Hand Washing

[jrob]

How did you get your kids to start remembering to wash their hands on their own? My stepson never wants to wash his hands after he goes to the bathroom. We always have to send him back in to do it. It's not just when he goes to the bathroom either. At his birthday party, the hostess came around with some hand-sanitizer for all the kids to use before they ate because they had just been running around in bounce houses. He was the only one who declined. He was polite and all and said "No thank you." But I had to tell him that it wasn't an option, he was cleaning his hands before he ate. He's so opposed to doing it! Shouldn't this be a regular thing he does by 7? Or is this totally normal? I feel like it should be second nature by now, especially since we have been reinforcing it his whole life. Any tricks to get him to do it without being told to?

 

[RachA]

My 7 year old still has to be reminded to wash his hands.
However my 5 year old does hers no problem. Maybe it's a boy thing.

 

[sophxx]

My little boy is obsessive about washing his hands. He washes them as soon as he comes in from outside aswell IRS something we have always done so he's used to it.

 

[tallybee]

Obvs all kids are different but I find it's just about constantly reminding them or they don't get the habit. If a 7 yo hasn't learned it as a habit it will take work but just keep reminding and explaining about germs etc.