer. Although your youngster is still little, it̵7;s not too soon to begin teaching important hygiene habits that will help keep her healthy. Keep the sudsing practice engaging and entertaining as you teach your toddler how to wash her hands effectively.

Things You'll Need

  • Step stool
  • Soap
  • Towel

Instructions

    • 1

      Help your toddler climb up onto a safe step stool that will enable him to reach the sink and place his hands under running water. Keep this step stool near the sink for easy access for washing hands.

    • 2

      Turn the water on and set it at a comfortably warm temperature.

    • 3

      Help your little one place her hands under the water to get them both completely wet.

    • 4

      Place a squirt of soap onto your youngster̵7;s hands and show him how to rub his hands together to make lots of bubbles, rubbing in between his fingers, and on the tops and palms of his hands.

    • 5

      Choose a hand-washing song that your toddler will learn to sing every time she washes. The idea is to have your child sing a song that lasts at least 20 seconds, because this is the recommended minimum time for hand-washing to kill germs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Your toddler could choose to sing ̶0;Happy Birthday̶1; twice, ̶0;Mary Had a Little Lamb,̶1; ̶0;I̵7;m a Little Teapot̶1; or the ABCs.

    • 6

      Help your little one rinse his hands and dry them with a clean towel. After he puts his stool away, he has finished the hand-washing process.

    • 7

      Explain the times when your child should wash her hands so she learns when she needs to lather up to nix germs. Hand-washing occasions include after using the bathroom, before eating, after nose-blowing, coughing or sneezing, after touching an animal and any time hands become dirty, according to the CDC.

    • 8

      Remind your child when it̵7;s hand-washing time and provide assistance as necessary until he gets a little older and bigger. With consistency and practice, soon he will develop positive hygiene habits and you may not even need to remind him to wash every time.

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