Staying Healthy: Washing Hands and Cleanliness for Kids

Parents and teachers should insist on hand washing whenever a child comes from playing outside, welcoming guest, visits the toilet or finishes eating food among other activities. It is easier to instill the habit of hand washing when they are still young.

Children like playing around with water, which makes it easy to teach them how washing hands is adequately done and the right time to clean your hands.

At Imani Montessori, children are taught and understand the steps involved when washing their hands, which include wetting their hands, applying soap and then scrubbing their hands. The children often just want to feel the water flowing through their hands. However, we teach them how to scrub their hands to be completely clean.

Children should wash their hands often, which applies to parents and all other adults as well. At home, parents should wash their hands often, and allow their children to follow their steps.

Hand-washing at Imani involves teaching children concepts such as not touching their faces with dirty hands, staying at home when they feel sick, covering the nose and mouth when sneezing and the importance of personal space and cleanliness. The school ensures the taps have water flowing and sufficient soap to meet the needs of children to wash their hands after play, before meals etc.

Parents should let their children wash their own hands. Teach them how to do it without getting their clothes wet, the importance of cleaning their hands, and when to wash their hands.

Cleanliness is important in eliminating some diseases and bacteria that make the stomach hurt and avoiding other bacteria related to germs.

Increasing hand-washing awareness ensures the kids stay healthy and keep off from illness-causing germs.

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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT COVID-19

1. Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID19) is a new respiratory illness that can easily be spread from person to person.
2. COVID-19 is spread through contact with droplets produced by a person who is sneezing or coughing or contaminated surfaces or objects.
3. COVID-19 can cause severe symptoms like fever, cough, headache, body aches and difficulty in breathing.
4. COVID-19 is preventable through;
   –Washing your hands with soap and running water or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer,
   – Keeping a social distance of at least 2 metres or 2-3 steps from people with flu-like symptoms.
   – Avoiding shaking hands, hugging or kissing with people with flu-like symptoms.
   – Staying at home and avoiding travel when you have flu-like symptoms.
5. Early detection and treatment can contribute greatly to survival of the patient.
6. COVID 2019 cannot be transmitted through air.