When considering germs, the immediate reaction is often “YUCK!” They are responsible for my kids' school absences and my annual bout of bedridden head colds. Germs pervade every nook and cranny, making it an impossible task to achieve complete germ eradication—particularly in my household.
Here are 5 things to teach your kids in an effort or them to spread fewer germs around.
The school my kids attend teach them that they should sneeze into the crook of their elbow. We also call this the vampire sneeze because apparently it looks like a vampire over its cape. I do this now, too. Seriously a guy made a vampire sneeze video to walk through the steps apparently needed to sneeze like this.
2. Tell them to tell you when they are sick and handle it accordingly.
This probably seems obvious but some kids will pretend they are not sick so that they can go to school. My daughter is one of them. We always have to remind her that she could possibly make others sick so she is better about it but let’s just assume that other kids might do this as well.
3. Wash your hands as often as you can.
At a minimum, you should wash your hands before meals and every time you use the rest room. I still make my kids wash hands with me at home and they are 8, 10 & 12. They may get tired of me reminding them but I have noticed that they are doing it a lot more often not.
4. Cover your mouth and nose.
This may seem simple but we have had to go over this many times. Even the CDC says to do this in case your kids ask why a lot like mine.
5. Teach them all about germs.
The Glitter Challenge was what I did to teach my children about spreading germs. There are also great worksheets online to help with lessons about germs.
Let’s face it, there are always going to be germs around. It happens and you have to be prepared to deal it with it happens. 5 Ways to Teach Kids to Stop Spreading Germs
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This post is sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All opinions are my own.
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My kids are so paranoid of germs because of me. We are constantly washing our hands and sanitizing.
Good tips. I teach my kids all of them yet they still seem to forget to follow them sometimes.
My son is very good at Steve’s incorrectly but he has a problem with washing his hands. He forgets to wash them sometimes.
These are definitely good habits to start early on. The vampire sneeze is the method I taught my kids when they were little too.
I have had such a hard time teaching my kids to cough and sneeze into their elbows! I don’t know what it is, but they always seem to remember AFTER they sneeze. Yikes. Oh well, we’ll get there eventually!
Great tips. thanks for sharing. handwashing is the best way to kill germs.
My kids are all great about this. Well, they were , that is until my son hit the big 13 and could care less about washing his hands. It drives me crazy
With the kids being in school, it is all to easy for them to bring home a bug and pass it to their siblings. I like your tips and try to do them with my own.
Great tips. I always remind my kids to wash their hands and avoid touching their eyes with dirty hands.
These are awesome tips. I always tell the girls to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. I don’t have problems with washing their hands because they love to do this.
This is great information. More parents need to teach their kids the art of not spreading germs, it’s crazy what I see around the schools these days.
Yes! This is so incredibly important to teach children. As parents we need to remain vigilant in teaching our kiddos to practice safe habits to avoid spreading germs.
My 9 year old does great at this, but my 4 year old is a gross germy mess…*sigh* We are working on this practice. ;0
Those are excellent tips!
Everyone needs to learn to follow those tips, not just kids.
I see people sneezing into mid air in the stores all the time and I run the other way. I do not need to catch their cold.
It’s sad that some kids don’t know these things. I volunteer to my children school every Wednesday and yesterday a lot of them have colds. I must have pick some germs up and now I have cold, ugh..
Good tips! My 9 year old son is always adamant about taking baths, yet forgets to wash his hands quite often no matter how many times I tell him to.
These are important things to teach kids. This is the worst time of the year for spreading colds.
This is such a great post!! So many kids don’t know to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze and it’s so gross!! LOL!!
This is a tough one! I teach my son some of the things you’ve listed but it’s sooo hard!
I have been teaching my kids from a very young age how to not spread germs. They learn the proper way to sneeze and cough in school too.
Love this. Would love to plaster this whole post at my kids school. The germs that go around schools are crazy, and its important to teach kids how to stop spreading!
Those are all great suggestions and tips. Hand washing is so important.
These all great ways to teach kiddos. Thanks for sharing these tips.
These are some great tips!! My daughter is 3 and just started school this year. Hubby and I are always reminding her to wash her hands as much as possible!
These things have taken so much time to teach my son, because he has special needs. I really get so made when parents don’t try to teach their kids how to keep germs away.
I really need to teach my daughter this! She is rebelling and now hates brushing her teeth or washing her hands. Such a struggle. 🙁
With a toddler in my home I am ALWAYS trying to get her to understand the importance of keeping her hands clean. I’m not sure if it is working.
Oh my gosh this should be posted everywhere. I’m so sick of germs getting spread and of my little ones being sick. It is miserable watching them suffer!
I’m such a sticker for this since I’m a teacher and I see (all day every day) how kids spread germs!
These are definitely some great ways to teach kids to stop spreading germs. Thanks for the different ideas you shared!
This is such great advice! It’s so easy to spread germs but it’s also easy to take precautions against spreading them as much.
My son is really good about most things, but he has a fear of restrooms so he will rush out of them without washing his hands. I have to remind every single time.