Before We Eat
What you need
- soap
- a hand towel
How to do it
- Before every meal, go to the sink together before anyone sits down.
- Same order each time: water on, soap, rub, rinse, dry.
- Dry hands, then straight to the table.
- Do it after coming in from outside too, and after any animals.
Why it matters
Handwashing sticks when it's attached to something that already happens every day, and meals come round often enough to build the habit without anyone having to remember it.
What they're learning
- A steady routine
- Tied to mealtimes, it happens several times a day without being a separate thing to organise.
- What comes next
- Sink, then table: a short sequence that makes sense to them.
- Rubbing hands together
- Frequent short practice beats occasional long practice.
What to look for
Watch for them heading to the sink when you start getting food ready.
A tip
Before eating, after the toilet or a nappy change, after animals, and when you come in. Those four cover most of what matters.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: do it at one meal a day until it's familiar
Harder: let them head to the sink when you say it's time to eat
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